Here is your ticket to join us as we discover more and more about the biblical world and its people.Įach issue of Biblical Archaeology Review features lavishly illustrated and easy-to-understand articles such as: We can learn about the society where the ancient Israelites, and later Jesus and the Apostles, lived through the modern discoveries that provide us clues.īiblical Archaeology Review is the guide on that fascinating journey. Get more biblical Archaeology: Become a Member This Bible History Daily article was originally published on November 19, 2014. Not a BAS Library member yet? Join the BAS Library today. When the Sons of God Cavorted with the Daughters of Men
She has also been actively involved in digs at various sites in Israel. and Canada and spent research leaves in Germany and Romania. Michael’s College), formerly the senior editor at the Biblical Archaeology Society, has taught at five universities across the U.S. The juxtaposition of the mighty biblical giants defeated by the underdog, God’s chosen, is foreshadowed in the very name attributed to these characters.Įllen White, Ph.D. In this sense, the Rephaim live up to their name, as their purpose in each narrative is to die. The Rephaim appear in Deuteronomy 2:11 3:11 2 Samuel 21:19 and Joshua 11:22 and almost always take the form of one member of the Rephaim (Anaqim, Og, Goliath) being in opposition with Israel or its representative. If you'd like to help make it possible for us to continue Bible History Daily,, and our email newsletter please donate. This costs substantial money and resources, but we don't charge a cent to you to cover any of those expenses. Our website, blog and email newsletter are a crucial part of Biblical Archaeology Society's nonprofit educational mission It is this second usage that is often conflated with the Nephilim. The second is a term that is applied to races of biblical giants. The first are dead people who have achieved an almost divine status, similar to the concept of Saints.
So where do the names Rephaim and “the dead ones” originate? The first thing to recognize is that these are not two separate titles, but rather a name, Rephaim, and a meaning, “dead ones.” The Bible refers to two groups as the Rephaim. Genesis 6, Ezekiel 32, and Numbers 13 are the only passages that mention the Nephilim by that term. In addition, the name “fallen ones” is likely a reference to their divine paternity transforming-falling-into the human condition, albeit an almost superhuman condition. This was believed because the next verse (Genesis 6:5) is the introduction to the flood narrative and because their name means “fallen ones.” It is unlikely that this interpretation is correct because Genesis 6:4 presents nothing but praise for the Nephilim and no criticism is present. It was once claimed that the mating of the sons of god and the daughters of Adam that resulted in the Nephilim caused the flood, and this caused the Nephilim to have a negative reputation. The Nephilim are known as great warriors and biblical giants (see Ezekiel 32:27 and Numbers 13:33). Genesis 6:1–4 tells the readers that the Nephilim, which means “fallen ones” when translated into English, were the product of copulation between the divine beings (lit. Who are the Nephilim? From where do the “heroes of old, the men of renown” come?
The Nephilim, the product of the sons of god mingling with the daughters of Adam, the great biblical giants, “the fallen ones,” the Rephaim, “the dead ones”-these descriptions are all applied to one group of characters found within the Hebrew Bible. Fallen Angel, 1847, Alexandre Cabanel, CC0, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
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