The Watchers

A watcher is a type of biblical angel. It shows up in both plural & singular forms in the Book of Daniel. This is where reference is made to the holiness of the beings. The Book of Enoch (2nd-1st century BC) refer to both good & bad Watchers, with a mani focus on the rebellious ones.

In Daniel 4:13, 17, & 23, there’s 3 references to the class of “watcher, holy ones.” The term was intro’ed by Nebuchaddnezzar who said he saw ” a watcher, a holy cone come down from Heaven.” He described how in his dream the watcher said that Nebuchdnezzzar will eat grass & be crazy. This punishment is “by the decree of the watchers, the demand by the word of the holy ones…” “that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.”

The 1st Book of Enoch devotes a lot of attention to the fall of the Watchers. The 2nd Book of Enoch addresses the Watchers who are in the 5th Heaven where the fall took place. The 3rd Book of Enoch gives attention to the unfallen watchers.

In the Book of Enoch, the Watchers are angels sent to Earth to watch over the humans. They soon begin to lust for/after human women, & at the prodding of their leader, Samyaza, defect to illicitly instruct mankind & have kids with them, arriving at Mount Hermon. The offspring of these unions are the Nephilim savage giants who pillage the earth & endanger humanity.

Samyaza & his associates further taught their human “charges” arts & tech such as weaponry, cosmetics, mirrors, sorcery, & other techniques that would otherwise be discovered gradually over time by humans, not foisted upon them all at once.

Eventually, God allows a Great Flood to rid the earth of the Nephilim. But 1st sends the archangel Uriel to warn Noah so as not to completely destroy the human race. The watchers are bound “in the valley of the Earth” until Judgment Day (Jude 1:6). This is where some theories pop up. Like they’re in the Marianus Trench or in the depths of the Grand Canyon or in a mountain base.

The Book of Enoch also lists the leaders of the 200 fallen angels who married & consummated unnatural unions with human women, & who taught forbidden knowledge. Some are listed in the Book of Raziel (Sefer Raziel Hamalakh), the Zohar, & Jubilees. Here’s a short list of them:

• Araqiel: Taught humans the signs of the earth (geomancy). However, in the Sibylline Oracles, Araqiel is referred to not as a fallen angel (or watcher) but as 1 of the 5 angels who lead the souls of humans to judgment.
• Armaros: In I Enoch, taught humanity the resolving of enchantments.
• Azazel: Taught humans to make knives, swords, shields, & how to devise ornaments & cosmetics, metallurgy (specifically in the context of war)
• Gadreel: Taught the art of cosmetics (camouflage), the use of weapons & killing blows (martial arts & weaponry).
• Baraqel: Taught the signs of the stars (astrology)
• Chazaqiel: Taught humans the signs of the clouds (meteorology)
• Kokabiel: In the Book of Raziel, he’s a high-ranking, holy angel. In I Enoch, he’s a fallen watcher, resident of Hell, & commands 365,000 surrogate spirits to do his bidding.
• Penemue: Taught mankind the art of writing with ink & paper, & taught the kids of men the bitter & the sweet & the secrets of wisdom.
• Sariel: Taught mankind about the courses of the moon.
• Samyaza: 1 of the leaders of the fall from Heaven in Vocabulaire de l’Angelolgie.
• Shamsiel: Once a guardian of Eden as stated in the Zohar, served as 1 of the 2 chief aides to the archangel Uriel, when Uriel bore his standard into battle, & is the head of 365 legions of angels & also crowns prayers, accompanying them into the 5th Heaven. In Jubilees, he’s referred to as 1 of the Watchers. He’s a fallen angel who teaches the signs of the sun.
• Yeqon/Jeqon: He was the ringleader who 1st tempted the other Watchers into having adult spicy naked time with humans. His accomplices were: Asbeel, Gadreel, Penemue, & Kasdaye, who were all identified as individual “Satans.”

The Jewish pseudepigraphon 2nd Book of Enoch (Slavonic Enoch) referred to the Grigori. They’re the same as the Watchers in 1st Enoch. Chapter 18 presents the Grigori as countless soldiers with human appearance.

They’re located in the 5th Heaven. They’re identified as “the Grigori, who with their prince Satanail (Yes, you are reading that correctly) rejects the Lord of light.” One version of 2 Enoch adds that their number was/is 200 myriads (2 million).

