If you liked my first big thread on the Nephilim, I think you will love my book on the subject--Giants: Sons of the gods. Most of the material for the thread can be found in a paper I've uploaded to the Reformed Fringe at https://t.co/7cVOhAfuVN. The book is also available there

21/21 Note 2: On Sethite view origins, see Doedens’ article: https://t.co/baJwMY3qTY. Also, Rabbis cursing Christians see Segal’s Two Powers in Heaven: (available at the internet archive).

20/21 Note 1: On the universal angelic view of Gen 6:1-4, see Reformed scholar Jaap Doedens’ dissertation: https://t.co/0WcNVbDVCI #Genesis6

19/21 Christians must rethink Gen 6:1-4’s supernatural view, tied to Jesus as THE unique eternal creator only-begotten Son of God. Rabbis’ changes aimed to obscure this. It worked like a charm. Christians have taken the bait hook, line, and sinker. #BibleDebate #Christology

18/21 NT texts (Jude 6, 2 Pet 2:4, 1 Pet 3:18-20, etc.) allude to Gen 6:1-4’s angelic view, citing 1 Enoch positively. Sethite view was the novelty and therefore faces massive historical burden of proof, esp. in light of Rabbinical anti Christian origins. #NewTestament #Nephilim

17/21 They likely didn’t realize they echoed a Rabbinic polemic. The antisupernatural view spread fast, eclipsing 400 yrs of universal unchallenged angelic interpretation. #ChurchHistory #Genesis6

16/21 All Christians held angelic view until 4th c. Then, some adopted “Sethite” view (sons of God = Seth’s line). Augustine & Chrysostom called angelic view “absurd” (Hom Gen 22.6). Theodoret called people "mad fools" (Questions on Genesis XLVII). #SethiteView

15/21 Rabbis’ changes countered Christian use focus on Jesus as the Son of God (John 10:36, Ps 82:6). A calculated move to block conversions. Church Fathers knew they were doing this. (Justin, Dialogue 71; Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.21.1.) #Polemics #EarlyChristianity

14/21 Justin Martyr (155–160 AD) noted Jews cursed Christians in synagogues (Dialogue 96.2). Rabbis banned two-powers believers, linking Gen 6’s “sons of God” to Christ’s claims and esp. John's multifaceted two-powers apologetic of Jesus as the God of Israel in OT. #JustinMartyr

13/21 Rabbis’ 2nd c. birkat haminim (“blessing, or malediction, of the heretics”) cursed Christians as heretics, targeting “two powers” theology (Sifre Deut 379) which had to be militantly stamped out. Gen 6’s angelic view was part of this polemic. #BirkatHaminim #AntiChristian

12/21 Rabbis cut 650 yrs from Gen 11 genealogies (LXX vs. MT), making Shem = Melchizedek possible, countering his angelic role in Qumran texts (11Q13). Aimed at Christ’s priesthood and Christ himself! Very sneaky. VERY evil! #Melchizedek #Genealogies

11/21 Deut 32:8’s “sons of God” became “sons of Israel” in Rabbinic texts (2nd c.). They literally changed the wording! This erased divine council links to Jesus as eternal creator YHWH-Son inheriting nations (v. 9). #TextualVariants #Deuteronomy32

10/21 Rabbis also altered Ps 82:1’s literal text: “divine council” became “assembly of the mighty” (Aquila, 2nd c.). “Gods” (elohim) became “judges,” stripping supernatural context tied to Christology. This was unknown prior to 2nd c. Rabbis. #DivineCouncil #Psalm82

9/21 Rabbis kept Gen 6:4’s Hebrew Nephilim but changed “sons of God” to “rulers” in translations (Symmachus, 170 AD: “oi uioi tōn dunasteuontōn”). “Nephilim” (LXX: giants) reinterpreted as “fallen ones.” Bye bye supernatural! #TextualHistory

8/21 First time ever: Rabbis (2nd c.) reinterpreted “sons of God” as “nobles,” not angels. Simeon ben Yohai cursed the angelic view (Gen Rabbah 26:5). A shift to demythologize, likely against Christians. Ponder with how Jesus spoke about their grandfathers. #SonsOfTheDevil

7/21 Early church also universally saw the Gospel's demons (i.e. unclean spirits) as Nephilim disembodied spirits, not fallen angels. Justin, Athenagoras, & others tied Gen 6 giants’ souls to unclean spirits (Mark 3:11). Got it from OT Rephaim texts. #UncleanSpirits #EarlyChurch

6/21 Athenagoras (2nd c.): “Some angels…fell into impure love of virgins…begotten…giants…The souls of the giants are the demons” (Plea to Christians 24-25). We have DOZENS more! #Demons #Nephilim

5/21 Ambrosius (4th c.): “Scripture…asserts that [giants] issued from angels and women” (On Noah and the Ark 1.3.8). Universal view: Nephilim were giants. #ChurchHistory #Genesis6

4/21 Pseudo-Clement (2nd-3rd c.): “Angels…partook of human lust…fell into cohabitation with women…giants; demons bound in flesh” (Hom 8.13-17). Nephilim’s souls = demons! #BiblicalInterpretation

3/21 Irenaeus (2nd c.): “In Noah’s days [God] brought the deluge to extinguish that infamous race…since angels…commingled with them” (Against Heresies 4.36.4). Giants from angels! #EarlyChurch