Introduction
END SUMMARY
We began this chapter with the thesis, drawn largely from the work of Richter, that Matthew was familiar with the sin of the Watchers (the “Enochic template”). The Watchers were blamed for sexual transgression and corrupting humanity with forbidden knowledge. All four women in the genealogy of Jesus are connected in some way with sexual transgression, seduction, and warfare. The connections are both thematic and textual. This can hardly be a coincidence. The effect of their inclusion in the genealogy is to direct readers’ attention to the One to whom the genealogy belongs: the son of Abraham, son of David, from the tribe of Judah, born as the result of a divine-human interaction approved by God for the purpose of repairing the consequences of the proliferation of sin among humankind, a proliferation laid at the feet of the Watchers.
The narrative initially assumes that genealogies, especially those found in the Bible, are generally viewed as tedious. However, it posits that the genealogy of Jesus is unique, setting itself apart from others due to its exceptional features.
This Jesus' genealogy also ties into deep theological concepts, notably the messianic reversal of the sins of the Watchers. This complex connection suggests an intertwined narrative between the genealogy and broader theological concepts, necessitating a deeper level of understanding for readers.
Recent scholarship has begun to delve into this topic, investigating the connections between the sin of the Watchers and Jesus's genealogy. This suggests recent developments in our understanding and interpretation of these biblical complexities.
Matthew's Gospel raises questions through the peculiar inclusion of possibly Gentile women in Christ's lineage. Despite the common presence of women in biblical genealogies, lack of significant Jewish women in Jesus's lineage makes it intriguing.
Different theories have been offered around the inclusion of the four women - Tamar, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Rahab in the genealogy. These range from demonstrating God's grace to sinners, including especially Gentiles, and illuminating the mysterious nature of God's plans.
Not all of these explanations are satisfying, with some being seen as overly speculative. Yet, the author contributes a new perspective that seeks to address this, offering a theory that, while not without its own speculation, might be more grounded in textual and thematic connections.
The new proposed interpretation enjoys the advantage of referencing both the Old Testament and Second Temple Judaic thought. This approach provides a thematic continuity that justifies the inclusion of these women, and keeps each firmly interconnected within the genealogy narrative.
Fixing Watcher-Inflicted Damage
OVERVIEW
Amy Richter, a New Testament scholar, believes that the 'Enochic Watchers Template' offers a better understanding of the representation of women in Jesus's genealogy. This model suggests that evil was birthed when celestial beings, the Watchers, caused humans to sin. Richter says that those aware of Enoch's narrative can comprehend the theological context in Matthew's account of Jesus's genealogy, which illustrates Jesus remedying the Watchers' sins. Women in this genealogy and Matthew's account of Jesus's birth are shown as clues to Jesus counteracting these sins, and unlike the Watchers' promotion of idol worship, Matthew portrays the Magi rightfully worshipping Jesus.
1. Assertion: Amy Richter, a New Testament scholar, maintains that the "Enochic Watchers Template" is key to understanding the women depicted in Jesus's genealogy.
Summary: Richter posits that knowledge of the "Enochic Watchers Template" helps us better understand the depiction of the women in Jesus's lineage.
2. Assertion: The Enochic Watchers Template theorizes that evil came into the world when celestial beings crossed their realm's boundaries to make illicit contact with human women, teaching them forbidden arts.
Summary: This template suggests celestial beings introduced evil to humanity when they crossed boundaries to have illicit relations with human women and teach forbidden arts.
3. Assertion: The transgressions of these celestial beings, or "Watchers", resulted in violence, sin, wickedness, idol worship, and disease, as humans utilized the illicit skills taught by the Watchers.
Summary: The illegal actions of the Watchers (forbidden sexual encounters and teaching illicit arts) led to humanity's involvement in violence, sin, idol worship, and disease.
4. Assertion: Richter claims that readers familiar with Enoch's story of the Watchers' sin would understand the theological approach in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew's Gospel.
Summary: Richter explains that those knowledgeable of Enoch's tale on the sin of Watchers could interpret Matthew's Gospel's genealogy of Jesus.
5. Assertion: Matthew's Gospel presents Jesus as repairing the consequences of the Watchers' fall, which is hinted at in the genealogy and birth narrative of Jesus.
Summary: Matthew's Gospel symbolically shows Jesus addressing the repercussions of the Watchers' sins, alluded to in his genealogy and birth.
6. Assertion: The women mentioned in the Hebrew Bible by Matthew in Jesus's genealogy are seen as undoing the transgressions of the Watchers.
Summary: The women included in Jesus's genealogy, as described by Matthew, are portrayed as reversing the sins of the Watchers.
7. Assertion: In Jesus's birth narrative from Matthew's Gospel, the birth transpires in a way that contradicts the Watchers transgressions, lead to the reversal of evil in the Enochic template.
Summary: The birth narrative in Matthew's Gospel presents Jesus's birth as a counteraction to the sins and evil induced by the Watchers.
8. Assertion: In Matthew, contrary to the Enochic template where the Watchers introduce idol worship to humanity, the first human characters who interact with baby Jesus, the Magi, offer their worship to Jesus, who is the appropriate object of worship.
Summary: The birth narrative in Matthew's Gospel presents the Magi's interaction with baby Jesus as a correction to the idol worship introduced by the Watchers in the Enochic template.
Reversal Typology Specifics
OVERVIEW:
The stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba in Matthew's genealogy can be interpreted as a reversal of the sins committed by 'the Watchers,' as described in Enochic traditions. These women engage in dubious activities such as seduction, beautification, and warfare, similar to the actions attributed to fallen angels, and their encounters with angels and uncertainties about their offspring resonate with the Enochic template. However, these clear connections between the narratives of these women and the Enochic tradition may not be readily understood by English readers due to variations in translation and a lack of familiarity with Second Temple Jewish texts. Therefore, studying ancient Biblical and Jewish texts about these women can provide insights into their inclusion in Matthew's genealogy as they symbolize a messianic reversal of the sins of the Watchers.
1. Assertion: Stories of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus can be seen as a reversal of the sins of the Watchers according to Enochic tradition.
Summarization: The narratives of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba in Matthew's genealogy can be interpreted as a rectification of the sins of the Watchers as described in the Enochic traditions.
2. Assertion: Each engages in illicit activities similar to those taught by the fallen angels; their stories involve elements such as seduction, beautification, and war.
Summarization: The four women all participate in suspicious sexual activities and make use of seduction, beautification, and war, skills attributed to the fallen angels in Enochic tradition.
3. Assertion: The stories also contain elements such as interaction with angels, uncertainties about paternity and nature of their offspring.
Summarization: Their narratives incorporate features of the Enochic template, including liaisons with angels, questions about the fatherhood of their progeny, and doubts about the atypical nature of their descendants.
4. Assertion: Connections between these women and the Enochic template may not be clear to English readers due to differences in translations and unfamiliarity with Second Temple Jewish readings.
Summarization: The correspondence between the stories of these women and the Enochic tradition may be lost on English readers due to translation discrepancies and lack of familiarity with Second Temple Jewish readings.
5. Assertion: Therefore, it is necessary to study ancient biblical and Jewish material about these women to understand why they were included in Matthew's genealogy as symbols of a messianic reversal of the sin of the Watchers.
Summarization: A deeper examination of ancient texts concerning these women can help understand their inclusion in Matthew's genealogy as harbingers of a messianic overturning of the Watchers' transgressions.
Tamar
1. Assertion: Tamar is one of the four women mentioned in Matthew's genealogy in the Bible (Matthew 1:3).
2. Assertion: She is best recognized from Genesis 38 where she deceives Judah into an illicit sexual encounter.
3. Assertion: Judah, the son of Jacob, marries a woman named Shua who births his three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah.
4. Assertion: Tamar is the wife of Er, Judah's firstborn, who is considered wicked and is killed by the Lord.
5. Assertion: Judah insists that his second son, Onan, marries Tamar and continues Er's line, but Onan defies this, leading to his death as well.
6. Assertion: Fearing for the safety of his last son, Shelah, Judah instructs Tamar to remain a widow until Shelah grows up.
7. Assertion: Shua, Judah's wife, dies.
8. Assertion: Tamar deceptively presents herself as a prostitute to Judah who unknowingly sleeps with her and impregnates her.
9. Assertion: Tamar uses his signet, cord, and staff as a pledge for his promise to send a goat as her payment.
10. Assertion: Judah attempts to retrieve his items but is told no prostitute had been there.
11. Assertion: Upon discovering Tamar's pregnancy, Judah plans to have her executed for immorality, until she presents his items and reveals the truth.
