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controversial issues among serious scholars, and we should maintain open minds as we proceed through the murky mists of the deep past. To understand this astonishing period of prehistory, we need to examine the precedent events as recorded in Genesis 6: "And it came to pass, when men began to multi-ply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose... . "... There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown" (Genesis 6:1, 2, 4). This strange passage describes the bizarre circumstances that led to the cataclysmic disaster of the famous flood of Noah. The Hebrew term translated "sons of God" is, B'nai HaElohim, a term consistently used in the Old Testament for angels.” When the Hebrew Torah, which of course includes the book of Genesis, was translated into Greek in the third century before Christ (giving us what is known as the Septuagint translation), this expression was translated angels."’ With the benefit of the best experts at that time behind it, this translation carries great weight and it was the one most widely quoted by the writers of the New Testament. The Book of Enoch also clearly treats these strange events as involving angels." Although this book was not considered a part of the "inspired" canon, the Book of Enoch was venerated by both rabbinical and early Christian authorities from about 200 B.C. through about A.D. 200 and is useful to authenticate the lexicological usage and confirm the accepted beliefs of the period. The Biblical passage refers to supernatural beings intruding upon the planet Earth. (There are alternative interpretations of this, which we will examine shortly) "The daughters of men" (Benoth Adam, literally "the daughters of Adam") refers to the natural female descendants of mankind. (Notice that no particular genealogical strain is specified.) The errant supernatural "alien" beings apparently mated with human women and produced unnatural, superhuman offspring! The term translated "giants" is from the Hebrew Nephilim and literally means "the fallen ones" (from the verb nephal, to fall). In the Septuagint translation, the term used was gigantes, or "earth-born."" They are also called a Hag Gibborim, the "mighty ones," or "hero," or "chief-man." Apparently these unnatural offspring, the Nephilim, were monstrous and they have been memorialized in the legends and myths of every ancient culture on the planet Earth. (Some of these were highlighted in chapter 2.) The Nephilim also seem to be echoed in the legendary Greek demigods.””* Throughout Greek mythology we find that intercourse between the gods and women yielded half-god, half-man Titans, demigods, or heroes which were partly terrestrial and partly celestial”’ Hercules is but one example. The seductions attributed to Zeus include Thetis, Dione, Leda, Metis, and Europa. 120 THE HEROES OF MYTHOLOGY