This is the legend of: Shemhazai, Jared, daughters of men, sons of
god, angels, mount hermon, giants, Azazel, Armaros, Kawabel, Ezekeel,
Arakiel, Samsaweel, Seriel, Enoch and the Watchers.
Volume I
The depravity of mankind, which began to show itself in the time of
Enosh,
had increased monstrously in the time of his grandson Jared, by reason
of the fallen angels.
When the angels saw the beautiful, attractive daughters of men, they
lusted after them,
and spoke: ..
"We will choose wives for ourselves only from among the daughters of
men,
and beget children with them."
Their chief Shemhazai said, "I fear me, ye will not put this plan of
yours into execution,
and I alone shall have to suffer the consequences of a great sin."
Then they answered him, and said: "We will all swear an oath, and we
will bind ourselves, separately and together, not to abandon the plan,
but to carry it through to the end."
Two hundred angels descended to the summit of Mount Hermon, which owes
its name to this very occurrence, because they bound themselves there to
fulfill their purpose, on the penalty of Herem, anathema.
Under the leadership of twenty captains they defiled themselves with the
daughters of men,
unto whom they taught charms, conjuring formulas, how to cut roots, and
the efficacy of plants.
The issue from these mixed marriages was a race of giants, three
thousand ells tall,
who consumed the possessions of men. When all had vanished, and they
could obtain nothing more from them, the giants turned against men and
devoured many of them, and the remnant of men began to trespass against
the birds, beasts, reptiles, and fishes, eating their flesh and drinking
their blood.
Then the earth complained about the impious evil-doers. But the fallen
angels continued to corrupt mankind.
Azazel taught men how to make slaughtering knives, arms, shields, and
coats of mail. He showed them metals and how to work them, and armlets
and all sorts of trinkets, and the use of rouge for the eyes,
and how to beautify the eyelids, and how to ornament themselves with the
rarest and most precious jewels and all sorts of paints.
The chief of the fallen angels, Shemhazai, instructed them in exorcisms
and how to cut roots;
Armaros taught them how to raise spells;
Barakel, divination from the stars;
Kawkabel, astrology;
Ezekeel, augury from the clouds;
Arakiel, the signs of the earth;
Samsaweel, the signs of the sun; and
Seriel, the signs of the moon.
While all these abominations defiled the earth, the pious Enoch lived in
a secret place. None among men knew his abode, or what had become of
him, for he was sojourning with the angel watchers and holy ones. Once
he heard the call addressed to him:
"Enoch, thou scribe of justice, go unto the watchers of the heavens,
who have left the high heavens, the eternal place of holiness, defiling
themselves with women, doing as men do, taking wives unto themselves,
and casting themselves into the arms of destruction upon earth. Go and
proclaim unto them that they shall find neither peace nor pardon. For
every time they take joy in their offspring, they shall see the violent
death of their sons, and sigh over the ruin of their children. They will
pray and supplicate evermore, but never shall they attain to mercy or
peace."
Enoch repaired to Azazel and the other fallen angels, to announce the
doom uttered against them. They all were filled with fear. Trembling
seized upon them, and they implored Enoch to set up a petition for them
and read it to the Lord of heaven, for they could not speak with God as
aforetime, nor even raise their eyes heavenward, for shame on account of
their sins. Enoch granted their request, and in a vision he was
vouchsafed the answer which he was to carry back to the angels.
It appeared to Enoch that he was wafted into heaven upon clouds, and was
set down before the throne of God. God spake: "Go forth and
say to the watchers of heaven who have sent thee hither to intercede for
them: Verily, it is you who ought to plead in behalf of men, not men in
behalf of you.
Why did ye forsake the high, holy, and eternal heavens, to pollute
yourselves with the daughters of men, taking wives unto yourselves,
doing like the races of the earth, and begetting giant sons?
Giants begotten by flesh and spirits will be called evil spirits on
earth, and on the earth will be their dwelling-place. Evil spirits
proceed from their bodies, because they are created from above, and from
the holy watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they will be
evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits they will be named. And the
spirits of heaven have their dwelling in heaven, but the spirits of the
earth, which were born upon the earth, have their dwelling on the earth.
And the spirits of the giants will devour, oppress, destroy, attack, do
battle, and cause destruction on the earth, and work affliction. They
will take no kind of food, nor will they thirst, and they will be
invisible.
And these spirits will rise up against the children of men and against
the women, because they have proceeded from them. Since the days of
murder and destruction and the death of the giants, when the spirits
went forth from the soul of their flesh, in order to destroy without
incurring judgment--thus will they destroy until the day when the great
consummation of the great world be consummated.
And now as to the watchers who have sent thee to intercede for them, who
had been aforetime in heaven, say to them: You have been in heaven, and
though the hidden things had not yet been revealed to you, you know
worthless mysteries, and in the hardness of your hearts you have
recounted these to the women, and through these mysteries women and men
work much evil on earth. Say to them therefore: You have no peace!"
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