Rereading Mark Stavish’s Egregores prompted me to read the Book of Enoch (aka 1 Enoch) where the term Watcher (egregoros in Greek) is used to describe angels. I was struck that one of the terrible sins of the fallen angels described in Enoch was to teach humans technology. (The other was to have intercourse with women; angels are supposed to be spiritual beings and not be subject to lust.)
1 Enoch seems to date from 130–100 BCE (W.O.E Oesterley’s Introduction to R.H. Charles’s 1917 translation, available at sacred-texts.com). Dr. Oesterley describes it as “in some respects, the most notable extant apocalyptic work outside the canonical Scriptures.” (See also Wikipedia.) The quotes below (in italics to set them off from my commentary) are from Charles’s translation.
Here's a summary (see below for the source passages) of technologies that the angels brought to humankind:
- Magic (“charms and enchantments”; “enchantments, and … the resolving of enchantments”)
- Agriculture (“the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants”; “root-cuttings”)
- Weaponry (“swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates”) and warfare (“blows [and] weapons of death”)
- Metallurgy (“made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony”)
- Medicine (“the use of antimony”)
- Cosmetics (“the beautifying of the eyelids”)
- Jewelry (“costly stones”)
- Dyeing (“colouring tinctures”)
- Astronomy (“astrology, … the constellations, … the knowledge of the clouds, … the signs of the earth, … the signs of the sun, and … the course of the moon”)
- Wisdom, including writing
- Curses (“wicked smitings”; oaths)
I’m puzzled how (fallen) angels came to be associated with egregores in the occult sense. Oesterley’s Introduction seems to indicate that watchers is a synonym for angels in general, and not just fallen ones. I’ve made an inventory below of all occurrences of “watcher(s)” in the text.
Last but not least, there’s an implication that “mysteries” came to humankind through women. In 1 Enoch 16:1–3, the Lord says to the Watchers, “You have been in heaven, but all the mysteries had not yet been revealed to you, and you knew worthless ones, and these in the hardness of your hearts you have made known to the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on earth.” (See below for full context.) Is this an echo of Eve in the Genesis story?
The fallen angels and their offenses
The watchers are fallen angels. Their offense seems to have been (1) giving up the pure spiritual life and lusting after women, and (2) teaching humans various technologies. The dramatic impact is represented by their offspring being giants, called evil spirits.
And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.' (1 Enoch 6:1–2)
And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells: Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them, the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another's flesh, and drink the blood. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones. (1 Enoch 7:1–6)
Summary of technologies mentioned (note it’s both “magic” and “tech”)
- Magic (“charms and enchantments”)
- Agriculture (“the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants”)
And Azâzêl taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures. 2. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjâzâ taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, Armârôs the resolving of enchantments, Barâqîjâl, (taught) astrology, Kôkabêl the constellations, Ezêqêêl the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiêl the signs of the earth, Shamsiêl the signs of the sun, and Sariêl the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven . . . (1 Enoch 8)
Summary of technologies mentioned (again both “magic” and “tech”)
- Weaponry (“swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates”)
- Metallurgy (“made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony”)
- Medicine (“the use of antimony”)
- Cosmetics (“the beautifying of the eyelids”)
- Jewelry (“costly stones”)
- Dyeing (“colouring tinctures”)
- Magic (“enchantments, and … the resolving of enchantments”)
- Agriculture (“root-cuttings”)
- Astronomy (“astrology, … the constellations, … the knowledge of the clouds, … the signs of the earth, … the signs of the sun, and … the course of the moon”)
The angels were not supposed to marry, and their bastard offspring with humans were evil. In the same way that these spirits rose up against people because they "proceeded" from them, perhaps the technologies did likewise.
