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Understanding Supernatural Beings in Judaism

Feb 18, 2025

Lecture Notes: Supernatural Beings in Jewish Scripture

Key Terms and Concepts

  • Supernatural Beings: Jewish scripture refers to supernatural beings like angels, seraphim, cherubim, demons, and watchers.
  • Jinn: Often confused, but they belong to Islamic tradition, not Judaism.
  • Angels: Term used broadly; 'angel' translates to 'messenger' in Hebrew (malach) and Greek (angelos).
  • Seraphim and Cherubim: These are divine throne guardians, concepts common in ancient cultures.
  • Nephilim: Mysterious beings in the Bible, often translated as giants. Their origins are debated, with some considering them offspring of fallen angels and humans.

Historical Context

  • Between Old and New Testament: Jews debated the nature of supernatural beings created by God.
  • Ancient World Influence: Concepts of divine throne guardians were common, such as Lamassu in Babylonian culture and Sphinxes in Egyptian culture.

Explanation through Literature

  • Book of Enoch: Attempts to explain these supernatural beings and events before Genesis 6 (the biblical flood).
    • Enoch: Character who explains fallen angels or beings.

Interpretations and Traditions

  • Jewish and Christian Interpretations: Different interpretations in Jewish and Christian texts.
  • Ethiopian Church: Unlike other denominations, it includes the Book of Enoch in its canon.
    • The Ethiopian church developed its canon by including all literature brought by Syrian missionaries.

Misconceptions

  • Ethiopian Bible: Often mistakenly cited as the oldest Bible.
    • The oldest full Ethiopian Bible is from the 14th century.

Additional References

  • Other Biblical references to Nephilim: Numbers 13:33, Ezekiel 32:27, Deuterocanonical books such as Judith, Sirach, Baruch, and Wisdom.
  • The passage in Genesis 6:1-4 discusses the sons of God and daughters of men, leading to the creation of Nephilim.

These notes summarize the key points regarding the understanding and interpretation of supernatural beings in Jewish scriptures, the influence of historical and cultural contexts, and the role of the Book of Enoch in these narratives.

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