<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Infinitum &#187; watchers</title>
	<atom:link href="http://blog.andrewhastie.com/tag/watchers/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://blog.andrewhastie.com</link>
	<description>A world of possibilities</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:00:05 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0</generator>
		<item>
		<title>The names of the Watchers</title>
		<link>http://blog.andrewhastie.com/myths-legends/the-names-of-the-watchers</link>
		<comments>http://blog.andrewhastie.com/myths-legends/the-names-of-the-watchers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:10:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>andy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Myths & Legends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[watchers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.andrewhastie.com/?p=351</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[According to the Book of Enoch, exactly 200 Watchers fell to Earth to take human wives. It names 20 of these, explaining that each one was a leader in a group of 10. In his book From the Ashes of Angels, Andrew Collins names a few...


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://blog.andrewhastie.com/ancient-civilisations/watchers' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Watchers'>Watchers</a> <small>The Watchers (from Greek egrḗgoroi (ἐγρήγοροι)) or Grigori are a...</small></li>
</ol>

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>According to the Book of Enoch, exactly 200 Watchers fell to Earth to take human wives. It names 20 of these, explaining that each one was a leader in a group of 10. In his book <em>From the Ashes of Angels</em>, Andrew Collins names a few others, and other reference works corroborate some of the names given in these sources, sometimes with alternate spellings. Through these various sources, I have collected information on what some of these named Watchers taught to mankind. Where there was a variation in wording, I have included both wordings.</p>
<p>According to Collins, there is no complete record of the names of all 200 Watchers. Most of the names included in Enoch are not included in other books, apocryphal or otherwise; in fact, very few of the others appear inother mythological texts; these include Azazel and Kokabel (Shemyaza is a central character in Storm Constantine&#8217;s <em>Grigori</em> triology). <strong>Azazel</strong> is a curious example; although the Watchers, in the beginning of Enoch, swear to Shemyaza, the clear leader, that they will not change their minds about descending. But later, Azazel takes the brunt of the blame for what happens (to his credit, he taught more forbidden items to humankind than the others). He was thrown into the canyon of Duadel, and pinned with sharp rocks, with his face covered. In the Biblical book Leviticus, he is recreated as a desert creature to whom the ancient Israelites dedicated their scapegoats:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>&#8220;Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord, and offer it as a sin offering; but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the lord to make atonement for it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.&#8221;</em></p></blockquote>
<p>In still later times, Azazel is considered a demon, and is occasionally identified as the devil &#8212; or as one of his chieftains.</p>
<p><strong>Kokabel</strong>, or Kakabel, also appears in Jewish folklore as a powerful angel who is in charge of the stars and constellations. He is considered by some to be a holy angel; by others, a fallen one. It is said that he commands 365,000 lesser spirits and teaches astrology to his fellow angels.</p>
<p><strong>Sariel</strong> is known under many names, but this one translates to &#8220;God&#8217;s command.&#8221; Some say he is the angel of death; he is named as the one who retrieved the soul of Moses from Mount Sinai. He is also called by some a &#8220;prince of the presence&#8221; and an angel of healing. His name appears in Gnostic amulets and it is said that when he&#8217;s invoked he manifests in the form of an ox; according to the Cabala, he is one of the seven angels that rule the earth. He is also associated with the skies and is in charge of the zodiac sign of Aries and instructs others on the course of the Moon. In occult circles he is one of the nine angels of the summer equinox and can protect against the evil eye.</p>
<p>What follows is as complete a list of the Watchers&#8217; names as I can find; I will add names as I discover more of them.</p>
<p>1. <strong>Semyaza,</strong> Shemyaza, Semjaza, Semiaza, Samyaza, Shemhazai<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught enchantments and root-cuttings.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>2. <strong>Azazel,</strong> Azazyel, Azaziel<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught men to make swords, knives, shields, breastplates, the fabrication of mirrors and the workmanship of bracelets and ornaments, the use of paint, the beautifying of the eyebrows, the use of stones of every valuable and select kind, and of all sorts of dyes, so that the world became altered.&#8221;</em></p>
