**Sons of God** (_B'nai HaElohim_, בני האלהים) is a phrase used in Levantine Bronze and Iron Age texts to describe the "divine council" of the major gods. **The term "sons of God"** In the pantheon of 2nd millennium [Ugarit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugarit)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Ugarit) the [El](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_%28deity%29)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/El_%28deity%29), the father-god and head of the pantheon, and the 70 "sons of El", make up a "Divine Council" which deliberates over major decisions. In the 1st millennium the El had been demoted and each of the "sons of El" was held to have been given a "nation" as his charge: [Chemosh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemosh)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Chemosh), for example, was the god of Moab. Yahweh, not originally included in the Ugaritic pantheon, was the God of Judah and of Israel. In the [Book of Genesis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Genesis)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Book_of_Genesis), Yahweh is seen as the single deity, with "sons of _elohim_" as his assistants. By the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC further hypotheses were developed to explain this passage in Genesis. One hypothesis was that the sons of God were the descendants of [Seth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Seth), the pure line of [Adam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_%28Bible%29)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Adam_%28Bible%29), and the "daughters of men" as the descendants of [Cain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cain)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Cain). In the Hebrew Bible the phrase "sons of God" occurs: - Gen 6:2 _b'ney ha-Elohim_ (בְנֵי־הָֽאֱלֹהִים) sons of the God. - Job 1:6 _b'ney ha-Elohim_ (בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) sons of the God. - Job 38:7 _b'ney elohiym_ (בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִֽים) without the definite article - sons of gods. - Psalm 29:1 _b'ney elim_ (בְּנֵי אֵלִים ) without the definite article - sons of elim. **New Testament** John 1:12, when speaking of Jesus, says "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:". **Ugaritic origins** In Ugaritic one cognate phrase is _bn 'il_. This may occur in the [Ugaritic Baal cycle](http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ugaritic_Baal_cycle&action=edit&redlink=1)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Ugaritic_Baal_cycle). Scharbert assigns the text to later editorial activity, whereas Westermann claims that the text of Genesis 6 is based on an [Ugaritic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugaritic)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Ugaritic) [urtext](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urtext)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Urtext). - KTU² 1.40 demonstrates the use of _bn il_ to mean "sons of gods". - KTU² 1.65 (which may be a scribal exercise) uses _bn il_ three times in succession: _il bn il / dr bn il / mphrt bn il_ "El, the sons of gods, the circle of the sons of gods / the totality of the sons of gods." The phrase _bn ilm_ "sons of the gods" is also attested in Ugaritic texts. As is the phrase _phr bn ilm_ "assembly of the sons of the gods". **History of interpretation of Genesis 6** **Second Temple Judaism** In [1 Enoch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Enoch)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/1_Enoch) and [Book of Jubilees](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Jubilees)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Book_of_Jubilees) the Genesis 6 text was developed into a complicated mythology of [fallen angels](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_angel)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Fallen_angel). The 3rd century BC [Book of Enoch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Enoch)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Book_of_Enoch) turns the "sons of God" into fallen angels, referred to as [Watchers](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watcher_%28angel%29)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Watcher_%28angel%29), who came to earth and had children with human women, resulting in a race of half-angel, half-human beings known as the "Giants" ([Nephilim](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephilim" \o "Nephilim)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Nephilim)). The view is found in [Philo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Philo) and in [Josephus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephus)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Josephus) Antiquities 1:73 (or 1:3.1). In the 1st century, CE Rabbi [Shimeon ben Yochai](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimon_bar_Yochai)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Shimon_bar_Yochai) pronounced a curse on any Jew teaching the Enochite interpretation, and, later [Trypho the Jew](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Martyr)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Justin_Martyr) rejected the interpretation. This was followed by [Rashi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashi)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Rashi) and [Nachmanides](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachmanides)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Nachmanides). Some commentators on Luke 20:34-36 believe that [Jesus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Jesus) was also familiar with the Enochic interpretation, and can be counted with Shimeon ben Yochai, since Jesus rejected that angels could marry and in the same passage equated the "sons of God" with humans. **Early Christianity** The pseudepigraphic [Epistle of Barnabas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_of_Barnabas)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Epistle_of_Barnabas) 4:3 appears to accept the Enochic version. As do [Justin Martyr](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Martyr)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Justin_Martyr), [Eusebius](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eusebius)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Eusebius), [Clement of Alexandria](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_of_Alexandria)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Clement_of_Alexandria), [Origen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origen)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Origen) and [Commodianus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodianus)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Commodianus). Against this first [Julius Africanus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Africanus)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Julius_Africanus), then [Augustine](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Augustine) in [_City of God_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_God_%28book%29)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/City_of_God_%28book%29) argued that the sons of God were the descendants of [Seth](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Seth), the pure line of [Adam](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_%28Bible%29)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Adam_%28Bible%29), and the "daughters of men" as the descendants of [Cain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cain)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Cain). Some manuscripts of the [Septuagint](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Septuagint) have emendations to read "sons of God" as "angels" in Genesis 6. [Codex Vaticanus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Vaticanus)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Codex_Vaticanus) contains "angels" originally. In [Codex Alexandrinus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Alexandrinus)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Codex_Alexandrinus) "sons of God" has been erased and replaced by "angels". The [Peshitta](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshitta)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Peshitta) reads "sons of God". The 5th century Christian work [_Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_of_Adam_and_Eve_with_Satan)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Conflict_of_Adam_and_Eve_with_Satan) follows this view. **Contemporary Christianity** Among the churches which teach that the "sons of God" were fallen angels today are [Jehovah's Witnesses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses). Among the churches which teach that the "sons of God" were men are the [Catholic Church](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Catholic_Church) and many [Churches of Christ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churches_of_Christ)[(SP)](http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Churches_of_Christ).