How Big Were The Watchers In The Bible?
Angels have captured the imagination of humankind for millennia. Their depiction in art and literature ranges from benevolent guardians to fearsome warriors. One particular group of angels – the watchers – has long fascinated readers of ancient religious texts.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: according to the Book of Enoch and other extra-biblical texts, the watchers were a group of angels of immense size and stature said to have fathered the nephilim ‘giants’ by mating with human women.
In this article, we will take an in-depth look at the mysterious watchers, examining their origins, their alleged transgressions that led to their fall from grace, their prodigious size and appearance, and their enduring legacy.
The Origin and Role of the Watchers
Watcher Angels in Biblical and Extra-Biblical Texts
The watchers, also known as the “Sons of God,” first appear in the Biblical book of Genesis 6:1-4, which describes them as divine beings who descended to Earth and fathered children with human women. References to watchers also appear in some apocryphal Jewish writings like the Book of Enoch, Jubilees, and the Book of Giants found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.
According to these texts, the watchers were a group of angels sent to Earth to guide humanity. However, they soon began lusting after human women, took wives, and fathered children known as the Nephilim who became tyrannical giants (Enoch 6:1-7).
As punishment, the archangels Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and Phanuel imprisoned the watchers in the darkness of the earth and destroyed their giant offspring in the flood (Enoch 10:11-15).
So the apocryphal watcher myth blames these divine rebels for the spread of evil across the antediluvian world, leading to God’s judgment in the great flood. The watchers then became fallen angels enchained in prisons of darkness (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6).
But Biblical scholars today debate whether Genesis 6:1-4 reflects this developed watcher mythology. Rather, the brief Genesis account may describe forbidden marriages without pronouncing God’s judgment.
Watchers as Guardian Angels
Many scholars trace the origin of the watcher tradition to ancient beliefs that each person has a guardian angel who watches over them as seen in Psalms 34:7 and 91:1. For example, Daniel 10 speaks of angelic guardians or “princes” assigned to various nations like Persia and Greece.
So the watcher concept reflects a larger ancient view of angels as guardians supervising human affairs.
However, the developed watcher myth blames a rebellion of angels, lust, and forbidden knowledge for pain and evil in the world. This myth endures today and often appears in literature, TV shows like Supernatural, video games like Diablo, and movies like the X-Men series (1).
A 2019 Pew survey found about 80 percent of Americans believe angels exist as guardians (2). So the Biblical concept of watchers still impacts religion, culture, and imagination today.
The Transgressions and Punishment of the Watchers
Forbidden Knowledge
According to the Book of Enoch, the Watchers were angels who were assigned to watch over humanity. However, they became enamored with human women and desired to impart forbidden knowledge to humanity. This was seen as a great transgression against God’s will.
The Book of Enoch states that the chief of the Watchers was named Semyaza. He and 200 other Watchers made a pact to mate with human women and teach them secrets that were meant to remain divine mysteries, including astrology, weaponry, and sorcery.
This forbidden knowledge altered human civilization in irreversible ways.
Some examples of the knowledge the Watchers shared include:
- How to read and write
- How to use plants for medicine
- How to use metals to make weapons and jewelry
- How to read signs and omens in the stars
This forbidden knowledge spread rapidly across humanity and led to increases in human wickedness and bloodshed. The Watchers were essentially enabling humankind to exercise divine abilities without divine wisdom or morality. This led to chaos and suffering on Earth.
Interbreeding with Humans
In addition to sharing forbidden knowledge, the Watchers also transgressed by interbreeding with human women. The offspring of these forbidden unions were known as the Nephilim. They were described in the Book of Enoch as giants who wrought destruction and bloodshed on the earth.
The Book of Genesis also references the Nephilim as the offspring of divine beings mating with human women (Genesis 6:1-4). The wickedness of humankind that precipitated the Great Flood is blamed on the influence of the Watchers and their Nephilim offspring in corrupting humanity and inciting violence.
According to the Book of Enoch, Semjâzâ, the leader of the Watchers, lured 200 Watchers into making a pact to mate with humans at Mount Hermon. This was viewed as an abominable perversion and transgression of God’s created order.
The Book of Jubilees expands on this by naming additional Watchers who descended at Mount Hermon and took human wives – Azâzêl, Armârôs, Batarjâl, Tûrêl, Jomjâêl, and Sariêl. Their illicit offspring greatly contributed to the spread of evil on Earth.
