Lacuna

The Bible is a hugely intriguing book. There are so many thousands of little, medium, huge details, laws, wars, massacre, and wonderful characters, stories, and confusing motivations. You could spend your entire life studying a single chapter, a single character, a single passage and many have. Generations and generations of people have looked at these same words. Over the past few weeks I have felt almost warm inside as I read this book. I knew it wasn't because I believed in anything that was being said or agreed with it. No, I finally realized it WAS because so many people have read these words, BELIEVED these words (I know capitalization for emphasis is so early 2000s'). In that way, it makes God real, it makes what is being said real. It is mythos. It is the reason for everything. Indeed, as I read further into the Bible, I felt more and more "whole" as a person. I felt completed in some fascinating new way. Finally, I could and can have a dialogue. I could sit down on a bench like Forest Gump and talk to an old lady about what I felt about the Bible.

The Bible is the most talked about book that nobody has read! Politicians will ramble on about their religion for hours and can't even recite the 10 commandments. Men will shout in loud speakers on the street corner about the Apocalypse, Armageddon, the beast, 666, the whore, and the 4 horsemen. Rogue scholars on the History Channel and late night radio will preach about aliens and u.f.o.s and the anunnaki and all sorts of far out theories. Your parents, your grandparents, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, everyone has a dialogue with God, yet few have actually taken the time to read it. I am trying, and I feel different inside.

I read Erich Auerbach's "Odysseus's Scar" and agree with his conclusions. The bible, unlike The Odyssey, derives its power from being vague. Without being too descriptive, but descriptive enough, anyone can have their own conversation with what is going on. It is this dialogue with the material, this extremely personal way the bible connects that makes it still have the relevance it has today. Like I said earlier, generations and generations of human beings have read this material and yet there is no definitive interpretation. In Homer's Odyssey, there is no room for the reader's interpretation. You know exactly what motivates the characters, you no exactly how Odyssey got that scar, you no exactly why Poseidon is angry with Odysseus, every minute detail. This is what traps it in a certain age and place. This is what also frees up the Bible. Nothing is clear, everything is open to debate, and everything can be grafted onto something in anybody's life and in any age.

However, sometimes the Bible can be so vague it's near impossible to understand what is actually going on. Who are the nephilim? Why are their giants in the bible? Where did Enoch go off to? And this is where I am going to head to waters Dr. Sexson probably doesn't approve of. However, I am deeply interested in this lacuna. This special thing that wafts through the Bible like a smoke, yet the fire can't be found. At least not inside the Bible itself. The Book of Enoch is non-canonical for Western churches (however, it is the Ethiopian Orthodox Church). According to Wikipedia, its older parts date from 300 B.C. (about 150 years after Genesis was completed), and it's newer sections (Book of Parables) to around the 1st century BC. It's inside this book that I found myriad of explained gaps and lacuna. This is a diversion mainly for myself, however if anyone else is curious, don't be afraid to read on and see what I found. I will go through the first few chapters.

Chapter 1-6

Enoch warns us to obey God, or we are fucked. But a lot of this material really is beautiful.

Chapter 7

Yes, Chapter is 7 is good. It begins with the angels discussing among themselves how hot human women are. (Seems to be a recurring theme amongst men, don't you think?) They all agree that they should descend to earth and take human wives for themselves. Why should the human men get all the fun? Their leader is named Samyaza, who is afraid that if they do this, he will get all the blame. But all the others reassure Samyaza that they will all accept the repercussions together. Wow, this sounds like a frat house gone wild. This could totally happen today with a bunch of drunk college students talking about raiding a sorority and promising the ring-leader that he won't be alone if they get caught.

Their are 200 angels in all who decide to descend to earth via Mount Armon (which derives its name from the Hebrew word for curse). The names of their cheifs include these: Samyaza, Urakabarameel, Akibeel, Tamiel, Ramuel, Danel, Azkeel, Saraknyal, Asael, Armers, Batrall, Anane, Zavebe, Samsaveel, Ertael, Turel, Yomyael, and Arazyal.

So their panty-raid is a success and the 200 angels start marrying human women. They teach them sorcery, incantations, and the dividing of roots and trees. So far this story is reminding of Prometheus, who gave fire to humans and was punished by Zues. I look forward to hear what happens to the horndogs from heaven. (Can't be anything good, I've seen God kill for much less.) Anyway, the angels know their wives, and the women give birth to the giants (also called the nephilim). The nephilim stood three hundred cubits (137.16 meters) high and devoured all of the mens' food until it was impossible for men to feed themselves. So things turn ugly fast, and the giants start to eat men, birds, reptiles, fish, and each other. They also enjoyed drinking the blood of their victims. I remind you in Leviticus that drinking blood is punishable by death, and the eating of men, birds, and reptiles is also frowned upon.