Chapter 29, referring to the 2nd day of creation, before the creation of human beings, says that “One from out the order of angels” or “one of the ranks of the archangels” “conceived an impossible thought, to place his throne higher than the clouds above the earth, that he might become equal in rank to the Lord’s power. And the Lord threw him out from the height with his angels, & he was flying in the air continuously above the bottomless.”

The Mercer Dictionary of the Bible makes a distinction between the Grigori & the fallen angels by stating that in the 5th Heaven, Enoch sees “the giants whose brothers were the fallen angels.”

The longer recension of 2 Enoch 18:3 identifies the prisoners of the 2nd Heaven as the angels of Satanail.

First Corinthians 11:10, according to early Church Father Tertullian, refers to the Watchers. He taught that the lust of the Watchers was the reason for St. Paul’s directive to Christian women to wear a head covering. Tertullian referenced the case of a woman who was touched on the neck by an angel “who found her to be a temptation.”

According to Philo of Byblos, Sanchuniathon mentioned “some living beings who had no perception, out of whom intelligent beings came into existence, & they were called Zophasemin (In Hebrew: “Watchers of Heaven”). And they were formed like the shape of an egg.”

In the 1999 movie Dogma, the character Bartleby (played by Ben Affleck) is mentioned to have formerly been a Watcher. In the TV show Supernatural (season 10), the Grigori with 1 Tamiel (under the name “Peter Holloway”) appears as the main enemy of the episode. At 1 point, a picture is shown that is implied to be a painting of a Grigori. In the original Dragon’s Dogma, the dragon is called Grigori.

In the 1998 movie City of Angels (this is 1 of our founders’ favorite movies), Nicolas Cage plays a watcher angel who falls in love with a human woman (played by Meg Ryan).

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Archangel Gabriel

In Judaism, Christianity, & other Abrahamic religions, Gabriel (or even Cebrail (Djebrail) in some cultures) is an archangel with the power to announce God’s will to mankind as the messenger of God. He’s like the Abrahamic Apollo. He’s mentioned in the Hebrew Bible/Christian Old Testament, the New Testament, & the Quran.

In the Book of Daniel, Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to interpret his vision. Gabriel also shows up in the Jewish apocryphal 1st Book of Enoch & other Hebrew writings.

Along with the archangel Michael, Gabriel is described as the guardian angel of the Israelites, defending them against the angels of the other peoples. Many sects of Christianity revere Gabriel as a saint.

In the New Testament’s Gospel of Luke, Gabriel appears to Zachariah, predicting the birth of John the Baptist. Gabriel later appears to Mary, mother of Jesus, to announce that she would conceive & bear a son via a virgin birth.

Islam regards Gabriel as an archangel sent by Allah/God to different prophets, including Muhammad (PBUH). The first 5 verses of the Al-Alaq (96th chapter of the Quran) are believed by Muslims to have been the 1st verses of revelations given by Gabriel to Muhammad (PBUH).

The only book in the Hebrew Bible that explicitly mentions Gabriel is the Book of Daniel, & Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to explain his visions (Daniel 8:15-26, 9:21-27). In Daniel’s final vision, an unnamed angel appears to him & speaks of receiving help from the archangel Michael in battle against the Prince of Persia (not the video game) & also Michael’s role in times to come. This unnamed angel is thought to be Gabriel.

Though not named specifically, the “man clothed with linen” mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel chapters 9 & 10 is interpreted as Gabriel in Yoma 77a of the Babylonian Talmud.

There are many references to Gabriel in the Book of Enoch. According to this book, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, & Gabriel complain to God about the many wrongs perpetuated by Azazel & Samyaza. Especially the fact that they revealed “eternal secrets” & sins to mankind & defiled themselves with human women who later gave birth to giant offspring. Or, 1 of our fav subjects to circle back to, the Nephilim. (We will be doing the Nephilim in a future post. It’s currently being researched right now. Along with the Watchers, the Nephilim’s dads.)

As a result, God decides to destroy the Earth (which has been corrupted by those pesky fallen angels; these fallen angels were led by Azazel & Samyaza) & all of its inhabitants except for Noah. God sends Gabriel & the other archangels to go after the fallen angels & cast them into the darkness until the day of their judgment.

In Chapter 20, Gabriel is listed as 1 of 7 holy angels who watch. In Chapter 40, Gabriel is listed as 1 of 4 presences who stand on the 4 sides of God. These 4 archangels will be the ones to cast the fallen angels into the abyss of condemnation on Judgment Day.

