CHAPTER XXII THE FALL OF THE ANGELS [26A. i.] "AND [ The first editions read: “It is written: ‘And Adam,’” etc.] Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and he begat in his own likeness after his image" (Gen. 5:3). Hence thou mayest learn that Cain was not of Adam's seed, [ See supra, pp. 150 f., for the statement that Cain was the offspring of Eve and Sammael. The Scripture text seems to have afforded ground for the distinction which the Rabbis and others drew between Cain and Seth: “And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare Cain, and she said, I have acquired a man (child) from the Lord” (Gen. 4:1). Concerning Abel the Bible states, “And she continued to bare his brother Abel” (ibid. 2), without adding any further qualification as in the case of Cain. With reference to Seth the text says, “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and he begat in his own likeness after his image, and he called his name Seth” (ibid. v. 3). The fifth chapter of Genesis begins afresh the history of Adam’s offspring, but omits all reference to Cain, whose descendants are mentioned in ch. iv. The Pal. Targum to Gen. 5:3 adds: “but before Eve had borne Cain, who was not like to him” (i.e. Adam).] nor after his likeness, nor after his image. [ The words “likeness and image” are not mentioned in the story of Cain’s birth. The first editions add: “neither did his deeds resemble those of Abel his brother.” Cain inherited the nature of Sammael, the angel of Death, and became a murderer.] (Adam did not beget in his own image) [ The words in brackets are not in the text.] until Seth was born, who was [ The first editions add: “of his seed.”] after his father Adam's likeness and image, [ The first editions add: “and his deeds were similar to those of Abel his brother.”] as it is said, "And he begat in his own likeness, after his image" (ibid.).
Rabbi Simeon [ The first editions read: “Ishmael.” Our MS. agrees with the Midrash Haggadol, c. 117, and the Oxford MS. (O.A. 167). Dr. Büchler observes: “Also in the text of the Talmud Ishmael and Simeon are very frequently interchanged.”] said: From Seth arose and were descended [ The first editions add: “all the creatures.”] all the generations of the righteous. [ See supra, p. 151, note 5, for this paragraph. There is probably some confusion in the texts here. “The generations of the righteous” are the offspring of Seth mentioned in Gen. 5; and “the generations of the wicked” are the offspring of Cain enumerated in Gen. 4 See Ẓohar, Gen. 35b, and Gen. Rab. 23:1. Pal. Targum to Gen., loc. cit., adds: “And Cain was cast out; neither is his seed enumerated in the ‘Book of the generations of Adam.’”] From Cain arose and were descended all the generations of the wicked, who rebel [ The expression is based on Ezek. 20:38.] and sin, who rebelled against their Rock, [ Cf. infra, p. 341. The expression is often used to denote God as Creator. The first editions read: “The Omnipresent.” The Oxford MS. (O.A. 167) and the Midrash Haggadol, loc. cit., read: “their Creator.”] and they said: We do not need the drops of Thy rain, [ Cf. Job 24:13. The Midrash applies this chapter of Job to the generation of the Flood. See Gen. Rab. 31:2.] neither to walk in Thy ways, as it is said, "Yet they said unto God, Depart from us" (Job 21:14).
Rabbi Meir said: || The generations of Cain went about stark naked, [ Pal. Targum on Gen. 6:2 says: “And the sons of the great saw that the daughters of men were beautiful… walking with naked flesh”; cf. Job 24:10, and Grünbaum, op. cit. pp. 75 ff.] men and women, just like the beasts, [ See Jubilees iii. 30, 31 and cf. ibid. vii. 16, for a strong protest against nudity. See also Jalḳuṭ, Deut. § 945; and cf. Brüll, Trachten der Juden, pp. 4 ff. The fact that our book protests so strongly against the immodest vogue which probably obtained at the period and in the place where the author lived might point to the “origin” of our book, if we could only locate the fact referred to. One is apt to think of the vagaries of certain classes of recluses who belonged to the Christian Church and led solitary lives in the deserts of Egypt. Thus, in the Paradise of the Holy Fathers (ed. Budge, vol. i. p. 242), we read of the Abba Bessarion, who “wandered hither and thither like one possessed; in the season of frost he went naked.” In the Jalḳuṭ quoted above, the passage states (on the text, Deut. 32:21, “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God”): “this refers to those who come from Barbary (or Mauretania) who walk naked in the street.” See also Siphrê, Deut. § 320. Have we an echo of the warnings against incest referred to in Jubilees xxxiii. 10 ff.? and cf. ibid. xli. 25–26. See also Schatzhōhle, pp. 14 f.] and they defiled themselves with all kinds of immorality, a man with his mother or his daughter, or the wife of his brother, [ For Rabbinic references to the subject see T.B. Synhedrin, 58a; and cf. T.B. Jebamoth, 63b. See also T.J. Jebamoth xi. 1. 11d, Gen. Rab. 18:5, and Siphra, Ḳedoshim x. 11.] or the wife of his neighbour, in public [ See Ẓohar, Gen. 60b. The first editions omit: “or the wife of his neighbour”; they read: “in secret and in public with evil inclination,” etc.] and in the streets, with evil inclination which is in the thought of their heart, [ Cf. Gen. 6:5.] as it is said, "And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great [ The quotation ends here. The first editions continue as in our version. “Rabbi” mentioned in the next paragraph is R. Jehudah, the Prince.] in the earth" (Gen. 6:5).
