%20-%20WGA2572.jpg)
nephilim
Sign in to saveThe Nephilim (; ) are mysterious beings or humans mentioned in the Bible, traditionally understood as being of great size and strength, or alternatively as beings of great power and authority. The origins of the Nephilim remain unclear. Some writers, including the author of the Book of Enoch, view them as the offspring of rebellious angels and humans. Others view them as descendants of Seth and Cain.
Article
16 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Origins of belief
- In the Hebrew Bible
- Interpretations
- Giants
- Fallen angels
- Second Temple Judaism
- Descendants of Seth and Cain
- Offspring of Orion
- Arabian paganism
- Fossil remains of giants
- In popular culture
- See also
- Footnotes
- References
- External links
The Nephilim (; ) are mysterious beings or humans mentioned in the Bible, traditionally understood as being of great size and strength, or alternatively as beings of great power and authority. The origins of the Nephilim remain unclear. Some writers, including the author of the Book of Enoch, view them as the offspring of rebellious angels and humans. Others view them as descendants of Seth and Cain.
The first biblical reference to them occurs in Genesis 6:4, but verses 1-4 are ambiguous and the identity of the Nephilim is disputed. According to Numbers 13:33, ten of the Twelve Spies reported the existence of Nephilim in Canaan prior to its conquest by the Israelites. A similar or identical Biblical Hebrew term, read as "Nephilim" by some scholars and as the word "fallen" by others, appears in Ezekiel 32:27 and is also mentioned in the deuterocanonical books Judith 16:6, Sirach 16:7, Baruch 3:26–28, and Wisdom 14:6.