According to Rabbinic Judaism, Gabriel (along with Michael, Uriel, & Raphael) is 1 of the 4 angels that stand at the 4 sides of God’s throne & serve as guardian angels of the 4 parts of the Earth. Michael stands on/at the right hand of God. While Gabriel (who ranks beneath Michael) stands at the left. Michael & Gabriel often work together. But Michael is mainly occupied in Heaven, while Gabriel (as the messenger of God) typically executes God’s will on earth.

Gabriel is also associated with the metal gold (the color of fire). Alongside Michael, Gabriel is described as the guardian angel of Israel, defending the Israelites against the angels of the other nations.

Gabriel is 1 of God’s archangels in Kabbalah literature. He’s pictured working in concert with Michael as part of God’s court. He’s identified with the sefira (or the Counting of the Omar. It’s a period of 49 days known as sefira(h).) of Yesod (this is a node in the kabbalistic Tree of Life.). Gabriel isn’t to be prayed to because only God can answer & sends Gabriel as his agent/messenger/courier.

According to Jewish mythology, in the Garden of Eden there’s a tree of life or the “tree of souls” that blossoms & produces new souls, which fall into the Guf, the Treasury of souls. This is located in the 7th Heaven. Gabriel reaches into the Treasury & takes out the 1st soul that comes into his hand.

Gabriel’s 1st appearance in the New Testament is found in the 1st part of Chapter 1 of Luke. This is where the annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist is. John’s dad, Zachariah, was childless because John’s mom, Elizabeth, was barren. An angel shows up to Zechariah to announce the birth of his son. When Zechariah questions the angel, the angel names himself as Gabriel (Luke 1:5-25).

Gabriel’s next appearance is in the 2nd part of Luke, chapter 1. This time, to announce the birth of Jesus to Mary (Luke 1:26-38). In the 1st part of the passage, the angel identifies itself as Gabriel; in the 2nd part of the passage, the angel doesn’t. It’s the author of Luke who calls this angel Gabriel.

Gabriel is more frequently referenced in early Christian pseudepigraphic texts (these are texts whose authorship isn’t by who it’s claimed to be or a real author attributed to some bigger name of the past) than in Amy of the canonical Biblical texts.

Gabriel is mentioned in some of the infancy Gospels, like the Nativity Gospel of Mary, Protevangelium of James, & First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ. Gabriel is also mentioned in some of the early Christian apocalyptic texts, like the Greek Apocalypse of Ezra & Second Book of Enoch.

In Gnosticism, angels are portrayed as belonging to a pantheon of spiritual beings involved in the creation of the world. According to 1 ancient Gnostic manuscript, the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit. (Which we have posted!) Gabriel is a divine being & inhabitant of the pleroma (This refers to the total of divine powers.) that existed before the demiurge (This is an figure who is responsible for fashioning & maintaining the physical universe). There’s also a reference to Gabriel in Chapter 17 of the Gospel of Judas.

In the theology of the Mormon Church, Gabriel is believed to have lived a mortal life as the prophet Noah. The 2 are regarded as the same individual. Noah was his mortal name & Gabriel being his heavenly name.

Gabriel’s fast day was exclusively celebrated on March 18 between 1588 & 1921. The feast of St. Gabriel was included by Pope Benedict XV in the General Roman Calender in 1921 for celebration on March 24.

In 1969, the day was officially transferred to September 29 for celebration in combination with the feasts of Michael & Raphael. Today, the September 29 date (known as Michaelmas) has been adopted by the Catholic Church, Church of England, Lutheran faith, Anglican Communion, & Western Orthodox churches.

The Eastern Orthodox Church & those Eastern Catholic Churches that follow the Byzantine Rite (a.k.a. the Rite of Constantinople is a liturgical rite developed in the Eastern Christian church of Constantinople.) celebrated the Feast of the Archangels (or Synaxis of the Archangel Michael & the Other Bodiless Powers) on November 8.

For the churches that follow the Julian Calendar, November 9 currently falls on November 21 of the modern Gregorian Calendar (a 13-day difference).

The Eastern Orthodox commemorate Gabriel not only at the Feast of the Archangels, but also on 2 other days: March 26 the “Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel” & celebrates his role in the Annunciation. July 13, a.k.a. the “Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel.”

The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Gabriel’s feast of 13 Paoni, 22 Koiak, & 26 Paoni. The medieval Coptic work Investiture of the Archangel Gabriel, attributes the feast day of 22 Koiak to the day Gabriel was given the rank of archangel in Heaven.

