CHAPTER IV – ENVY

CHAPTER IV �" ENVY

 

            Now it happened that mankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and more daughters were born to them. The angels of heaven became attracted by the beauty of the daughters of men, and their burning desires for them grew lustier with each passing moment. While the watchers were documenting the events of humanity, Azazel said to Samyaza, “Look how they have become their own makers, with the potential to create beings like themselves”. Samyaza replied, “Indeed, but unfortunately their years are also limited". With an envious tone of voice Azazel said, “Ah! The power to create and destroy, to love and to hate" Then, he starts complaining and said, "Humanity has it all, I tell you. As for us watchers, what do we get? The dreary function of watching humanity evolve. Don’t you ever fantasize about what it would be like to make love to a woman" Samyaza replied, “This occasion was once made available to me, not so long ago." "By whom?" asked Azazel. Samyaza replied, "The Queen”. Azazel skeptically said, “You what, you met the Queen in person. And she offered you the opportunity, and you refused”. Samyaza replied, “Yeah! You hear the rumors about the Queen, there's always a catch with her. She promises to do one thing, but at the end she does another. Besides I didn't want to upset heaven and end up in hell like Lucifer”. Azazel tried making Samyaza feel, as if he had committed a grave error by not accepting Lilith's offer. “What’s the worst that could happen? Lucifer sinned and he ended up having his own dominion. The earth is now filled with sinners, and as you can see, apart from being mortal, their existence has turned out to be more appealing than ours. As far as the Queen, well, she’s the Queen,” said Azazel. The archangel Azazel was successful in convincing Samyaza to seek out the Queen. The adventurous pair left behind their posts and eagerly sought her assistance. At the entrance of the seventh heaven, they found Lilith patiently waiting, as if she was expecting them. “I’ve been looking forward to your coming, Sam” said Lilith. It turns out that Lilith had already recruited Azazel to her cause, but she needed Samyaza, the leader of the watchers to join, because she knew that once the leader joins, the rest of the Grigori group would blindly follow.

            Together, the trio left the heaven realms and went down to earth. Once they appeared on earth Lilith said, “Welcome, to my adventure playground". Azazel excitedly said, “We want to be humans! We want to be humans!”. Then Samyaza said, “We'll pledge our fealty to you, if you make us human. We want to be able to marry, and have children, but we don’t want to lose our immortality, nor our divine knowledge. And we certainly don‘t want to end up in hell”. Lilith replied, “Ah. I see. Given that you're already angels, I can’t transform you into human beings, lest you be reincarnated at birth" In a discouraging tone of voice she then said, "You don't want to experience the tedious process of childhood. You want to have fun now. What I can do is, expressly grant you an interim body, so that you could immediately enjoy all the goods humanity has to offer”. As soon as she was done saying all this, a glowing light shrouded the archangels, and suddenly their halo and wings completely dissolved. When the illumination was gone, they became smaller in sizes. Samyaza and Azazel were formally corporeal. They stared blankly at each other in astonishment and said, “Wow,” as they examined their new forms. Lilith said, “Enjoy, when these carcasses can no longer sustain life, I'll give you another one”. The two former archangels were very pleased with the results, so they happily went out of Lilith’s presence. Samyaza and Azazel were very enthusiastic, though they were uncertain as to where to go, or what to do next. Glancing down at a small settlement that was set on a foothill, Samyaza and Azazel saw that people, were fleeing in terror, and so they went down to investigate further. As they were approaching near the village, everyone else was running away from it. “Run, men, run for your lives!” shouted a man, as the rest of the masses' stampeded away. “What…what’s going on” stammered Samyaza. The man didn't even stop. He kept on running as hurriedly as he could.