And they have gone to the daughters of men upon the earth, and have slept with the women, and have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins. And the women have borne giants, and the whole earth has thereby been filled with blood and unrighteousness. (1 Enoch 9:8–9)
And though ye were holy, spiritual, living the eternal life, you have defiled yourselves with the blood of women, and have begotten (children) with the blood of flesh, and, as the children of men, have lusted after flesh and blood as those ⌈also⌉ do who die and perish. Therefore have I given them wives also that they might impregnate them, and beget children by them, that thus nothing might be wanting to them on earth. But you were ⌈formerly⌉ spiritual, living the eternal life, and immortal for all generations of the world. And therefore I have not appointed wives for you; for as for the spiritual ones of the heaven, in heaven is their dwelling. (1 Enoch 15:4–7)
And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men, from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling. And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them. (1 Enoch 15:8–11)
The punishment of the fallen angels is being bound and cast down into darkness, reminiscent of Tartarus. Their sins are not just what they did, but what they taught. This reminds me of Prometheus: he was a Titan, and most of his ilk were cast into Tartarus after the Titanomachy; he was punished—by being bound to a rock, though—for siding with humans against Zeus, with various technologies depending on the telling.
And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dûdâêl, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons. (1 Enoch 10:4–7)
And Enoch went and said: 'Azâzêl, thou shalt have no peace: a severe sentence has gone forth against thee to put thee in bonds: And thou shalt not have toleration nor request granted to thee, because of the unrighteousness which thou hast taught, and because of all the works of godlessness and unrighteousness and sin which thou hast shown to men.' (1 Enoch 13:1–2)
And these are the names of the holy angels who watch. Uriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus. (1 Enoch 20:1–2)
Uriel, one of the Seven Archangels, presides over “Tartarus”; I wonder what the Aramaic/Hebrew original was. I suspect the word in the Greek was tartaros; cf. (2 Peter 2:4-6): “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly.” See also Don Stewart in the Blue Letter Bible.
In Chapter 65, Enoch foretells to Noah the deluge and his own preservation. The reason given is that people have learned secrets from the angels. [I’ve added in square brackets who I think is speaking. The quote marks in the translation seem garbled.]
And in those days Noah saw the earth that it had sunk down and its destruction was nigh. And he arose from thence and went to the ends of the earth, and cried aloud to his grandfather Enoch: and Noah said three times with an embittered voice:
[Noah:] Hear me, hear me, hear me.' And I said unto him: 'Tell me what it is that is falling out on the earth that the earth is in such evil plight and shaken, lest perchance I shall perish with it?' And thereupon there was a great commotion, on the earth, and a voice was heard from heaven, and I fell on my face. And Enoch my grandfather came and stood by me, and said unto me:
[Enoch:] 'Why hast thou cried unto me with a bitter cry and weeping? And a command has gone forth from the presence of the Lord concerning those who dwell on the earth that their ruin is accomplished because they have learnt all the secrets of the angels, and all the violence of the Satans, and all their powers--the most secret ones--and all the power of those who practice sorcery, and the power of witchcraft, and the power of those who make molten images for the whole earth: And how silver is produced from the dust of the earth, and how soft metal originates in the earth. For lead and tin are not produced from the earth like the first: it is a fountain that produces them, and an angel stands therein, and that angel is pre-eminent.'
[Noah:] And after that my grandfather Enoch took hold of me by my hand and raised me up, and said unto me:
[Enoch:] 'Go, for I have asked the Lord of Spirits as touching this commotion on the earth.
[Noah:] And He said unto me:
[Enoch:] "Because of their unrighteousness their judgement has been determined upon and shall not be withheld by Me for ever. Because of the sorceries which they have searched out and learnt, the earth and those who dwell upon it shall be destroyed." And these--they have no place of repentance for ever, because they have shown them what was hidden, and they are the damned: but as for thee, my son, the Lord of Spirits knows that thou art pure, and guiltless of this reproach concerning the secrets. (1 Enoch 65:1–11)
Chapter 69 has an inventory of the names and functions of the fallen angels, which includes another technology inventory that intersects with (i.e., some repeats, but also some omissions and some new items) the one in earlier chapters. [I’ve added line breaks to help with reading.]