Rabbi said: The angels who fell [ These “fallen angels” were called Nephilim (the fallen ones). “Giants” is the usual rendering of this term. On the angels, cf. supra, pp. 46, 99; and infra, pp. 193 f. These angels who fell from heaven are not mentioned by name in our book, but they are named Shemchaẓai and Uẓẓiel in Pal. Targum to Gen. 6:4, and also in the Azazel Midrash in Jellinek’s B.H.M. iv. pp. 127 f.; see Jeraḥmeel, pp. 52 ff., also Deut. Rab. xi. 9, and Ẓohar, Gen. 46b, 47a. The source of the legend is the Book of Enoch; see Introduction. On the names of the angels, see Brüll, Jahrbücher für Jüd. Gesch. i. 147 f., where the reference to our text must be corrected.] from their holy place in heaven saw the daughters of the generations of Cain [ See Nachmanides (in Gen. in loc.), who quotes our text.] walking about naked, with their eyes painted [ See Pal. Targum, Gen. 6:2; and cf. Gen. Rab. 26:7, and Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 44, quoting Midrash Abkhir.] like harlots, and they went astray after them, [ See Pal. Targum in loc.; and cf. Tanna de bê Elijahu Rab. 31 p. 158.] and took wives from amongst them, as it is said, "And the sons of Elohim [ The R.V. renders, “the sons of God.” The Targum gives “the sons of the nobles” (or the “mighty”) in the sense of “angels.” Our MS. quotes the second half of this verse only, the first editions quote the first half of the verse.] saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose" [ The Pal. Targum renders: “And they took to themselves wives of all who pleased them.”] (ibid. 2).
Rabbi Joshua [ The first editions add: “ben Ḳorchah.”] said: The angels are flaming fire, as it is said, "His servants are a flaming fire" (Ps. 104:4), and fire came with the coition of flesh and blood, but did not burn the body; [ Cf. Paul’s expression, “burned in their lust one toward another” (Rom. i. 27). On the “sin of the angels,” see the Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan) 111. iv., which gives a very interesting version, denying the possibility of “angels… committing sin with human beings”; and see Recognitions of Clement, iv. 26, and Methodius, Discourse on the Resurrection, vii.] but when they fell from heaven, from their holy place, their strength and stature (became) like that of the sons of men, and their frame was (made of) clods of dust, as it is said, "My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust" (Job 7:5).
Rabbi Zadok said: From them were born the giants (Anakim), [ On the Anakim “giants” see T.B. Soṭah, 34b, and Gen. Rab., loc. cit.] who walked with pride in their heart, [ The first editions read: “with high stature.” Cf. Wisdom xiv. 6.] and who stretched forth their hand to all (kinds of) robbery and violence, and shedding of blood, [ Cf. Job 24:14.] as it is said, "And there we saw the Nephilim, [ See supra, p. 160, note 2.] the sons of Anak" (Num. 13:33); and it says, "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days" (Gen. 6:4).
