Author Description

Lavishly illustrated with dozens of full-color images. From the caves of Qumran came a scroll given the name, “The Book of Giants.” It is thought to have been based on The Book of Enoch, a pseudepigraphical Jewish work from the 3rd century BCE, which was based on Genesis 6:1-4. The Book of Giants, like The Book of Enoch, concerns itself with the Nephilim, which, in the Enoch version, are the offspring of human women and fallen angels, who are called the Watchers. When the angels saw the beauty of the daughters of men they broke their allegiance to heaven, descended to Earth, and married the women, and thus fathered giants. The Book of Giants fills in details about the Nephilim, giants and their offspring that the Book of Enoch is lacking. Indeed, there has been a theory put forth that the Book of Giants was actually part of the Book of Enoch at one time. The text relates how the giants, named Ohya, Hahya and Mahway, sons of the fallen angels, were compelled to dream. In these dreams, they foresaw the Biblical Deluge, and their own demise. There is dialog concerning the futility of fighting God or his angels, even though they could conquer any human alive. Seeing their coming fate, they sought to enlist the help of Enoch. The mention of Enoch and the storyline referencing the patriarch places The Book of Giants firmly in the list of “Enochian” texts. This version of Enoch 1 has the Book of Giants inlayed within The First Book of Enoch to allow the reader to see how the two texts could have indeed been one at some point. This version takes the reader's understanding to the next level with cross referencing of biblical passages that support the writings of Enoch, cross referencing of popular non-canonical texts like The Book of Jubilees and The Book of Jasher, a breadth of historical context, and illustrations that act as visual guides for the reader's imagination.