The dictionary of demons, p.67
The Dictionary of Demons, page 67
79. Ida Fröhlich, “The Figure of the Watchers in the Enochic Tradition (1–3 Enoch),” Henoch, p. 9.
80. Elohim is one of the words in the Bible translated into English as God (the other main one being YHWH). Notably, Elohim is a form that is plural. Nevertheless, in translation, it is represented as singular. The implications that this word could be a linguistic artifact pointing to a pre-monotheistic time are difficult to ignore.
81. Genesis 6:1–4, King James Version.
82. Alternate theological positions interpret the so-called “sons of God” as either human men figuratively identified as bene ha elohim due to their position as judges or as the righteous sons of Seth, as opposed to the wicked children of Cain. For further elaboration on these points, see Jeremy Hultin, “Jude’s Citation of 1 Enoch,” in Jewish and Christian Scriptures: The Function of “Canonical” and “Non-Canonical” Religious Texts, pp. 113–28.
83. George J. Marshall, Angels: An Indexed and Partially Annotated Bibliography of Over 4,300 Scholarly Books and Articles Since the Seventh Century B.C., p. 2.
84. Jeremy Hultin, “Jude’s Citation of 1 Enoch,” in Jewish and Christian Scriptures, p. 114.
85. Not all scholars agree that the Essenes wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. See Hillel Newman, Proximity to Power and Jewish Sectarian Groups of the Ancient Period.
86. The Dead Sea Scrolls were first discovered by a trio of Bedouins between November 1946 and February 1947. Excavation continued through the 1950s, ultimately revealing no fewer than ten caves, each filled with jars packed with scrolls. Since the initial discovery of seven scrolls, nearly a thousand texts, in various states of disrepair, have been recovered from the caves of Qumran. Many have been translated. See Michael O. Wise, Martin G. Abegg Jr., and Edward M. Cook, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation.
87. The official term for such lost books of the Bible is Apocrypha, from a Greek word meaning “hidden,” “concealed,” or “obscured.” Some Bibles contain apocryphal texts, typically including them at the end so it is clear that they are separate from the canon. Other Bibles omit them entirely. Choices made about the inclusion or exclusion of apocryphal texts vary widely across the many sects of Christianity.
88. Tertullian specifically declares that Jewish opinion on the Book of Enoch dwindled in direct response to the text’s importance among Christians. See James Drummond, The Jewish Messiah: A Critical History of the Messianic Idea Among the Jews from the Rise of the Maccabees to the Closing of the Talmud, p. 72.
89. Jeremy Hultin, “Jude’s Citation of 1 Enoch,” in Jewish and Christian Scriptures, p. 115.
90. Jeremy Hultin, “Jude’s Citation of 1 Enoch,” in Jewish and Christian Scriptures, 113–114.
91. Jeremy Hultin, “Jude’s Citation of 1 Enoch,” in Jewish and Christian Scriptures, p. 117.
92. Benjamin W. McCraw, “Augustine and Aquinas on the Demonic,” Philosophical Approaches to Demonology, pp. 24–25.
93. John Kitto, The Cyclopaedia of Biblical Literature, vol. 1, p. 629.
94. Instead, the book, which remained in Peiresc’s library until his death, was a collection of biblical retellings mixed liberally with uniquely Ethiopic folk beliefs. It can be read in a modern translation under the title The Book of the Mysteries of the Heavens and the Earth by E. A. Wallis Budge, with a foreword by R. A. Gilbert.
95. See J. T. Milik, The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4, p. v.
96. James Bruce, Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile.
97. Silvestre de Sacy, “Notice sur le livre d’Enoch,” Magazin Encyclopedique, p. 382.
98. I delve further into the Book of Enoch’s creative legacy in the nineteenth century (including its influence on the poet Lord Byron) in my work the Watcher Angel Tarot Guidebook.
99. Saheed A. Adejumobi, The History of Ethiopia, p. 171.
100. Nickelsburg and VanderKam assert that the original I Enoch was composed in Aramaic and then translated into Greek. Thus, the document in Ge’ez is the translation of a translation. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 13.
101. The same can be said of Ethiopian Judaism. “The ceremonies & observances of the [Ethiopian] church, however, were drawn from many sources and framed an amalgam unique to itself.” Some of these influences included Coptic Christianity, heterodox Judaism practiced among native Axumite tribes, and Axumite paganism (which itself was imported from Saudi Arabia and was derived from the religion of the Sabaeans). See R. A. Gilbert’s foreword to The Book of the Mysteries of the Heaven and the Earth, edited by E. A. Wallis Budge, p. x.
102. These dates are still debated by scholars. Notably, Gregory L. Doudna writes: “In fact, existing radiocarbon data, while confirming second and first century BCE dates of scribal activity among the Qumran cave finds, do not confirm scribal activity in the first century CE.” See Doudna, “The Legacy of an Error in Archaeological Interpretation,” in Qumran: The Site of the Dead Sea Scrolls, p. 153.