            Moments later, Samyaza and Azazel found themselves facing a forty-three foot long, twenty-five feet tall bipedal carnivore, wielding a massive skull, with rows of lengthy curving teeth, and an extensive tail. The reptilian terrorist had well developed a voracious appetite for human flesh. While the villagers were scattering, Samyaza and Azazel directly confronted the maleficent beast, who lets out a thunderous roar. The beast lunges forward, powerful jaw open wide. Samyaza scrambles into one direction, but Azazel can't go anywhere. His foot is stuck between two dead branches. He dexterously manages to free himself just in time as the beast approaches. He dives down between two fallen trees. Laying flat on his back, Azazel lets out a terrified gasp, as the enormous foot of the beast lands across the two trunks, mere inches from his face. After an intense battle, they overpowered and killed the tyrannosaurus. The settlement was safe now, all thanks to them. Azazel and Samyaza became heroes among the villagers. The villager came to them and said, “Where did you come from? How can we repay you? My friends come”. Although, the battle was intense, Samyaza, and Azazel didn't consider themselves as heroes, surely not worthy of so many commendations. Azazel said, “We came from the north,” Then Samyaza said, “We, in fact, need to get going”. The man imploringly said, “Stay, please, I'm Enoch, chief of the village. Let some water be brought, wash your feet and rest yourselves". Enoch shouted, "Ishtar, Atta came out” Then two women walks out of a nearby tent. As soon as Azazel and Samyaza saw them, the two felt as if the entire universe had abruptly halted. Ishtar and Atta were two of the most beautiful women they had ever seen. “Ready the house to accommodate our visitors. Tell your mother to prepare a delicious feast and bring us some wine” said Enoch. As Ishtar and Atta began serving them their wine, the men couldn't help themselves, but to stare at them in admiration. The women were also beautifully drawn to them. They were strikingly more handsome, and braver than all the other men in the land. Later, Samyaza and Azazel became permanent residents of that settlement, and it was not long before they took the daughters of Enoch as wives. The people never knew of the true origin of the two men. Azazel taught the villagers the art of metalwork, weaponry and warfare, while Samyaza made use of his divine knowledge, to teach them the mystical usage of herbal medicines. Particularly, nine herbs charm which is intended for treatment of poison and infection. And it was so.

            The city of Enoch became very modern comparing to the other villages. Prior to Cain's departure, he worked industriously to hold the city and its citizens to a higher standard. And now with the substantial contribution of Azazel and Samyaza, Enoch became a city of commerce. Where the merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls are sold. Fine silk garments, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, incense fragrant oil. Every kind of object of the most precious wood, bronze, iron and marble could widely be found there. After Enoch died, Cain’s grandson, Lamech, became the leader of the city. He took for himself two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the other was named Zillah. Adah bore him two sons, Jabal, who became a shepherd, and Jubal, who was a musician. They were twins. As for Zillah, she also bore Lamech two children, the eldest, a son named Tubal-Cain, and a daughter named Naamah. Tubal-Cain became a great warrior and an instructor of every artisan in bronze and iron. Soon he became one of the most prominent figures in his father’s monarchy, even though he was the third heir to the throne. As it turns out, Tubal-Cain was an adept blacksmith, a warrior, and a skilful necromancer. After the inspiring transformation of Samyaza and Azazel, more angels came to Lilith for the same phenomenon, and so she gave all that came human shapes, as a whole their sum was three hundred. They named themselves Nephilim.

            The Nephilim built themselves a great city on earth, which they named Hazor. The city of Hazor is virtually an exact replica of the city of angels. The city had twelve foundations, and the city laid foursquare, the length as large as the breadth and measuring twelve thousand furlongs. The length, the breadth, and the height of the wall is equal. It measured thereof one hundred forty-four cubits, and it was built of jasper. All types of precious stones added the finishing touch to the foundations. The first foundation was made of jasper; the second sapphire; the third a chalcedony; the fourth emerald; the fifth sardonyx; the sixth sard; the seventh chrysolite; the eighth beryl; the ninth topaz; the tenth chrysoprase; the eleventh jacinth; and the twelfth amethyst. On each of the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl; and the streets were made of gold. Due to the various seasons on earth, Hazor was built to some degree different than its heavenly counterpart. The palace was sixty cubits in length; its width was twenty, and its height thirty cubits. The vestibule of the palace was twenty cubits long, running across the width of the house and the width of the vestibule, which extends ten cubits from the front of the palace. The windows were reinforced with beveled frames. Against the wall of the palace, were chambers all around, and all around the shelter, and the inner sanctuary. The lowest compartment was five cubits wide; the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits large. Narrow ledges wrapped around the outside, so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls. The doorway leading to the middle story was on the right side of the palace, where one went up by stairs from the middle to the third story. The side chambers precisely measured five cubits high, and are attached to the palace with cedar beams. The inside walls of the palace are also built with cedar boards. From the floor of the palace to the ceiling, they paneled the inside with fine wood, and they covered the floor of the palace with planks of cypress.

            Then the Nephilim built a twenty cubit room at the rear of the palace, using cedar boards from the floor to the ceiling. The inside of the palace was of cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. The inner shelter was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. They overlaid it with gold. To commemorate their origins, the Nephilim then made two cherubim statues of olive wood, both cherubim were of the same size and shape, each measuring ten cubits high. Then they set the statues inside the inner room. They extended the wings of the cherubim, so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. Their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. They also overlaid the cherubim statue with gold. And then the Nephilim sculpted all the walls of the palace, both the inner and outer walls, with sculptures of Cherubim, palm trees, and flowers. The city was unlike any other cities on earth, as it was built on top of the highest peak of a mountain called mount Hermon. The captivating city was the largest and the most advanced city on earth. Once the city is complete their leader Anak said, "Come, let us choose us wives, from among the children of men and beget us children"

