Fallen Angels, the Watchers, and the Origins of Evil (2 page)

           
The War Scroll is thought to have been written sometime after the mid-first century BCE to the beginning of the 1st Century CE. The author of the manuscript made use of the Book of Daniel. The War Scroll contains rules for the military, religious preparations, and how the fighting was to be conducted.

           
In the War Scroll we see the sons of light, who are the remnants of the Jewish faithful, exiled into the wilderness by an ever-darkening world. Out of the wilderness of Jerusalem they return to fight against the sons of darkness, the children of Belial, in the last days. This fits in very well with our accepted prophecies in the book of Revelation.

           
No story is complete without a resolution to the problem. Essene literature sees the conclusion in the person of the “teacher of righteousness.” This figure was the Messiah who would come to teach and guide them into the new kingdom. This figure is fulfilled in the person of Jesus as he establishes his eternal kingdom at his second coming. Thus, the story of evil and man’s conquest over Satan or Mastema ends when he is overcome and destroyed by the teacher of righteousness, Jesus, the Messiah. The story presented here is an abbreviated one drawn from the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and Revelation.

           
From the beginning of man’s oral history, through our present age, and ending with prophecies some say will occur in this generation, the story of evil is told. Its origins and its abolition are laid out before us in the words of historians, priests, and prophets, to be read as a warning of our own susceptibility to enemies unseen.

About the Ancient Texts

           
The Dead Sea Scrolls found in the caves of Qumran are of great interest in the task of clarifying the history and doctrine in existence between biblical times and the fixing of canon. The scrolls were penned in the second century B.C. and were in use at least until the destruction of the second temple in 70 A.D. Similar scrolls to those found in the eleven caves of Qumran were also found at the Masada stronghold which fell to the Romans in 73 A.D.
 

Fragments of every book of the Old Testament except Esther were found in the caves of Qumran, as were many other ancient books. Some of these books are considered to have been of equal importance and influence to the people of Qumran and to the writers and scholars of the time. Writers of the New Testament were among those studying the scrolls found in Qumran.
 
Knowing this, one might ask which of the dozens of non-canonical books most influenced the writers of the New Testament.

           
It is possible to ascertain the existence of certain influences within the Bible context by using the Bible itself. The Bible can direct us to other works in three ways. The work can be mentioned by name, as is the Book of Jasher. The work can be quoted within the Bible text, as is the case with the Book of Enoch. The existence of the work can be alluded to, as is the case of the missing letter from the apostle Paul to the Corinthians.

           
In the case of those books named in the Bible, one can compile a list. The list is lengthier than one might suspect. Most of these works have not been found. Some have been unearthed but their authenticity is questioned. Others have been recovered and the link between scripture and scroll is generally accepted. Let us now take a look at the texts used to trace the history of evil.

The Book of Jasher

           
Jasher is not the author’s name. Rather, it carries the meaning of something straight, true, or upright. The meaning could be the upright book or the faithful record, or it could refer to the character and reliability of the person(s) making the record.

           
The Bible references The Book of Jasher as a source of information and history in at least two places.

           
In the Book of Joshua is the account of an event that staggers the mind.

“And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.”
 
Joshua 10:13

           
One translation of a parallel chapter in the Book of Jasher states as follows:

“And when they were smiting, the day was declining toward evening, and Joshua said in the sight of all the people, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon, until the nation shall have revenged itself upon its enemies.
 
And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Joshua, and the sun stood still in the midst of the heavens, and it stood still six and thirty moments, and the moon also stood still and hastened not to go down a whole day.”
 
Jasher 88:63-64

           
Another Biblical reference to Jasher shows David teaching archery to his army:

“Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow; behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.”
 
2 Samuel 1:18

           
The Jews of the first century A.D. held the Book of Jasher as a reliable historical document, although not “inspired.” When Titus destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70, one of his officers discovered a hidden library complete with a scholar hiding there. The officer had mercy on the man and took him and the books to his residence at Seville, Spain, (which was at that time the capital of the Roman province Hispalensis). The manuscript was later donated to the Jewish college at Cordova, Spain; and after printing was invented, the Jewish scholars had the book printed in Hebrew in Venice in 1625.

           
Confusion arose when another book of the same title was translated and released. This book, known now as Pseudo-Jasher, was discovered to be a hoax. Scholars turned against that book but continued to confuse it with the older document of the same name.

