The Aramaic Watchers

 

The Aramaic Watchers: As a joke I thought I would use the marvel comics "The Watcher" character as the cover of my newsletter.

Watcher (Aramaic, p. עִירִין, iyrin, s. עִיר, iyr; Theodotian trans: ir, from the v.
ur, "to watch"; Heb. er, "being watchful"; Gk. ἐγρήγοροι, trans: egrḗgoroi; Slav. Grigori, "Watchers", "those who are awake"); Chaldean. "Guard", "Watcher"^[3] is a term used in connection with angels. Watcher occurs in both plural and singular forms in the Book of Daniel, where reference is made of being holy. In Apocrypha, the Books of Enoch refer to both good and bad Watchers, with a primary focus on the rebellious ones. In Daniel 4:13, 17, 23 there are three references made to the class of "watcher, holy one" (watcher, Aramaic `iyr, holy one Aramaic qaddiysh). The term is introduced by Nebuchadnezzar who describes how he saw "a watcher, a holy one come down (singular verb) from heaven." The singular verb indicates that "a watcher, a holy one" are two titles for the same being or class of being. Nebuchadnezzar then describes how in his dream the watcher says that Nebuchadnezzar will eat grass and be mad and that this punishment is "by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones" in order that "the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men." After hearing the king's dream Daniel considers for an hour and then responds:

Daniel 4:23, "And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him"

[This verse illustrates the problem with modern translations. The NIV says the king saw a "messenger." The KJV is 400 years old and yet-more accurate to the text than most modern versions. Another problem is "gender neutral" translations-where the Aramaic term "Bar-nasha," meaning "Son of Man" is not properly translated since it is a "sexist" term. So people can no longer know what the Bible says due to political correctness.]

Lutheran Protestant reformer Johann Wigand viewed the watcher in Nebuchadnezzar's dream as either God himself, or the Son of God. He promoted Trinitarian thinking by comparing Dan.4:17: This matter is by the decree of the watchers and tying it to Dan.4:23: this is the decree of the Most High.

Secular scholars view these "watchers, holy ones" as a depiction of Babylonian religion, that is an attempt by the author of this section of Daniel to present Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian gods recognising the power of the God of Israel as "Most High." The version of this dream and its interpretation differs from the Aramaic of the Massoretic Text to the Greek of the Septuagint. For example in the Aramaic text it is ambiguous who is telling the story of verse 14, whether it is Nebuchadnezzar himself, or the watcher in his dream

In the Aramaic Book of Enoch, the Watchers (Aramaic. עִירִין, iyrin), are angels dispatched to Earth to watch over the humans. They soon begin to lust for human women, and at the prodding of their leader Samyaza, they defect en masse to illicitly instruct and procreate among humanity. The offspring of these unions are the Nephilim, savage giants who pillage the earth and endanger humanity. Samyaza and associates further taught their human charges arts and technologies such as weaponry, cosmetics, mirrors, sorcery, and other techniques that would otherwise be discovered gradually over time by humans, not foisted upon them all at once. Eventually God allows a Great Flood to rid the earth of the Nephilim, but first sends Uriel to warn Noah so as not to eradicate the human race. While Genesis says that the Nephilim remained "on the earth" even after the Great Flood, Jude says that the Watchers themselves are bound "in the valleys of the Earth" until Judgment Day. (See Genesis 6:4 and Jude 1:6, respectively)

The chiefs of tens, listed in the Book of Enoch, are as follows:

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7. And these are the names of their leaders: Sêmîazâz, their leader, Arâkîba, Râmêêl, Kôkabîêl, Tâmîêl, Râmîêl, Dânêl, Êzêqêêl, Barâqîjâl, Asâêl, Armârôs, Batârêl, Anânêl, Zaqîêl, Samsâpêêl, Satarêl, Tûrêl, Jômjâêl, Sariêl. 8. These are their chiefs of tens." - R. H. Charles translation, Enoch, The Book of the Watchers, Chapter VI.

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The book of Enoch also lists leaders of the 200 fallen angels who married and commenced in unnatural union with human women, and who taught forbidden knowledge. Some are also listed in Book of Raziel (Sefer Raziel HaMalakh), the Zohar, and Jubilees.

http://aramaicherald.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-aramaic-watchers-as-joke-i-thought.html