Rabbi Joshua [ First editions add: “ben Ḳorchaḥ.”] said: || The Israelites are called "Sons of God," [ On “Sons of God” in Gen. 6:2 see LXX, Aquila, and Pesh.; and Philo, de Gigant. 2, i. M. 1. 263, C.W. ii. 6 ff. p. 44, and other references given by Charles on Jubilees v. 1. See also Wisdom ii. 13, 15.] as it is said, "Ye are the sons of the Lord your God" (Deut. 14:1). The angels are called "Sons of God," as it is said, "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7); [ See Jubilees v. 1. The LXX version of Job 38:7 is interesting as a parallel to our author’s interpretation of the “sons of God.” “When the stars were made, all my angels praised me with a loud voice.” See also the Targum to Job in loc.] and whilst they were still in their holy place in heaven, these were called "Sons of God," as it is said, "And also after that, when [ The MS. and the first editions give only part of the verse.] the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them; the same became the mighty men, which were of old, men of renown" (Gen. 6:4). [ The angels whilst in heaven were the sons of “Elohim”; when they fell and sinned they lost their right to this designation. Men may rise by virtue and holiness and become worthy of being called “the sons of Elohim.”]
Rabbi Levi said: They bare their sons and increased and multiplied [ See Gen. Rab. 36:1 and Lev. Rab. 5:1. Luria holds that this dictum of R. Levi has been interpolated here from Gen. Rab. loc. cit.] like a great reptile, six children at each birth. [ See infra, p. 174; and cf. T.B. Berakhoth, 6a.] In that very hour they [ The offspring.] stood on their feet, and spoke the holy language, and danced before them like sheep, as it is said, "They cast their young like sheep, and their children danced" (Job 21:11).
Noah [ The Book of Adam and Eve (ed. Malan), loc. cit., offers a close parallel: “But Noah preached repeatedly to the children of Cain, saying, ‘The flood will come and destroy you, if we do not repent.’ But they would not hearken to him; they only laughed at him.” See also Gen. Rab. 30:7, Tanna de bê Elijahu Rab. 15 p. 74, the Book of Jashar v. 22 ff., Midrash Agadah, Gen. p. 18, and T.B. Synhedrin, 108b. See also Ephraim, on the Repentance of Nineveh (E.T. p. 34), for the refusal of the people to repent at the bidding of Noah. The Church Fathers speak of Noah as a preacher. See Methodius, Banquet of Ten Virgins, x. 3. and cf. Hippolytus, A.N.C.L. vi. pp. 492 f.] said to them: Turn from your ways and evil deeds, so that He bring not upon you the waters of the Flood, and destroy all the seed of the children of men. [ See Rabbinic Philosophy and Ethics, pp. 39 f., and Wisdom x. 4.] They said to him: Behold, we will restrain ourselves from multiplying and increasing, so as not to produce the offspring of the children of men. What did they do? When they came to their wives they spilled the issue of their seed upon the earth [ The Oxford MS. (O.A. 167) reads: “And the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they had corrupted their way.” See R.V. Gen. 6:12.] so as not to produce offspring of the children of men, as it is said, "And God saw the earth, and behold it was spilled" (Gen. 6:12). They said: If He bring from heaven the waters of the Flood upon us, behold, we are of high stature, and the waters will not reach || up to our necks; [ “Water up to the neck” is an expression of extreme peril; cf. Isa. 8:8, xxx. 28; Ps. 69:2.] and if He bring the waters of the depths against us, behold, the soles of our feet can close up all the depths. What did they do? They put forth the soles of their feet, and closed up all the depths. [ See Pal. Targum on Gen. 7:10, T.B. Synhedrin, loc. cit., and infra, p. 167.] What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He heated the waters of the deep, and they arose and burnt their flesh, and peeled off their skin from them, as it is said, "What time they wax warm, they vanish; when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place" (Job 6:17). Do not read thus ("When it is hot," בחֻמו), but (read) "in his hot waters" (בחמימיו). [ The Hebrew could be interpreted as meaning “anger.” The later editions add: “The Parashah (Portion) of Bereshith (Gen. 1:1–vi. 8) is completed.” These words are highly significant. They seem to indicate that our book was intended originally to be a Midrash on the Torah, and as it is now preserved it is but a fragment of what it might have been. The “Portion” of Genesis is not to be identified with the “Book” of Genesis. The question of the triennial cycle of reading the Torah must also be borne in mind in dealing with our book. The narrative dealing with the Adam legends recurs three times: (1) Chapters III.–V., (2) Chapters XI.–XIV., and (3) Chapters XVIII.–XXII. Thus far in the first twenty-two chapters of the book we have only covered the first six chapters of Genesis. The first two chapters were biographical, and apart from them, the actual Midrash of twenty chapters may be subdivided as follows: Chapter XVI. and XVII. seem out of place in this scheme. A considerable portion of this chapter and the one following occurs in the Midrash Haggadol. Several parallels are to be found in Leḳach Ṭob, Midrash Agadah, and Aggadath Bereshith.]