(urth) Original Sin and pagan gods.

[Chris]

While it's difficult to produce references from an oral tradition, granted, 
there isn't much reason to believe otherwise. As you note the stories were 
regarded as ancient, and with a consistency that tends to indicate an origin 
that was not recent at the time.

Also a useful general source (I forget who it was that was raising 
etymological points about "nefilim"):

http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=24&letter=F



>On 8/9/06, Chris <rasputin_ at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Just wanted to throw in there that the idea of fallen angels mating with
> > human females to beget giant children is not really a matter of 
>translation,
> > it's part of Jewish myth that goes back at least as far as the written 
>text.
>
>"At least?" Now, how would we know that? The earliest place such a myth
>is likely to be documented is in one Talmud, which dates to ... well, 
>depends
>on whether you're talking about Mishnah or Gemarah, but in any case, well
>after the time of Christ. Figure the redaction of Genesis at the
>fourth or fifth
>century BC, and you've got between six and eight hundred years.
>
>Mind, the stuff in the Mishnah was generally considered "ancient" at the 
>time
>it was compiled, but unless you know of a reference rather older than that,
>I have trouble with the claim that these myths go "at least as far back as 
>the
>written text."
>
>--
>Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, writer, trainer, bon vivant
>-----
>http://www.livejournal.com/users/sturgeonslawyer
>"Shovels are essential to the fantasy genre.
>However, they are primarily used by the authors rather than the
>characters." -- Stephen R. Donaldson
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