This is a fun read, and helps explain some of the lacuna. Where did King Og come from? How bout David? Now you know the rest of the story. And these ain't no Big Friendly Giants either, these are Fleshlumpeaters, Bonecrunchers, Manhuggers, Childchewers, Meatdrippers, Gizzardgulpers, Maidmashers, Bloodbottlers, and Butcher Boys. These are mean cannibalistic monsters (and this ain't a hyperbole).

Chapter 8

Further detail about Azazyel teaching men how to make swords, knives, shields, breastplates, mirrors, bracelets, ornaments, paint, eyebrow beautifying techniques, stone use, and dyes. It appears the angels taught man the art of war, and how to be prideful. In doing so they corrupted man. Impiety and sex increases and man starts doing weird stuff like sorcery and star watching. It goes further into detail. Amazarak teaches sorcerers and dividers of roots (still don't know what this means exactly). Armers teaches the solution to sorcery (white magic mayhap?). Barkayal teaches men how to observe the stars. Akibeel teaches signs (not sure what this means). Tamiel teaches astronomy. Asaradel teaches men the motion of the moon.

Men, who are apparently getting fed up with the teaching and giants eating them, scream to the heavens.

Chapter 9

The angels that are still in heaven--Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Suryal, and Yuriel--look down on the chaos. They agree what's going down below is pretty messed up. They beg God to do something, anything, save them! save them! In their plees, they tell God that the fallen angels have polluted the earth and that the souls of the dead are piling up outside heaven's gates.

I am starting to believe that this story may be commentary on the pagan gods of the day. The jews believed that idoltry was a terrible sin (which is pretty synomynous with paganism). These angels sound like they could be interchangeable with any god from the ancient world.

Chapter 10

God speaks. He sends the angel Arsayalalyur to Noah. He tells Arsayalalyur to warn Noah about the oncoming flood and how to save himself from it. This also clears up some more lacuna. Before, it was some what vague why God found the earth's people's so unclean. Now we know why: it was because the fallen angel's offspring had diluted the gene pool. God wants his people's genes clean from the corruption from up above. See? Maybe God isn't so bad in this story after all.

God then proceeds to tell Gabriel to slaughter the Nephilim, the children of the Watchers (the fallen ones). However, God tells Gabriel to do it in a weird way: excite them so they will kill each other. I am not quite sure of the significance of doing it in that way. Maybe angels aren't allowed to kill each other? We also know Gabriel must have failed in the massacre, because giants are still very much alive in David's time.

God then orders Michael to go to Samyaza and the others and bind them underneath the earth for seventy generations. In vivid detail, God says their punishment underground will be great. They will "burn in the lowest depths of the fire in torments". I wonder if this story is the origin of hell? I know, like Plotz noted, the Torah does mention a "sheol". But this is the first time I've seen anything close to hell mentioned.

God then goes on to say things that will be destroyed: oppressors and evil works (idoltry?). Again, this seems to confirm what I've had a growing suspician of: this is the origin story of the pagan traditions. When god says "Let every evil work be destroyed," I think he is referring to idols. God then tells us that the world will be purified after the flood. Saints will give thanks. The earth will be cultivated with righteousness, with trees, vines, and olives. Everyone will be righteous, free from oppression and injustice, and all nations will love God.

Chapter 11

Erased from the history books.

Chapter 12

Enoch is mentioned for the first time since the beginning. Again, lacuna is being cleared up left and right. You wondered where Enoch went in Genesis? He went to talk to God. God orders Enoch (self-described "scribe of righteousness") to tell Watchers that they will "never obtain peace and remission of sin... they shall not rejoice in their offspring; they shall behold the slaughter of their beloved; shall lament for the destruction of their sons; and shall petition for ever; but shall not obtain mercy and peace." Wonder how they take the news?

Chapter 13

Enoch tells Azazyel, the Watcher who taught man sorcery, the good news (or the bad news for him). The Watchers tremble in fear. They beg Enoch to give God a good word for them. Ha. That's a little funny. Reminds me of a brother catching his younger brother doing something naughty. Then the younger brother begs the elder to put in a good word to his parents about the ordeal. Anyway, also like disobeying children, the Watchers are afraid to look up. They are afraid to look their parent in the eye. Again, kinda hilarious. So Enoch writes a prayer for them.

