Observations placeholder
Book of Enoch- 08
Identifier
002710
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
The early Apocalyptists changed the names of the gods to ‘angels’, however, their status further changed until it became ‘fallen angels’ in the Book of Enoch. I assume that when Christianity came into existence, something had to be done to make the old gods appear to be unworthy of worship, so the strategy was to make the old gods ‘fallen’.
Incidentally, one of the reasons given for their change of status was that they ‘committed fornication’, an activity the Greek gods indulged in with enviable regularity, but it seems this was not an activity the Apocalyptists appeared to approve of.
This may explain why the Apocalyptists died out fairly quickly.
Despite the rather comical nature of the change of status, however, the list is quite useful as it shows that there was a belief even after the coming of Christianity by the Christians themselves that various angels or gods taught them various things.
There does appear to be a direct correspondence between some of the ‘angels’ in the story here and the Greek and Roman gods. For example Azazel appears to be Vulcan/Hephaestus; Sariel was the moon goddess Selene; Shamsiel the sun god Helios; Baraqijal’s equivalent Greek god was ASTRAIOS (or Astraeus) the Titan god of the stars and planets, and the art of astrology and so on. An equivalent Greek and Roman god can be found for each of the ‘angels’ mentioned here.
A description of the experience
The Book of Enoch
8.1. And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives and shields and breastplates and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them and bracelets and ornaments and the use of antimony and the beautifying of the eyelids and all kinds of costly stones and all colouring tinctures
8.2. And there arose much godlessness …….and they were led astray and became corrupt in all their ways
8.3. Semjaza taught enchantments and root cuttings
Armaros the resolving of enchantments
Baraqijal taught astrology
Kokabel the constellations
Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds
Araqiel the signs of the earth
Shamsiel the signs of the sun
and Sariel the course of the moon