And behold the names of those angels …: the first of them is Samjâzâ, …, the twenty-first Azâzêl.
And these are the chiefs of their angels and their names, and their chief ones over hundreds and over fifties and over tens.
The name of the first Jeqôn: that is, the one who led astray ⌈all⌉ the sons of God, …
And the second was named Asbeêl: he imparted to the holy sons of God evil counsel, and led them astray so that they defiled their bodies with the daughters of men.
And the third was named Gâdreêl: he it is who showed the children of men all the blows of death, and he led astray Eve, and showed the weapons of death to the sons of men the shield and the coat of mail, and the sword for battle, and all the weapons of death to the children of men. …
And the fourth was named Pênêmûe: he taught the children of men the bitter and the sweet, and he taught them all the secrets of their wisdom. And he instructed mankind in writing with ink and paper, and thereby many sinned from eternity to eternity and until this day. For men were not created for such a purpose, to give confirmation to their good faith with pen and ink. For men were created exactly like the angels, to the intent that they should continue pure and righteous, and death, which destroys everything, could not have taken hold of them, but through this their knowledge they are perishing, and through this power it is consuming me.
And the fifth was named Kâsdejâ: this is he who showed the children of men all the wicked smitings of spirits and demons, and the smitings of the embryo in the womb, that it may pass away, and the smitings of the soul the bites of the serpent, and the smitings which befall through the noontide heat, the son of the serpent named Tabââ‘ĕt.
And this is the task of Kâsbeêl, the chief of the oath which he showed to the holy ones when he dwelt high above in glory, and its name is Bîqâ. This (angel) requested Michael to show him the hidden name, that he might enunciate it in the oath, so that those might quake before that name and oath who revealed all that was in secret to the children of men. And this is the power of this oath, for it is powerful and strong, and he placed this oath Akâe in the hand of Michael. 16 And these are the secrets of this oath . . . (1 Enoch 69:2–16)
Summary of technologies mentioned (here it includes knowledge)
- Warfare (“blows [and] weapons of death”)
- Wisdom, including writing
- Curses (“wicked smitings”; oaths)
It’s interesting to see that writing is cited as an evil – links to Plato’s argument in the Phaedrus (the fable of Thamus and Theuth). As is wisdom, cf. eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Genesis 3:1–5.
The idea that humankind was punished in the flood because it learned technologies was new to me. Enoch reflects the story in Genesis 6:1-7, though it’s clearer about the relationship between the fallen angels, the giants, and humankind—and Enoch links the flood to the fallen angels. {I’ve added my gloss in curly brackets.}
When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God {the fallen angels in Enoch} saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with[a] humans forever, for they are mortal[b]; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim {there are scholarly debates about who they were, but often translated “giants”} were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth {no reference here to learning the secrets of the fallen angels; a later idea?}, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” {A different reason for the flood than in Enoch.} But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:1-7)
Egregores, biblical and occult
I am puzzled that fallen angels came to be associated with egregores in the occult sense which (pace Valentin Tomberg as cited in Stavish) aren’t necessarily evil. Also, occult egregores are active, not passive watchers. It occurred to me that perhaps the terms Watchers applied to all angels as a class, and that the fallen angels were punished because they stopped watching and started interacting with humans.
In the Introduction, it sounds like watchers is a synonym for angels in general; some of them transgressed: “In this dream Enoch is asked to intercede for the watchers of heaven, i.e. the angels, who had left their heavenly home to commit iniquity with the daughters of men.”
Here are occurrences of Watcher(s) in the text:
Here, Watchers could be all angels:
[Enoch:] Concerning the elect I said, and took up my parable concerning them:
The Holy Great One will come forth from His dwelling,
And the eternal God will tread upon the earth, (even) on Mount Sinai,
And appear from His camp
And appear in the strength of His might from the heaven of heavens.
