Nephilimin the Bible: Who are they, and what is their significance?

Nephilimin the Bible: Who are they, and what is their significance? Who are the Nephilim? Translated into English, “Nephilim” means “fallen ones,” and Genesis 6:1–4 tells us that the Nephilim were offspring of divine beings and human women—specifically, the daughters of Adam. The Nephilim were—according to Ezekiel 32:27 and Numbers 13:33—great warriors and Biblical giants, physically speaking, and they were almost superhuman in appearance and power. And the Nephilim eventually acquired a negative reputation. Why did the Nephilim develop such a negative reputation? Because, some claim, the mere mating of sons of god and daughters of Adam was reason enough to cause the flood that Noah survived—and, thus, the label “fallen ones” to describe the Nephilim. Others argue that the “fallen ones” label is likely a reference totheir divine paternity transforming— or “falling”—into a human condition or state. The Nephilim also appear in the Book of Enoch, an apocryphal collection of texts that reimagines the account of Genesis 5–6, adding details to the flood narrative and elaborating on what was revealed to Enoch in heaven. In Enoch’s expanded account of the flood, you’ll learn about the Watchers, fallen angels who mated with human women and produced offspring—the Nephilim. These giants known as Nephilim were the “heroes that were of old, warriors of renown” in Genesis 6:4. TheBook of Enoch states that the Watchers shared secret knowledge with their Nephilim sons that led to the corruption of the world. The giants ravaged the earth, filling it with destruction and evil, depleting the world’s food supply, and terrifying humankind.And these actions triggered the flood as punishment for all their terrible deeds. When Enoch confronts the Watchers about their impending doom, the Watchers implore Enoch to intercede on their behalf. Enoch agrees—but to no avail. The Watchers’ petition is not granted, and they and their Nephilim sons are not able to escape their punishment—theflood. And if you’ve ever seen the movie production of Noah starring Russell Crowe, you’ll have a contemporary visual of how these giants might appear—at least according to Hollywood scriptwriters. The fallen angels in the movie Noah are loosely based on the Watchers mentioned in the Book of Enoch. The Hollywood blockbuster Noah has generated its fair share of controversy, with some saying the movie took too many liberties with the Biblical text. Certainly, the movie is not a straightforward retelling of the flood story in Genesis 6, but theflood story has been reimagined in both Christian and Jewish texts, such as the apocryphal Book of Enoch, for millennia. The flood story is one of the best-known Biblical narratives. The Book of Genesis describes God’s call to Noah to build an ark for his family and to preserve two of every animal. In time, the earth would be flooded and the world would begin anew. Questionssurrounding the historicity of the Biblical narrative, however, have plagued historians and archaeologists for centuries. What do textual and archaeological sources actually tell us about Noah and the flood story? In the BAS Library Special Collection Noah and the Genesis Flood, BAS editors have hand-selected articles from Biblical Archaeology Review and Bible Review that examine the Genesis flood, its interpretations, and what the similar Babylonian flood stories can teach us. Indeed, this Special Collection is filled with parable and high drama, making it a must-read for any student of the Bible, not just those particularly interested in the Book of Genesis, Noah, and the flood. Whatever intrigues you about the varying stories of the Flood, you’ll find it in this in-depth collection, Noah and the Genesis Flood. VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM