David R. Jackson
He resembles the satan of Job 1-2 and Zech 3:1-6 in that he is the accuser and
opponent of God's elect. He also conforms to the "evil spirits" of 1 Sam 16:14,
18:10-11, 19:9 (cf. 1 Kings 22:22-23;^2 Chron 18:21-22) who are "sent by God"
(Jub 49:2-4). Like the scene in Dan 10:20-11:1, he faces off against the angelic
defenders of God's elect (Jub 17:16-18:12; 48:2) and must be bound and re
strained by the Lord and his angels to protect the elect (48:15,18). His work is
destruction akin to the violence and bloodshed of the prediluvian giants.
But he is also, like Shemikhazah and 'Aza'el, a leader stepping forth from the
number of these half-angel demons and an enemy of God. As the Watchers
who sinned had a leader, so now the demons have a leader — also with two
names, Belial (1:20; 15:33) and Mastema (10:7-8), which seem to be inter
changeable labels of abhorrence.
The ongoing work of the demons after the flood is understood to be
the prime cause of Gentile idolatry, associated with the three sins of "forni
cation," "impurity," and "injustice/violence" (Jub 7:20-24, 27-28; 9:14-15;
20:1-6; 23:14-17; 33:18-20; 50:4-5)-
In Noah's generation the exemplar is replicated as his sons separate from
each other, which is a prelude to violence (Jub 7:26-27). Noah reminds them of
Enoch's warnings (w. 38-39). Kainan reads the inscription left by the Watchers
and proceeds to cross the boundary of endogamy, marrying a Japhethite (8:5).
The boys then need the intervention of Noah and the angels to rightly divide
the earth, but the demons move in (chap. 10). Consequently we find Noah's
offspring replicating the violence of the prediluvian giants (11:2-6).
Jubilees made it clear that the demons have power over the Gentiles
but not over Israel (15:28-32). If an Israelite crossed the boundary of ethnic
purity, the Israelite crossed into the demonic domain and could not return.
For those pious, God-seeking Israelites who found themselves in exile, the
homeless patriarchs and Israel's experience in Egypt set hopeful precedents.
They rightly belong within the boundary. They have the option to "come
home." If they do, they place themselves beyond the reach of the demons,
but that return involves placing themselves within the boundaries defined
by the Enochic paradigm as interpreted by Jubilees. Any Israelite who chose
to remain outside that boundary would be lost.
When Jubilees explicitly states that 'Aza'el was sent by God to teach
helpful things to humans (Jub 4:15), and that the crossing of boundaries oc
curred subsequently, he may not (at least not substantively) have changed
the original account in the Enoch books he had to hand.^15 This may not be a
- See discussion in Reed, Fallen Angels, 35-36, noting the tension already present in