And all shall be smitten with fear
And the Watchers shall quake,
And great fear and trembling shall seize them unto the ends of the earth.
Etc. (1 Enoch 1:3 ff.)
In the next passage, they seem to be just the fallen angels (Note that the translation uses both “angels” and “Watcher”; I wonder if it’s the same word in the original, or whether the first is aggelos and the second egregoros.)
Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: 'Go to Noah and tell him in my name "Hide thyself!" and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it. . . .
And again the Lord said to Raphael: 'Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dûdâêl, and cast him therein. . . . And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons. . . .
And to Gabriel said the Lord: 'Proceed against the bastards and the reprobates, and against the children of fornication: and destroy the children of fornication and the children of the Watchers from amongst men and cause them to go forth: send them one against the other that they may destroy each other in battle: for length of days shall they not have. And the Lord said unto Michael: 'Go, bind Semjâzâ and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have defiled themselves with them in all their uncleanness. . . .
And destroy all the spirits of the reprobate and the children of the Watchers, because they have wronged mankind. Destroy all wrong from the face of the earth and let every evil work come to an end: and let the plant of righteousness and truth appear: and it shall prove a blessing; the works of righteousness and truth shall be planted in truth and joy for evermore. (1 Enoch 10:1–16)
Chapter 12 concerns itself with Watchers who have left the high heavens—that is, just the fallen angels—even though they’re not always qualified that way…
Before these things Enoch was hidden, and no one of the children of men knew where he was hidden, and where he abode, and what had become of him. And his activities had to do with the Watchers, and his days were with the holy ones.
[Enoch:] And I, Enoch was blessing the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and lo! the Watchers called me--Enoch the scribe--and said to me:
[Watchers, all the angels:] 'Enoch, thou scribe of righteousness, go, declare to the Watchers of the heaven who have left the high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women, and have done as the children of earth do, and have taken unto themselves wives: "Ye have wrought great destruction on the earth: And ye shall have no peace nor forgiveness of sin: and inasmuch as they delight themselves in their children, The murder of their beloved ones shall they see, and over the destruction of their children shall they lament, and shall make supplication unto eternity, but mercy and peace shall ye not attain."' (1 Enoch 12)
In Chapter 14, 15 and 16, again by implications the Watchers are just the fallen ones who will be reprimanded and punished.
The book of the words of righteousness, and of the reprimand of the eternal Watchers in accordance with the command of the Holy Great One in that vision.
[Enoch:] I saw in my sleep what I will now say with a tongue of flesh and with the breath of my mouth: which the Great One has given to men to converse therewith and understand with the heart. As He has created and given to man the power of understanding the word of wisdom, so hath He created me also and given me the power of reprimanding the Watchers, the children of heaven. (1 Enoch 14:1–3)
[Enoch:] And He answered and said to me, and I heard His voice:
[The Lord:] 'Fear not, Enoch, thou righteous man and scribe of righteousness: approach hither and hear my voice. And go, say to the Watchers of heaven, who have sent thee to intercede for them: "You should intercede" for men, and not men for you: Wherefore have ye left the high, holy, and eternal heaven, and lain with women, and defiled yourselves with the daughters of men and taken to yourselves wives, and done like the children of earth, and begotten giants (as your) sons? (1 Enoch 15:1–3)
And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling. 9. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men, and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. (1 Enoch 15:8–9)
From the days of the slaughter and destruction and death of the giants, from the souls of whose flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring judgement--thus shall they destroy until the day of the consummation, the great judgement in which the age shall be consummated, over the Watchers and the godless, yea, shall be wholly consummated." And now as to the Watchers who have sent thee to intercede for them, who had been aforetime in heaven, say to: "You have been in heaven, but all the mysteries had not yet been revealed to you, and you knew worthless ones, and these in the hardness of your hearts you have made known to the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on earth." (1 Enoch 16:1–3)
There is an intriguing implication that the mysteries came to humankind through women—an echo of Eve in the Genesis story?
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