SECOND TEMPLE INTERPRETATION

Our investigation into the Nephilim Question has reached a critical point. In Section 1 we saw what happened — the Three Rebellions. In Section 2 we examined the players involved in those rebellions. Along the way, we’ve accumulated a surprising amount of data connected to Genesis 6:1–4, especially considering how brief that passage is.

Now that we have the raw information, we can begin to move into interpretation. And the first natural stop on our investigative path is the ancient Jewish understanding of these events.

During the Second Temple Era (the Intertestamental Period), Jewish writers produced a significant amount of material dealing with the Nephilim and the rebellious heavenly beings. While these writings are not part of the inspired canon of Scripture, they are extremely revealing. Most importantly, Jesus and the Apostles taught within the same supernatural framework assumed by these writings. That alone tells us these traditions deserve careful attention.

Let’s dive in and see what we can find.

How Second Temple Judaism Interpreted Genesis 6

Simply stated, Second Temple Jewish thought understood Genesis 6:1–4 as the foundation for:

the origin of evil spirits/demons,
the explanation of primeval violence and corruption,
and the need for universal judgment (the Flood and beyond).

The key interpretive move was this:

The “sons of God” were rebellious heavenly beings (“Watchers”), whose union with human women produced giant offspring (Nephilim). When these giants died, their spirits became the evil spirits that afflict humanity.

This interpretation is clearest in 1 Enoch and Jubilees, and echoed in the Dead Sea Scrolls and later Jewish writers.

1 Enoch: The Classic Rebellious Sons of God–Nephilim Narrative

The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1–36) is the central Second Temple re‑reading of Genesis 6

The Rebellious Sons of God and Their Sin

In this tradition, the heavenly beings:

descend to earth,
swear an oath on Mount Hermon,
take human women as wives,
and teach forbidden knowledge (sorcery, weaponry, cosmetics, astrology).

This is an explicit expansion of “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2.

The Nephilim as Giants and the Origin of Evil Spirits

Their offspring are giant warriors — often called Nephilim or Gibborim.

When these giants die, their spirits become:

roaming evil spirits,
hostile to humanity,
the ongoing source of demonic affliction until the final judgment.

In Enochic thought:

Nephilim → dead giants → evil spirits/demons.

Theological Function

This interpretation explains:

why the world was “filled with violence” before the Flood,
why evil persists after the Flood (the spirits remain),
and why God must judge both angels and humans.

It becomes a universal theodicy: evil is not only human — it is also angelic and structural.

Jubilees: A Torah‑Shaped Retelling

Jubilees (2nd century BC) retells Genesis–Exodus with heavy interpretive commentary.

Nephilim and Rebellious Spiritual Forces

Jubilees follows the angelic interpretation:

angels sin with women,
produce giants,
whose violence corrupts the earth.

Spirits of the Giants

Like 1 Enoch, Jubilees teaches that:

the spirits of the dead giants remain as evil spirits,
they afflict humanity,
and a portion of them is permitted to remain under the authority of Mastema (a Satan‑like figure) as part of God’s testing of humanity.

Distinctive Move

Jubilees integrates the Nephilim tradition into a Torah‑obedience framework:

the demonic/Nephilim problem heightens the need for law, covenant, and separation.

Qumran: The Nephilim in Sectarian Imagination

The Dead Sea Scrolls show that Enochic and Jubilees traditions were not fringe — they were formative.

Enoch at Qumran

Multiple copies of 1 Enoch and Jubilees were found at Qumran — more than many biblical books.

This indicates that the community embraced the Rebellious sons of God–Nephilim worldview, especially for understanding angels, demons, and eschatology.

The Book of Giants

Fragments like 4Q530–532 expand the story:

the giants dream of coming judgment,
seek interpretation from Enoch,
and are portrayed as doomed, violent, and terrified.

Sectarian Theology

For the Qumran community:

the world is divided between sons of light and sons of darkness,
demonic forces (rooted in the Watcher/Nephilim story) stand behind wicked nations and corrupt priesthoods.

The Nephilim tradition underwrites a universal dualism that shapes their identity.

Hellenistic Judaism: Philo and Josephus

Philo of Alexandria

Philo knows the giant tradition but allegorizes it:

“giants” become symbols of uncontrolled passions,
“angels” become abstract powers or logoi.

He is aware of the tradition but reframes it philosophically.

Josephus

Josephus (Ant. 1.73) preserves a more literal reading:

angels consorted with women,
their offspring were giants,
and their remains could still be seen.

He accepts the angelic interpretation but avoids the more speculative demonology.

Core Theological Patterns in Second Temple Interpretation

Across these sources, several consistent themes emerge:

1. Angelic Reading of “Sons of God”

Unanimous in apocalyptic and para‑biblical literature: “Sons of God” = heavenly beings, not human lineages.

2. Nephilim as Giants and the Origin of Demons

The Nephilim are:

giant, violent offspring of the Watchers,
whose spirits become demons after death.

This provides:

an etiology of demons,
a link between primeval sin and ongoing spiritual warfare.

3. Universal Theodicy and Eschatology

The Nephilim story explains:

why the world is deeply corrupt,
why judgment must be universal,
and why the final age involves the defeat of demonic powers.

Genesis 6:1–4 becomes a hinge text for Second Temple apocalypticism.

Why This Matters for Our Investigation

This “angelic” view of Genesis 6 is important for us to understand because the New Testament writers spoke into a world where the Rebellious sons of God/Nephilim interpretation was common knowledge.

If this view was widely taught, then it would have shaped the worldview of the Jewish people when Jesus arrived on the scene.

How do Jesus and the Apostles handle this worldview?

I can’t wait to find out.