12. Assertion: Judah admits his fault for not giving Tamar to Shelah.
13. Assertion: Tamar gives birth to twins, Perez and Zerah, with Perez also being on Jesus' genealogy.
Summaries:
1. Tamar, one of the four women mentioned in Matthew's genealogy, is known for a story in Genesis 38. In that story, she tricks Judah, her father-in-law, into an illicit encounter and becomes pregnant, bearing twins Perez and Zerah.
2. Tamar, identified in Matthew 1:3, is the wife of Judah's first son, Er. Following Er's death, Judah tasks his second son, Onan, to continue Er's lineage through marriage with Tamar, but Onan goes against this. This leads to Onan's death and Tamar waiting to be wed to Judah's last son, Shelah.
3. After the death of Judah's wife, Shua, Tamar tricks Judah into sleeping with her. She gets pregnant, and Judah learns of her trickery when he seeks to punish her for her supposed immorality.
4. The story contains possible links to Canaanite sacred prostitution and the Enochic story of the Watchers.
5. Tamar's actions are seen as related to seduction and illicit practices while Judah's actions mirror those of the Watchers. Literary and linguistic parallels and references are drawn between the story of Judah and Tamar and the Enochian story of the Watchers.
Rahab
- - Working prostitute and gentile—native Canaanite in Jericho → Enochic template of sexual deviance transparent.
- - Warfare, Giants, Angels → the other Enoch template links. Israelites are reversals—or—God reclaiming. Perhaps not "reclaiming" but dominating in it to ultimately eliminate it.
- - Kherem ("devotion to destruction")—dedicated to cities related to Anakim (giants) → Jericho (home of Rahab).
- - Rahab mother of Boaz—links to "giants" where Boaz is called "gibbor"; provides link in Jews/Matthew to giants, which fits the Enochian Template view in geneaology.
- - James and Melʾakı̄m (angels)—ambiguity between "spies" and "angels" from Hebrew preserved in NT. James also uses "received messengers" (i.e., melʾakı̄m) as "model of faith".
Ruth
- - Clearly a gentile, not Jew
- - Moabite—links to Watchers Template → sexual deviance, bloodshed, and idolatry.
- - Illegitimate birth—excluded from Israel based on Qumran reference to Watchers and their offspring (giants, et al).
- - Exposing "feet"—uncovering of Boaz male parts. Opposite of orthodox Jewish means of marriage proposal (male → female). What Ruth does at Naomi's suggestion is illicit. NOTE: No sex is involved!
- - Arts of Seduction—pedagogy of Watchers to human women. Naomi is telling Ruth to do this to win Boaz. Moabites seen as seductress sirens after their men.
- - Mamzēr → "bastard spirits"—Deut 23:2 ref to Watchers offspring applied to David with Ruth as his grandmother. Had to be "explained away" by rabbi's (barred from assembly of the Lord to 10th generation, which would bar David).
- - Compare Orpah Moabitess (Ruth's sister)—"imaginative interpretation" having her as mother of Goliath and his giant brothers. The Babylonian Talmud reads:
- - Exclusion of David due to Ruth—Jews perhaps saw Ruth as “immune” from monstrous offspring due to her conversion to Naomi’s God, or perhaps that David was a marker of messianic things to come—one who would blunt and combat the transgression of the Watchers.
Bathsheba
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- - Sexual Transgression—David's affair with Bathsheba
- - Warfare Template—Uriah as member of army
- - David on Rooftop—akin to Watcher's lusting to spy "the beautiful and comely daughters of men" (1 Enoch 6:1) from above.
- - Choosing Wife—David chooses to bed and wife a woman already given to a man. Shemihazah knows that if he takes a human wife he “shall be guilty of a great sin” (1 En[och] 6:3).
- - In Plain Sight—Why is Bathsheba bathing naked in plain sight of the palace where she knows David is? Azazel taught skills for the beautification of women, the women used them, and made themselves irresistible to angels. 1 Enoch 8:1 insinuates the women are partially responsible for the debacle.
- - Bathsheba became the gebı̄rah, the Queen Mother—not used of Bathsheba directly, but of plenty of other Israelite queens.
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- - Bat-shua—Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam; 1 Chron 3:5 different name: Bat-shua, daughter of Shua; link to Judah Gen 38, Addullumite Hirah, Daughter of Shua, first wife who dies before Judah goes into a prostitute who isn't a prostitute, Tamar (see above).