103. Chapters 1–36 in the Book of Enoch are identified as the Book of the Watchers. These may date as far back as 300 BCE. See Marianne Dacy, “The Fallen Angels in the Book of 1 Enoch Reconsidered,” Henoch, p. 28.
104. According to Annette Yoshiko Reed, “These and other factors have led scholars to propose that 1 En. 6–11 represents one of the most ancient strata in the Book of the Watchers, possibly even preserving a ‘literary unit of distinct origin’ or a part of ‘an independent midrashic source.’ ” See Reed, Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity, p. 25.
105. Loren T. Stuckenbruck actually identifies at least nineteen distinct literary traditions within I Enoch. See Stuckenbruck, “The Book of Enoch: Its Reception in Second Temple Judaism and in Christianity,” Early Christianity, p. 8.
106. Notably, Annette Yoshiko Reed disagrees: “In my view, it is likely that 1 En. 6–11 was shaped by oral traditions about angelic descent and specific fallen angels, and it is significant that these traditions reflect far more than mere exegesis of Gen. 6:1–4.” See Reed, Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity, p. 29.
107. “Dualism is evident throughout the works of the Qumran Community and, in fact, is considered central to Qumran belief.” From Miryam T. Brand, Spirited Evil: Persian Influence and Its Limits in Qumran Texts, p. 32.
108. Liora Goldman, “Dualism in the ‘Visions of Amram,’ ” Revue de Qumran, pp. 421–432.
109. It’s important to note, however, that these ideas were not exclusive to the Essenes but represented a developing stream of dualism in the broader cultural milieu. See Shaul Shaked, “Iranian Influence on Judaism: First Century BCE to Second Century CE,” in The Cambridge History of Judaism.
110. George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 23.
111. Variants of this name include Shemyaza, Semihaz, and Shemhazai.
112. I Enoch 6:3. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 23.
113. In the Midrash of Shemhazai and Asael, the Watchers actually ask permission of God to go down to the earth. Their purpose is to redeem humanity from wickedness. Although God warns them against this plan, he also does not stop them. In this version, the corruption comes from a quality inherent in the earthly plane itself, not from the heavenly Watchers. See Moses Gaster. The Chronicles of Jerahmeel, or The Hebrew Bible Historiale.
114. I Enoch 6:4–5. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 24.
115. I Enoch 6:7, See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 24.
116. I Enoch 7:1, See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 24.
117. I Enoch 7:1–2.
118. This word Nephilim is often used interchangeably with the giants in other biblical writings. Notably, in Bereshit 6:1–4 of the Tanakh, the Hebrew version of Genesis 6: 1–4, the phrase rendered giants in the earth in the King James version instead refers to the Nephilim.
119. George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 24.
120. Ida Fröhlich, “The Figure of the Watchers in the Enochic Tradition (1–3 Enoch),” Henoch, p. 11.
121. I Enoch 7:3. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 25.
122. This is recorded in Leviticus 17:12: “Therefore I say to the Israelites, ‘None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood.’ ” Bible, New International Version. Notably, blood contains the spirit of an animal, and that substance is reserved for God alone.
123. George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam,
1 Enoch, p. 25.
124. Reed, Fallen Angels, p. 28; Fröhlich, p. 9; et al.
125. Significantly, this name is rendered Azazel in a related Qumran text, the Book of the Giants. Many comparisons have been made between this figure and the similarly named figure from Leviticus related to the Jewish Day of Atonement. See Reed, Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity, pp. 97–98.
126. I Enoch 8:1. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 25.
127. I Enoch 8:2. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 25.
128. George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, pp. 25–26.
129. I Enoch 8:1. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 25.
130. As a sidenote, this is one of the first places that we see the names of all four archangels appear in a biblical text.
131. George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam,
1 Enoch, p. 27.
132. I Enoch 10: 4–5. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 28.
133. I Enoch 10:9. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 29.
134. I Enoch 10:11–12. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 29.
135. The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by N. K. Sandars, p. 92.
136. Michael Howard explicitly identifies the Witchblood as an inheritance from the Watchers. See Michael Howard, The Book of Fallen Angels.
137. For the far-reaching impact of myths of the Watchers, consider Lady Wilde’s matter-of-fact observation that all faeries are fallen angels and their kin. See Lady Wilde, Legends, Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland, p. 89.
138. I Enoch 15: 9–11. See George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch, p. 37.
139. Loren T. Stuckenbruck, The Myth of Rebellious Angels: Studies in Second Temple Judaism and New Testament Texts, p. 84.
140. R. H. Charles, The Book of Jubilees, or The Little Genesis, 2005, 10:1.
141. R. H. Charles, The Book of Jubilees, or The Little Genesis, 2005, 10:5.
142. R. H. Charles, The Book of Jubilees, or The Little Genesis, 2005, p. 79.
143. R. H. Charles, The Book of Jubilees, or The Little Genesis, 2005, 10:8–11.
144. I explore this more fully in my book Sumerian Exorcism.
145. For those gathered at Qumran, this war was literal, one that they fully anticipated to play out upon the earth, as evidenced in texts like the War Rule: “For the Instructor, the Rule of War. The first attack of the Sons of Light shall be against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial.” Col. 1, The War Scroll.
