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Enoch, Jubilees and others · Jubilees 4:15; 5:1

Watchers came to teach

EvidenceDocumentedThe text exists and is quoted from a published translation. What it describes is a separate question.What this means
ReferenceJubilees 4:15; 5:1
Writtenc. 160–150 BCE
SetDays of Jared
For in his days the angels of the Lord descended on the earth, those who are named the Watchers, that they should instruct the children of men, and that they should do judgment and uprightness on the earth.

Translation: R. H. Charles, 1902

Read it literally

Jubilees changes the motive: the mission was legitimate. Only later (5:1) did they take wives. This gives us good Watchers who went bad slowly.

What scholars say

Hebrew fragments at Qumran; complete only in Ge'ez.

From the sky Giants and hybrids
People and places hereQumran

Quick answers about Jubilees 4:15

Where is Jubilees 4:15 found?

Jubilees 4:15; 5:1 (Enoch, Jubilees and others). Translation quoted: R. H. Charles, The Book of Jubilees (1902; SPCK 1917).

When was Jubilees 4:15 written?

c. 160–150 BCE.

What do scholars say about Jubilees 4:15?

Hebrew fragments at Qumran; complete only in Ge'ez.

Rabbit holes in this passage

TextBook of JubileesAccording to this book, an angel dictated the history of Genesis to Moses, and every event fits a sacred 364-day calendar. It claims that until Adam and Eve left Eden, all the animals spoke one language. Complete only in Ethiopia, it tells a gentler Watcher story than Enoch does. Why did the Watchers first come as teachers?BeingThe Watchers (Grigori)The story says some angels who never sleep came down to a real mountain summit, picked up human wives, and taught people metalworking, spells and astronomy. Their leaders are named, each in charge of ten others. The same word shows up in the Book of Daniel as a heavenly council. So who exactly were the Watchers?

Sources

  1. R. H. Charles, The Book of Jubilees (1902; SPCK 1917)Primary text
  2. The Book of Jubilees, trans. R. H. Charles, The Book of Jubilees (1917)Primary text
  3. 1 Enoch 6–8, trans. R. H. Charles, The Book of Enoch (1917)Primary text

Scholarly dates are rounded. The wording follows the named public-domain translation.

Updated