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Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered - The Preterist Archive

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18. Enochic Book Of Giants (4Q532)<br />

Enoch was a figure of great interest in the period of the <strong>Scrolls</strong>, in part because of the mysterious way<br />

the Bible refers to him in Genesis 5:24; 'Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him'.<br />

Apparently, therefore, Enoch did not die, and was taken alive into heaven. A 'substantial literature<br />

grew up around this figure, of which part was gathered into the book known as First (or, Ethiopic)<br />

Enoch. <strong>The</strong> Book of Giants was another literary work concerned with Enoch, widely read (after<br />

Translation into the appropriate languages) in the Roman empire. Among the Qumran texts are at least<br />

six, and perhaps as many as eleven, copies of the Book of Giants. <strong>The</strong> following portion seems to<br />

belong to that work. <strong>The</strong> 'giants' were believed to be the offspring of fallen angels (the Nephilim; also<br />

called Watchers) and human women. <strong>The</strong> story of the giants derives from Genesis 6.<br />

Translation<br />

Column 2 Fragments 1-6 (2) . . . with fles[h] . . . (3) al[1] . . . the Nephili[m] . . . will be . . . (4) they<br />

were rising up . . . Pious Knowledge . . . so that when . . . (5) the earth . . . Mighty Ones . . . (6) were<br />

firmly decided . . . And I . . . (7) [<strong>The</strong>y] will be . . . by the Ete[rnal] Watchers . . . (8) [in the e]nd he

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