<p><em>&#8220;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.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>3. <strong>Amazarak</strong><br />
<em>&#8220;Taught all the sorcerers, and dividers of roots.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>4. <strong>Armers,</strong> Armeros, Armaros<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught the solution of sorcery.&#8221;<br />
&#8220;Taught the resolving of enchantments.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>5. <strong>Barkayal,</strong> Baraqijal, Baraqel<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught the observers of the stars.&#8221;<br />
&#8220;Taught astrology.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>6. <strong>Kokabel,</strong> Kawkabel, Kakabel<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught the science of the constellations.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>7. <strong>Ezeqeel,</strong> Ezekeel<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught the knowledge of the clouds.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>8. <strong>Araqiel,</strong> Arakiel<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught the signs of the earth.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>9. <strong>Shamsiel,</strong> Shamshiel<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught the signs of the sun.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>10. <strong>Sariel,</strong>, Suriel, Zerachiel, Saraquel, Asardel<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught the motion of the moon.&#8221;<br />
&#8220;Taught the course of the moon.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>11. <strong>Akibeel</strong><br />
<em>&#8220;Taught signs.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>12. <strong>Tamiel</strong><br />
<em>&#8220;Taught astronomy.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>13. <strong>Penemue</strong><br />
<em>&#8220;Taught the bitter and the sweet, the use of ink and paper.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>14. <strong>Kasdeja,</strong> Kisdeja<br />
<em>&#8220;Taught 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.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>15. <strong>Gadreel</strong><br />
<em>&#8220;Introduced weapons of war.&#8221;</em></p>
<p>16. Ramuell<br />
17. Danel<br />
18. Azkeel<br />
19. Saraknyal<br />
20. Asael<br />
21. Batraal<br />
22. Anane<br />
23. Zavebe<br />
24. Samsaveel<br />
25. Ertael<br />
26. Turel<br />
27. Yomvael<br />
28. Urakabarameel</p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><em>The many names of the Nephilim</em></span></p>
<p>&#8220;The Nefilim (&#8216;Fallen Ones&#8217;) bore many other tribal names, such as Emim (&#8216;Terrors&#8217;), Repha&#8217;im (&#8216;Weakeners&#8217;), Gibborim (&#8216;Giant Heroes&#8217;), Zamzummim (&#8216;Achievers&#8217;), Anakim (&#8216;Long-necked&#8217; or &#8216;Wearers of Necklaces&#8217;), Awwim (&#8216;Devastators&#8217; or &#8216;Serpents&#8217;). One of the Nefilim named Arba is said to have built the city of Hebron, called &#8216;Kiriath-Arba&#8217; after him, and become the father of Anak whose three sons, Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, were later expelled by Joshua&#8217;s comrade Caleb. Since, however, arba means &#8216;four&#8217; in Hebrew, Kiriath-Arba may have originally have meant &#8216;City of Four,&#8217; a reference to its four quarters mythically connected with the Anakite clans: Anak himself and his &#8216;sons&#8217; Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai.&#8221;<br />
- Robert Graves and Raphael Patai, Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://blog.andrewhastie.com/ancient-civilisations/watchers' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Watchers'>Watchers</a> <small>The Watchers (from Greek egrḗgoroi (ἐγρήγοροι)) or Grigori are a...</small></li>
</ol></p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.andrewhastie.com/myths-legends/the-names-of-the-watchers/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Watchers</title>
		<link>http://blog.andrewhastie.com/ancient-civilisations/watchers</link>
		<comments>http://blog.andrewhastie.com/ancient-civilisations/watchers#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:31:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>andy</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ancient Civilisations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beliefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nephilim]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[watchers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.andrewhastie.com/?p=322</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Watchers (from Greek egrḗgoroi (ἐγρήγοροι)) or Grigori are a group of fallen angels told of in Biblical apocrypha who mated with mortal women, giving rise to a race of hybrids known as the Nephilim, who are also mentioned in Genesis 6:4. The Watchers appear...


