Language:
English
Year of publication:
2021
Titel der Quelle:
Henoch
Angaben zur Quelle:
43,2 (2021) 294-322
Keywords:
Talmud Bavli. Commentaries
;
Myth in rabbinical literature
;
Myth in post-biblical literature
;
Angels in rabbinical literature
;
Demonology in rabbinical literature
Abstract:
The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the origins of demons pre-sented in the Babylonian Talmud against two backgrounds: (1) the “default”Talmudic teachings on the origins of angels, monsters, and ghosts and (2) theEnochian myth of the fallen angels furnished by the apocrypha and pseude-pigrapha. The quantitative and qualitative scrutiny performed in the frame-work of the Elyonim veTachtonim project shows that the majority opinionhas it that it is the godhead who is responsible for the creation of everybeing. Yet, several accounts (b. Eruvin 18b, b. Sanhedrin 109a, b. Yoma 67b,b. Niddah 61a) are insinuating that the demons are begotten by humans in-teracting with other demons or angels. These observations suggest that thesages knew the Enochian myth but tried to suppress it to differentiate fromthe adherents of other religious traditions and to maintain an image of theall-powerful deity.
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