The Ethiopian Church celebrates Gabriel’s feast of December 18 (in the Ethiopian calendar). A sizable number of its believers making a pilgrimage to a church dedicated to “St. Gabriel” in Kulubi & Wonkshet on that day.

Gabriel is in many places in the Quran. He’s revered as 1 of the primary archangels & as the Angel of Revelation in Islam. He’s primarily mentioned in the verses 2:97, 2:98, 66:4 of the Quran. However, the Quranic text doesn’t refer to him as an angel. In the Quran, the archangel Gabriel appears named in 2:97 & 66:4, as well as in 2:98, where he’s mentioned along with the archangel Michael.

Tafsir (this is like the Jewish Midrash) narrates that Muhammad saw the archangel Gabriel in his full angelic splendor only 2x. The 1st time was when he received his 1st revelation. Islamic tradition holds that Gabriel was sent to numerous pre-Islamic Biblical prophets with revelation & divine injunctions, including Adam, whom Muslims believe was consoled by Gabriel sometime after Fall, too. He’s known by many names in Islam, such as “keeper of holiness.” In Hadith traditions, Jibril is said to have 600 wings.

In Islam, the tree of souls is referred to as the Sidrat al-Muntaha. This is identified as a Ziziphus spina-christi. This is also known as Christ’s thorn jujube.

Muslims believe that Gabriel was tasked with transmitting the scriptures from God to the prophets & messengers as Asbab al-Nuzul or revelation. Asbab al-Nuzul is occasions or circumstances of revelation names the historical context in which Quranic verses were revealed from the perspective of traditional Islam. When Muhammad was questioned which angel is revealing the holy scriptures, he told the Jews they’re revealed by Gabriel.

Muslims also Revere Gabriel for several events that predate what they regard as the 1st revelation narrated in the Quran. Muslims believe that Gabriel was the angel who informed Zechariah of the Nativity of John the Baptist. As well as Mary about the future nativity of Jesus.

Gabriel was 1 of 3 angels who had earlier informed Abraham of the birth of Isaac. Gabriel also makes a famous appearance in the Hadith of Gabriel, in which he questions Muhammad on the core tenets of Islam.

Gabriel is also believed to have delivered punishment from God to the Sodomites by leveling the entire city of Sodom with the tip of his wing. According to a Hadith, Gabriel has the ability to regulate feelings or perception in humans. Particularly happiness or sadness.

Gabriel is believed to have helped Muhammad overcome adversaries significantly against an ifrit during the Night Journey. An ifrit is a powerful type of demon in Islamic culture. Gabriel is also believed to have helped Muhammad overcome his adversaries during the Battle of Badr.

The Yazidis worship 7 Archangels, including Gabriel (Jabra’il), Michael (Mikha’il), Raphael (Rapha’il), Dedra’il, Azra’il, Shamka’il, & Azazil. They’re emanations from God with which God entrusted the world. Yazidis associate Gabriel with Tawusi Melek (the “Peacock Angel”).

Mandaeans venerate Ptahil as the “4th Life.” Ptahil is an uthra (a divine messenger of the light), identified with Gabriel, who creates the poorly made material world with the help of Ruha, a sinful & fallen female ruler who inhabits the World of Darkness.

The creation of the material world occurs by God’s command. But is delegated to Ptahil (a subservient emanation or uthra) with the assistance of Gabriel & others.

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Just checked the #Weather for today. I'm going to build a boat and my wife has gone out to collect some pairs of animals...

#Noah #Deluge

RE: https://social.kit.edu/@KIT_Karlsruhe/116522046393712302

Danke, @KIT_Karlsruhe 🙏👍🌈

Und das ist auch mal einfach eine gute Gelegenheit, alle Hobby - „Kulturkämpfer“ & an Kulturgeschichte ehrlich Interessierten mal wieder daran zu erinnern: Die Symbolik des #Regenbogen für #Vielfalt & #Menschenwürde entstammt der #Bibel , konkret der #Noah - Geschichte.

Auch schon revolutionäre Bauern schwenkten Regenbogen - Fahnen & nach dem 30jährigen Krieg wurde der Bogen gemeinsam mit Taube & Ölzweig zu überkonfessionellen Friedenszeichen.

Wer die bunte & wertschätzende Regenbogen - Diversity für antireligiös, traditionsfeindlich & „woke“ hält, hat das Abendland und die Bibel nie in ihrer Tiefe verstanden. Sage ich als Religionswissenschaftler. https://scilogs.spektrum.de/natur-des-glaubens/was-bedeutet-der-regenbogen-in-physik-und-religion/