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://blog.andrewhastie.com/myths-legends/the-names-of-the-watchers' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The names of the Watchers'>The names of the Watchers</a> <small>According to the Book of Enoch, exactly 200 Watchers fell...</small></li>
</ol>

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <strong>Watchers</strong> (from Greek <em>egrḗgoroi</em> (<em>ἐγρήγοροι</em>)) or <strong>Grigori</strong> are a group of fallen angels told of in Biblical apocrypha who mated with mortal women, giving rise to a race of hybrids known as the Nephilim, who are also mentioned in Genesis 6:4. The Watchers appear in Biblical apocrypha, in the first and second books of Enoch and Jubilees. The word &#8220;Grigori&#8221; derives from the Slavonic <em>Second Book of Enoch</em>.</p>
<p>According to the <em>Book of Enoch</em>, the Watchers numbered a total of 200 but only their leaders are named:</p>
<dl>
<dd><em>And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. And these are the names of their leaders: Sêmîazâz, their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl, Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl, Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl. These are their chiefs of tens.</em> (Enoch 6)</dd>
</dl>
<p>A different idea of the Watchers appears in some traditions of Italian witchcraft where they are said to come from ancient stellar lore: <em>&#8220;In the Italian system, these ancient Beings are called the Grigori. They are the Guardians of the &#8220;doorways&#8221; between the physical plane and that which is beyond. In Italian witchlore, the stars were thought to be the campfires of the legions of the Watchers&#8230;&#8221;</em></p>
<h2><span id="Book_of_Enoch">Book of Enoch</span></h2>
<p>In the Book of Enoch, the &#8220;watchers&#8221; are angels apparently dispatched to Earth simply to watch over the people.</p>
<p>They soon begin to lust for the human women they see, and at the prodding of their leader Samyaza, they defect en masse to illicitly instruct and procreate among humanity. The children produced by these relationships are the Nephilim, savage giants who pillage the earth and endanger humanity. Samyaza and associates further taught their human charges arts and technologies such as weaponry, cosmetics, mirrors, sorcery, and other techniques which were intended to be discovered gradually over time by humans, not foisted upon them all at once. The Greek mythology about Prometheus revealing fire-making to humans without Zeus&#8217;s permission is likely a variant of the same ancient legend, and it is possible also that ancient legends among many cultures about cannibalistic giants and pervasive implementation of magical powers (such as in the tale Jack and the Beanstalk) arise from the same ancient mythology that came to inspire the Books of Enoch. Eventually God allows a Great Flood to rid the earth of the Nephilim, but first sends Uriel to warn Noah so as not to eradicate the human race. Genesis says Nephilim remained &#8220;on the earth&#8221; even after the Great Flood, but Jude says the Watchers themselves are bound &#8220;in the valleys of the Earth&#8221; until Judgment Day. (See Genesis 6:4 and Jude 1:6, respectively)</p>
<p>The &#8220;watchers&#8221; story in Enoch from the sixth chapter Genesis where it describes the &#8220;Origin of the Nephilim&#8221; and mentions the &#8220;Sons of God&#8221; who beget them:</p>
<dl>
<dd><em>When men began to multiply on earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw how beautiful the daughters of man were, and so they took for their wives as many of them as they chose. Then the Lord said: &#8220;My spirit shall not remain in man forever, since he is but flesh. His days shall comprise one hundred and twenty years.&#8221; At that time the Nephilim appeared on earth (as well as later), after the sons of God had intercourse with the daughters of man, who bore them sons. They were the heroes of old, the men of renown.</em> (Genesis 6:1-4)</dd>
</dl>
<p>Here, the &#8220;sons of God&#8221; are given no specific name or function; they could represent fallen angels, heavenly beings that mate with women. The Book of Enoch regards these as the same angels who are referred to as the Benei Ha-Elohim (Eng. Sons of God) in the Book of Genesis. According to this belief their sins filled the Earth with violence and the world was destroyed as a result of their intervention. Later theologians believed the &#8220;sons of God&#8221; to refer to the descendants of Seth and the &#8220;daughters of man&#8221; to refer to the descendants of Cain.<sup id="cite_ref-0"></sup><sup id="cite_ref-1"></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2"></sup></p>
<h2><span id="Other_References_to_the_Watchers">Other References to the Watchers</span></h2>
<p>The <em>Book of Jubilees</em> adds further details about the &#8220;watchers&#8221;.</p>