            Hence, the Nephilim went to the cities of mankind to choose the most beautiful wives for themselves. Fascinated by the lavishness and splendors of the city, the women referred to it as a refined paradise. Since all the treasures of the earth were made available to them, the women did not yearn for their past habitats. Trade relationships quickly thrive between the city of Enoch and Hazor. General merchandises such as gold and silver, precious stones, silk linen, and pearls are exchange daily. Furthermore, all fine woods, and all types of vessels of ivory, of brass, and of iron, and of marbles, cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, everything could commonly be found in the marketplace. Hazor maintained great relationships with its surrounding neighbors, and the people lived there in peace. Just as humans have special talents and abilities and each is unique, so too the angels were unique. The Nephilim used their special gifts and abilities to properly educate mankind in the arts of astrology, meteorology, and the mysteries of magick. Humankind stopped looking to the heavens for assistance, since all the mysteries of the universe were being revealed to them by the Nephilim. That was when, humanity truly began having dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moved upon the earth. Although, the Nephilim had been angels, they didn't have any abnormalities, they fit well into mankind's civilized society.

            However, once they begot children with the daughters of men, their offspring became an abomination upon the earth. Some of them were giants; measuring more than eighteen feet tall. The descendants of Anak were called the Anakim, also known as the mighty men of old, men of renown. Others were human beings with wings who were capable of flying; called Emim or the fearful ones, and then there were the amphibious ones who called themselves the Leviathans. The Leviathans are completely fearless beasts. Their backs have rows of shields tightly sealed; each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted. Their snorting throws out flashes of light; their eyes are like the rays of dawn, firebrands stream from their mouths. Smoke pours from their nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds, their breaths sets coals ablaze, and flame darts from their mouths. Their superior strength resides in their necks; dismay flee before them. The folds of their flesh are tightly joined; they are firm around and immovable, their chests are hard as diamonds. When they rise up, the mighty are utterly terrified; they retreat before their thrashings, the swords that eventually reach them have no effect, nor does the spears; the arrows and the javelins. Weapons made of iron are treated like straws; bronze like rotten wood, and catapults do not make them flee; sling-stones are like chaff to them. They laugh at the rattling of the lance; a club seems to them but a breeze. Their undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. They make the depths churn like a boiling cauldron, and stir up the sea like a pot of ointment.

            On account of their physical deformities, the children of the Nephilim could not properly adapt to the human societies. As the descendants of the Nephilim grew in numbers, humankind became more fearful of them, and resentments surfaced. One particular incident further affected the already fragile relation between the humans and the descendants of the Nephilim. It was about an Emim boy named Icarus and a young human girl named Naamah. Icarus was a rare hybrid; he was born half-human, half-angel, and despite the animosity that exists between their different species, Icarus and Naamah became great friends. One day, when Icarus grew his final outer layers of plumes, which enabled him to fly, he got a pleading request from his girlfriend Naamah to take her flying around. Now, in the matters of flying, the young neophyte could barely stay above the trees by himself, let alone capable transporting another passenger. Even so, Naamah was rather persistent. Icarus said to her as he tried to gain his equilibrium “Hang on tightly to me”. The young couple joyfully navigated through the clear blue sky. As Icarus began to gain more confidence in his new ability to fly, he started to take riskier twists and turns. “Let’s go over there,” said Naamah, pointing towards a nearby cascading river. As the adventurous pair made their descent toward the water, Icarus decided to fly behind the lengthy waterfall. In the heat of excitement, Naamah reached out to take a swipe at the pouring water. And while doing so, Icarus’s wings got wet, and the amateurish navigator lost control. Icarus tried grabbing her while she was free falling, but sadly his efforts were in vain. And Naamah fell two hundred feet to the unyielding boulders below and died.

            When Icarus came back to Naamah’s village with her lifeless body, the villagers were outraged. The tearful Icarus desperately tried explaining to them what took place, but the grieving mob refused to hear. Instead, they gathered into a belligerent crowd. Acknowledging what the masses had become, Icarus flew away to safety, and vowed never to return. As the Nephilim elders were passing away, their descendants became more influential in affecting the destiny of Hazor, and so the relationship between Enoch and the city of Hazor was rapidly deteriorating. Alas, Anak, the last of the original Nephilim clan, died. Prior to him passing away, his only wish was that humanity could continue to coexist peacefully alongside his descendants, the same way his generation had done. The Leviathans and their leader Dagon selfishly believes, that since the earth was largely composed of water, and that they were amphibious beings, they could claim the entire earth exclusively as their own. Therefore, they wanted to exterminate all human beings. The Leviathans would have engaged in their wicked plans, if the Anakim clan had not had directly confronted Dagon, and interceded for mankind. As a result, the Leviathans cast aside their malevolent agenda, or so it appeared.