The Watcher’s interbreeding with human women was seen as a defilement of the God-given natural order. Their giant offspring brought violence and bloodshed into the world, leading to the corruption that precipitated the Flood.
The Watchers’ sexual transgression was an abominable sin in God’s eyes that could not go unpunished.
The Remarkable Size and Appearance of the Watchers
Gigantic Stature
The Watchers, or Nephilim as they are sometimes called, are described in ancient texts like the Book of Enoch as being giants of tremendous size and stature. According to these accounts, they stood hundreds of feet tall – vastly larger than even the tallest humans.
Some passages indicate the Watchers were as tall as mountains or clouds, with proportions to match their incredible height.
While such dimensions strain believability, the consistent description of their colossal size suggests the Watchers made a huge and likely terrifying impression on ancient observers. Even discounting some obvious poetic license, they were likely of astounding proportions compared to humans of the era.
Dazzling Visage
In addition to their size, the Watchers were notable for their almost preternatural good looks according to the texts. Phrases like “handsome of face” and “beautiful of countenance” are used to describe them.
Some passages poetically compare their appearance to lightning, the sun, or the stars in their radiance.
This luminous quality may have represented an unearthly charisma or allure surrounding the Watchers that added to their commanding presence. It also contrasts interestingly with their description at times as frightening giants.
Perhaps their striking visages vacillated between awe-inspiring and terror-inducing depending on their moods. In any case, their looks were as remarkable as their stature.
So in review, the limited descriptions of the Watchers from antiquity paint a picture of towering, radiant figures that inspired reactions ranging from wonder to horror. While certainly exaggerated in places, the accounts indicate real awe at beings far surpassing typical humans in scale and splendor.
The Enduring Legacy and Mystique of the Watchers
Inspiration for Imaginative Literature and Occult Writings
The brief yet intriguing biblical references to the mysterious “Watchers” have inspired considerable imaginative literature over the centuries. These powerful angelic beings, hinted at in Genesis and elaborated upon in apocryphal texts like 1 Enoch, have become a staple feature of occult lore.
Their tale of rebellion, forbidden knowledge, and giant offspring has proven irresistible for generations of writers and thinkers seeking hidden truths behind the veil of reality.
Famed horror writer H.P. Lovecraft referenced the Watchers in his Cthulhu mythos. Occultist Aleister Crowley explored them in his writings. Even beloved fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien is said to have drawn inspiration from 1 Enoch’s account of the Watchers for his Middle Earth tales.
Biblical scholars have also noted the possible influence of the Watchers narrative on ancient Persian dualistic religion Zoroastrianism. Clearly, this dramatic story of angelic transgression and resulting chaos in the earthly realm has fired literary and spiritual imaginations for ages.
Possible Explanation for the Nephilim “Giants”
Another intriguing connection is between the Watchers and the baffling biblical accounts of the “Nephilim” – mysterious giants said to be offspring of divine beings who took human wives. This legend, referred to cryptically in Genesis 6:1-4, matches key details in Enoch’s elaborate Watchers story.
Could the giants of old, revered in ancient mythology as demigods and legendary heroes, trace their lineage to these rebellious angels? Could accounts of the Watchers and Nephilim help explain megalithic structures and massive ancient ruins seemingly built by preternatural beings wielding godlike strength?
While these astonishing possibilities are unproven, many scholars have noted eerie similarities across world myths and scattered historical accounts describing gigantic humanoid beings interacting with early humans.
Were the Watchers and their monstrous Nephilim progeny merely symbolic mythology to communicate spiritual truth? Or could these scandalous tales encode hazy race memories of advanced beings manipulating primal humans…a legacy still echoing through popular stories and beliefs today?
Clearly, despite scant canonical mention, the mythical Watchers cast an enduring spell and provoke endless debate as perhaps the most fascinating occult embellishment to the Bible. Their story of dangerous yet alluring forbidden knowledge, upending heavenly order and birthing chaos on earth, seems almost tailor-made to seize mystical and literary minds for millennia to come.
Conclusion
The watchers remain one of the most intriguing classes of beings described in ancient texts. While details on their origins, deeds, and fate sometimes vary across different accounts, the extra-biblical Book of Enoch provides the most extensive glimpse into how they were perceived by ancient cultures – as angelic giants of stunning visage who bequeathed forbidden knowledge to humanity.
The mystique around the watchers endures to this day, providing creative inspiration and profound metaphysical ponderings for generations to come.
