The honour and shame of Enoch's angels : a comparison between a watcher and an archangel

Abstract

The ancient Near Eastern social values of honour and shame are textually portrayed through the behaviour and beliefs of characters in a narrative. An example of the narrative and textual portrayal of these social values is made evident in a critical reading of the Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36), based on the values identified by John Pilch and Bruce Malina (1998:xv-xxix), in order to compare the models of honourable and shameful behaviour as portrayed by a watcher (Semjaza), and by an archangel (Michael). This comparative reading shows that the values of the ancient Near Eastern people are represented in narratives of religious texts, and are embodied by the deities in whom they believed. This demonstrates the ancient cultural conceptions of the duality of honour and shame as portrayed by a fallen angel and an archangel, respectively; and shows the consequences of honourable and shameful actions.