In a previous section, we explored how the tale of the Watcher Angels linked the children of the Watchers with demons. According to these beliefs, the children of the fallen angels remained bound to the earth, typically in the form of restless spirits. Because so much had been taken away from them, these restless spirits were thought to delight in the torment and destruction of humanity.146 We might not have a written record linking this belief to the later European beliefs in demons if not for a curious text dating to some point between the first and third centuries of the Common Era. Known as the Testament of Solomon, this book is significant to our study for a number of reasons, not the least of which being the fact that it establishes a direct line between the tradition of the Watcher Angels and later European demonology.
The Testament of Solomon, like the Book of Enoch before it, is a pseudepigraphal text. It was not written by the biblical King Solomon. Instead, his name was used to lend the text greater credibility. Additionally, his name was attached to this particular text because of a legend that had come to surround King Solomon. Although there is no reference to this whatsoever in the Bible, a persistent belief developed in the ancient world that Solomon, because of his great faith and wisdom, was given the power to command and control demons.147 When exactly this belief came into play is uncertain, but it enjoyed a colorful existence in the Talmudic tradition of the Jews, and by the writing of the Testament of Solomon it was firmly established among Christians as well. Notably, the Solomonic tradition, which often involved the binding of demons into vessels of brass, lies also at the heart of many Arabian myths concerning genies, or Jinn. Although they exist a long way down the line of transmission, the tales of The Thousand and One Arabian Nights show a strong influence from this same belief in Solomon’s power over spirits.
So how did the people of the early Christian world come to believe that Solomon could command demons? According to biblical stories, King Solomon was the wisest of men. The successor of the much-loved King David (who slew the giant Goliath with a single well-placed stroke from his slingshot), King Solomon is credited with many wonders. It was Solomon who designed and built the Temple of Jerusalem, which ultimately housed the famed Ark of the Covenant.
An artist’s vision of Solomon’s Temple. According to the Testament of Solomon, demons aided in its construction. Woodcut possibly based on work by the Jesuit Villalpandus (1552–1608). Courtesy of the Wellcome Collection, London.
Many myths have grown up around King Solomon’s work with the temple. The Knights Templar, first established in 1118 CE, took their name from Solomon’s Temple. They made their base upon the Temple Mount and were rumored to be seeking lost treasures and artifacts hidden beneath the ruins of the temple. The Freemasons claim connections to the Templars but also to the masons who labored to complete King Solomon’s Temple. Their mythic figure, Hiram Abif, may have historic roots in King Hiram of Tyre, a foreign ruler who provided money and materials to Solomon for the construction of his costly and elaborate temple.
If an extra-biblical text is to be believed, King Hiram of Tyre wasn’t the only person helping Solomon build his legendary temple. According to the Testament of Solomon, a text dating to around the third century of the Common Era, King Solomon conscripted demons as slave labor for the temple project. The document, written in Greek with a style reminiscent of the New Testament, describes how a young worker, favored by King Solomon, was beset by a demon. The demon, whose name was Ornias, preyed upon the young laborer, slowly causing the boy to waste away. When King Solomon learned of this unnatural predation, he prayed day and night for the Lord God to deliver the demon unto his power. According to the Testament of Solomon, an Archangel finally appeared and delivered to Solomon a ring bearing a special seal. Through this finger-ring, the Lord God gave Solomon power over the demons that dwelled in the earth. The Testament of Solomon, supposedly written by Solomon himself for future generations, claims to record the names and offices of these demons, as well as the angels that have the power to command and bind them.
With such a heavenly gift, Solomon wasted no time gaining influence over the demons in the world. Ornias was the first to be bound. Solomon not only stopped Ornias from preying upon the young worker but also saw fit to punish the demon by commanding him to perform menial labor for the construction of the temple. With Ornias’s help, Solomon then called up demon after demon, including Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and even a form of Lilith. He questioned each, learned the angel that held power over them, and then commanded them in the name of his God to bend their powers to lowly tasks such as cutting Theban marbles, mixing clay for bricks, and cutting and carrying wood. The demons weren’t too thrilled with this slave labor, but they were powerless to resist as long as Solomon had the ring conferred by God.
Although it is highly doubtful that the Temple of Jerusalem was actually constructed with the aid of demons, the Testament of Solomon remains a compelling tale, and its treatment of demonic entities, in particular the methods of calling and binding them, laid the foundation for traditions of ceremonial magick that developed later in Western Europe. For our purposes, one of the most intriguing pieces the Testament of Solomon has to offer to our puzzle of the development of Western demonology and the connection of fallen angels is a series of statements directly relating to the Watchers.
