Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity: The Reception of Enochic Literature [Hardcover]

Annette Yoshiko Reed (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2005

In the Book of the Watchers, an Enochic apocalypse from the third century BCE, the "sons of God" of Gen 6:1-4 are accused of corrupting humankind through their teachings of metalworking, cosmetology, magic, and divination. By tracing the transformations of this motif in Second Temple, Rabbinic, and early medieval Judaism and early, late antique, and Byzantine Christianity, this book sheds light on the history of interpretation of Genesis, the changing status of Enochic literature, and the place of parabiblical texts and traditions in the interchange between Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Reed has written a superb piece of scholarship. In my experience it is rare for someone to be able to examine such a diversity of texts with such impressive skill and insight. ... It is really an excellent, impressive contribution." James C. VanderKam, The University of Notre Dame

"Excellent ... the difficult task of tracing the complex interaction between Judaism and Christianity over time is done with sophistication.... Anyone interested in the Book of Watchers, the development of the Enochic literature, or the complex development of Judaism and Christianity needs to interact with this significant study."
The Catholic Historical Review, Kevin Sullivan

Book Description

This book considers the early history of Jewish-Christian relations through a focus on the fallen angels. The book of Genesis tersely refers to "sons of God" marrying "daughters of men" in the days before the Flood. The nature of their sins is explored in the Book of the Watchers, an apocalypse from the third century BCE, written in the name of Enoch. This apocalypse accuses the fallen angels of corrupting humankind through their teachings of metalworking, cosmetology, magic, and divination. Wayward angels are here blamed for the very origins of evil on the earth.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521853788
• ISBN-13: 978-0521853781
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,572,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Annette Yoshiko Reed is M. Mark and Esther K. Watkins Assistant Professor in the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania; she is part of the core faculty of the Department of Religious Studies, as well as a member of the Jewish Studies Program and Graduate Group in Ancient History. After undergraduate studies at McGill University (BA 1997) and graduate studies at Harvard Divinity School (M.T.S. 1999) and Princeton University (M.A. 2001; Ph.D. 2002), Prof. Reed taught in the Department of Religious Studies at McMaster University until 2007, when she joined the Penn faculty. Her research spans Second Temple Judaism, early Christianity, and Jewish/Christian relations in Late Antiquity. Particular areas of interest are angelology and demonology; the redeployment of Second Temple Jewish traditions in late antique Judaism and Christianity; and the parallels and overlaps between Jewish and Christian self-definition in Late Antiquity. In much of her work, these issues are addressed through a focus on biblical interpretation -- broadly construed to include the composition and reception of parabiblical literature, the transmission and translation of biblical texts, the formation of canons, and the creation of historiographical systems based on biblical narratives. She is the coordinator of the Philadelphia Seminar of Christian Origins, as well as one of the co-chairs, with Zuleika Rodgers, of the Society of Biblical Literature's Hellenistic Judaism Section and a member of the Editorial Board of the book series Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism, published by Mohr Siebeck.

Customer Reviews

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0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars 63 dollars for an ebook really amazon??, December 27, 2011

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KARINA (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity (Kindle Edition)

I am highly insulted that after spending a ridiculous amount of money on a kindle that I have to spend 63 dollars to read this book in digital format! This is highway robbery! sixty three dollars for a digital book??? I think I need to ship my kindle back considering that every book I want to purchase for it is much cheaper in the original paper edition. What a ripp off