           
One of the printed manuscripts of Jasher from Spain was acquired by a British citizen named Samuel. Samuel set about to translate the book into English. When the British scholars heard of this, they made no distinction between the two books of Jasher and Pseudo-Jasher and the climate for publication turned stormy. Samuel sold his translation to Mordecai M. Noah, a New York publisher, who published it in 1840 as the first English translation. The copyright was later obtained by J. H. Parry and Company of Salt Lake City, Utah in 1887. It is a modern rendition of this version presented here.

           
The book seems to contain authentic Hebrew traditions and phraseology. Jasher, being a record, was added to and updated by each Hebrew historian as the book was handed down.

           
The book of Jasher we possess today was likely composed by an author compiling many old Jewish traditions (called Midrash) dating back to around the time of Christ. This included the source from the rescue of 70 A.D. Scholars agree that the Book of Jasher was likely last updated in Spain about the twelfth century A.D. It is difficult to know if Jasher is quoting Midrash literature, or if Midrash literature was quoting the real Book of Jasher, which was also quoted in the Old Testament.

           
“Midrash” refers to writings containing extra-legal material of anecdotal or allegorical nature, designed either to clarify historical material, or to teach a moral point.

           
The names of the countries in which the sons of Noah are reported to have settled can definitely be dated to the eleventh century in Spain. This does not make it conclusive that the entire work must have been authored at that time. As books are copied, scribes can take it upon themselves to place the current names in the text.

           
Although Jasher was not considered inspired, it was considered to be a historical record reliable enough to be quoted by prophets and kings.

           
There are differences in authority and weight given to various types of records. Civil and historical records may serve the same historical purpose or record, but texts thought to be inspired have both historical and spiritual function.

           
When Ptolemy, King of Egypt, requested the Jewish holy books, the Israelites felt they could not give the Gentiles their sacred texts, so they sent him the Book of Jasher. He cherished it but later found it had a lesser status than the scriptures. Angry about the hoax, he confronted the Jews. Now with their heads at risk, they agreed to translate their Old Testament into Greek, which became known as the Septuagint.

The Book of Enoch

           
Of all the books quoted, paraphrased, or referred to in the Bible, the Book of Enoch has influenced the writers of the Bible as few others have. The writers of the New Testament were frequently influenced by other writings which set the theology and beliefs of the day. One of the main sources of theology regarding angels, demons, and the watchers was the Book of Enoch.

           
It is not the purpose of this work to make judgments as to the validity or worth of the Book of Enoch, but rather to simply put forth a meaningful question. Is not the non-canonical book that most influenced the thought and theology of the writers of the New Testament worth further research and contemplation?

           
If a book is mentioned or quoted in the Bible is it not worthy of further study? The Book of Enoch was once cherished by Jews and Christians alike. It is still read today in certain Coptic Christian Churches in Ethiopia and is considered equal to all other books of the Bible.

           
Two versions of the Book of Enoch exist today. Most scholars date the Book of Enoch to sometime during the second century B.C.
 
We do not know what earlier oral tradition, if any, the book contains. Enoch was considered inspired and authentic by certain Jewish sects of the first century B.C. and remained popular for at least five hundred years. The earliest Ethiopian text was apparently derived from a Greek manuscript of the Book of Enoch, which itself was a copy of an earlier text. The original was apparently written in the Semitic language, now thought to be Aramaic.

           
The Book of Enoch was discovered in the 18
^th
century. It was thought that Enoch was penned after beginning of the Christian era. This theory was based upon the fact that it had quotes and paraphrases as well as concepts found in the New Testament. Thus, it was assumed that Enoch was heavily influenced by writers such as Jude and Peter.

           
However, recent discoveries of copies of the book among the Dead Sea Scrolls prove the book existed long before the time of Jesus Christ. These scrolls force a closer look and reconsideration. It becomes obvious that the New Testament did not influence the Book of Enoch; on the contrary, the Book of Enoch influenced the New Testament.

           
The date of the original writing upon which the second century B.C. Qumran copies were based is shrouded in obscurity.
 
Likewise lost are the sources of the oral traditions that came to be the Book of Enoch.

           
It has been largely the opinion of historians that the book does not really contain the authentic words of the ancient prophet named Enoch, since he would have lived several thousand years earlier than the first known appearance of the book attributed to him. However, the first century Christians accepted the Book of Enoch as inspired, if not authentic.

           
They relied on it to understand the origin and purpose of many things, from angels to wind, sun, and stars. In fact, many of the key concepts used by Jesus Christ himself seem directly connected to terms and ideas in the Book of Enoch.