<p>In the Book of Daniel an Aramaic term used to denote angels is &#8220;watchers&#8221; (`îrîn)<sup id="cite_ref-3"></sup>. The term &#8220;watcher&#8221; probably derives from the verb &#8220;to be awake&#8221; or &#8220;to be vigilant,&#8221; so that the implication of calling the angels &#8220;watchers&#8221; is that they are constantly on watch as sentinels for Yahweh.<sup id="cite_ref-4"></sup></p>
<p>Angels were fairly popular in Jewish folklore, which often describes them as looking like large human beings that never sleep and remain forever silent. While there are good and bad &#8220;watchers&#8221;, most stories revolve around the evil ones that fell from grace when they took &#8220;the daughters of man&#8221; as their mates.<sup style="white-space: nowrap;" title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from May 2009"></sup></p>
<p>In the Old Testament (Daniel 4:13-17) there is reference made to the Irin, or &#8220;watchers&#8221;, which appear to be an order of angels. In early Hebrew lore the Irin were a high order of angels that sat on the supreme Judgment Council of the Heavenly Court.</p>
<p>Richard Cavendish, in his book <em>The Powers of Evil</em>, suggests that the Giants mentioned in Genesis 6:4 were the Giants or Titans of Greek Mythology. He also lists the &#8220;watchers&#8221; as the fallen angels which magicians call forth in ceremonial magic. Cavendish mentions that the &#8220;watchers&#8221; were so named because they were stars, the &#8220;eyes of night.&#8221;</p>
<p>16th Century French theologian Sinistrari referred to the Watchers as beings existing between Humans and Angels. He called them demons and associated them with the Elemental natures of Earth, Air, Fire and Water.<sup id="cite_ref-5"></sup><sup id="cite_ref-6"></sup> Clement of Alexandria, influenced by Hellenistic cosmology, attributed the movement of the Stars and the control of the four elements to angelic beings. Sinistrari attributed bodies of fire, air, earth, and water to these Beings, and concluded that the &#8220;watchers&#8221; were made of fire and air. Cardinal Newman, writing in the mid 1800s, proposed that certain angels existed who were neither totally good nor evil, and had only &#8220;partially fallen&#8221; from the Heavens.</p>
<h2><span id="Partial_List_of_Watchers">Partial List of Watchers</span></h2>
<ul>
<li>Araqiel (also Arakiel, Araqael, Araciel, Arqael, Sarquael, Arkiel, Arkas) <sup id="cite_ref-in_Enoch_I_7-0"></sup> taught humans the signs of the earth. However, in the <em>Sibylline Oracles</em>, Araqiel is referred to not as a fallen angel, or Watcher, but as one of the 5 angels who lead the souls of men to judgement, the other 4 being Ramiel, Uriel, Samiel, and Azazel.</li>
<li>Armaros (also Amaros) in Enoch I taught men the resolving of enchantments.</li>
<li>Azazel <sup id="cite_ref-8"></sup> taught men to make knives, swords, shields, and how to devise ornaments and cosmetics.
<ul>
<li>Gadriel taught the art of cosmetics.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Baraqel (Baraqiel) taught men astrology <sup id="cite_ref-9"></sup></li>
<li>Bezaliel mentioned in Enoch I, left out of most translations due to damaged manuscripts and problematic transmission of the text.</li>
<li>Chazaqiel (sometimes Ezeqeel) taught men the signs of the clouds (meteorology).<sup id="cite_ref-in_Enoch_I_7-1"></sup></li>
<li>Kokabiel (also Kakabel, Kochbiel, Kokbiel, Kabaiel, and Kochab)<sup id="cite_ref-10"></sup>, is a high-ranking, holy angel but, in general apocryphal lore and also in Enoch I, he is a fallen Watcher, resident of nether realms, and commands 365,000 surrogate spirits to do his bidding. Among other duties, he instructs his fellows in astrology.</li>
<li>Penemue <sup id="cite_ref-11"></sup>&#8220;taught mankind the art of writing with ink and paper,&#8221; and taught &#8220;the children of men the bitter and the sweet and the secrets of wisdom.&#8221;</li>
<li>Sariel (also Suriel) taught mankind about the courses of the moon (at one time regarded as forbidden knowledge).<sup id="cite_ref-12"></sup></li>
<li>Samyaza (also Shemyazaz, Shamazya, Semiaza, Shemhazi, Semyaza and Amezyarak) is one of the leaders of the fall from heaven.<sup id="cite_ref-13"></sup></li>
<li>Shamsiel, once a guardian of Eden,<sup id="cite_ref-14"></sup> served as one of the 2 chief aides to the archangel Uriel (the other aide being Hasdiel) when Uriel bore his standard into battle, and is the head of 365 legions of angels and also crowns prayers, accompanying them to the 5th heaven. He is referred to <sup id="cite_ref-15"></sup>as one of the Watchers. He is a fallen angel who teaches the signs of the sun.<sup id="cite_ref-16"></sup></li>
</ul>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://blog.andrewhastie.com/myths-legends/the-names-of-the-watchers' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The names of the Watchers'>The names of the Watchers</a> <small>According to the Book of Enoch, exactly 200 Watchers fell...</small></li>
</ol></p>
<p>Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://mitcho.com/code/yarpp/'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.andrewhastie.com/ancient-civilisations/watchers/feed</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