Enoch travels across the waters of Danbadan, reading his prayer. He falls asleep, and starts dreaming. He dreams about the Watchers being tortured for what they did on earth. Then he wakes up, and like a mean child, tells the Watchers what will happen to them in the coming days.

Chapter 14

Enoch repeats what was in early chapters, then discusses his psychedelic dream. A vibrating tongue of fire appeared before him. He enters it and is inside a building with walls made of crystal stones. Enoch goes into further detail about flaming walls, and ceiling that looked like the stars, but I'll move past that and get to the juicy stuff. Enoch happens upon a throne that is made of frost, and underneath, rivers of flame weaved. God is in the throne, and he tells Enoch to approach Him. If you are curious, it says His robe was "brighter than the sun, and whiter than snow". No mortal can see His face (hmmm... curious... from my blog last semester The Power of Eyes , also interesting, ‘Biocentrism’: How life creates the universe and Mysterious Symbols: The Eye) Enoch says, "NO angel was capable of penetrating to view the face of Him, the Glorious and the Effulgent; nore could any mortal behold Him." This is really connecting the dots for me. Keep it coming Enoch old buddy.

Chapter 15

God condemns the fallen angels. He says they were made to be purely spiritual beings, eternal, and dwelling in heaven. They have polluted themselves by going with women, because these were not for them. He condemns the giants, "... who have been born of spirit and of flesh" and shall be called "evil spirits". Some areas in this chapter lead me to believe that the giants may be one in the same with demons or "earth spirits". God says, "The spirits of the giants shall be like clouds, which shall oppress, corrupt, fall, content, and bruise upon the earth." I am curious about what the angels relationship with God really is. I wish I knew more about them.

Chapter 16

The giants' spirits will not be judged like a man or woman's. Do their spirits wander the earth then?

Chapter 17

Enoch is brought to the top of a mountain. He receives a vision of hell.

Chapter 18

Now he sees heaven. He observes the stones that supports the earth, the four winds, and the pillars of heaven. He witnesses seven stars, "... like great blazing mountains". He is told by and angel, "This place, until the consummation of heaven and earth, will be the prison of stars, and the host of heaven." This seems to refer to the seven celestial bodies that were known at the time: the moon, the sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. God is displeased with these bodies because they do not obey the season. God binds them, "until the period of the consummation of their crimes in the secret year". I can't make hides nor tails of this, but it sounds like God will punish these wandering celestial bodies on judgement day.

Chapter 19

The fallen ones, "... made men profane, and caused them to err; so that they sacrificed to devils as to gods". Again, this is the origin story of paganism. Another interesting thing: the wives of the fallen ones will be judged just as harshly as the fallen ones themselves.

Chapter 20

A list of good angels: Uriel (presides over clamor and terror), Raphael (presides over spirits of men), Raguel (inflicts punishment on the world and the luminaries), Michael (presides over human virtue, commands the nations), Sarakiel (presides over the spirits of the children of men that transgress), and Gabriel (who presides over the serpents, over paradise, and over the angels). Over serpents? I could have more to say on this later.

Chapter 21

Oddly enough, it sounds like a black hole is being described. Hell may in fact be a concentrated mass of suns.

Chapter 22

More crazy stuff: the angels then take Enoch to what looks like purgatory. There he runs into the spirit of Abel, who is screaming, "...and who will accuse that brother [Cain], until his seed be destroyed from the face of the earth." The good souls and the bad souls are separated from each other by chasm, by water, by light. Sinners are burried in the earth after they die where they are tortured until judgement day.

Chapter 23

Enoch travels to the sun itself.

I'll leave it that and stop at chapter 23. Again, this was for my own amusement, and I thought others might find it interesting. I'll probably refer to this post in later blogs if it suits my fancy. Lacuna is being cleared up left and right. We learn more about Cain and Abel, about the giants, about Noah, about many things that went on. I choose to view this source as something like Dante's Divine Comedy. Not canon, but it adds to the text, and what people may have understood the text was. I find many things about the Book of Enoch crazy awesome and fun to read. Whoever wrote this had an amazing imagination. I would love to travel back to his time and see what it was actually like. Where did these ancient stories originate from? Was their a single point? How did this rich, interesting story come to be? The Book of Enoch is an important one. It adds background and layers to the rest of the Bible that really seem to suffer from a lack of backdrop. This sets it up. I understand why this was dropped from canon. It was too wild, too weird for anybody to accept, and Judaism and Christianity probably wouldn't have made it the 21st Century with it intact. Still, it's important for any biblical scholar to read to understand the text properly.