Quotes from Josephus concerning Giants www.generationword.com
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"For many angels (11-
This notion, that the fallen angels were, in some sense, the fathers of the
old giants, was the constant opinion of antiquity.) of God accompanied
women, and begat sons that proved unjust, and despisers of all that was good, on account of the confidence they had in their own strength;
for the tradition is, that these men did what resembled the acts of those whom the Grecians call giants."
"These kings had laid waste all Syria, and overthrown the offspring of the giants. And when they were come over against Sodom. . ."
"They told them also,
that they found at Hebron the posterity of the giants. Accordingly these
spies, who had seen the land of Canaan,
when they perceived that all these difficulties were greater there than they had met with since they came out of Egypt, they were aftrighted
at them themselves, and endeavored to affright the multitude also."
"For which reason they
removed their camp to Hebron; and when they had taken it, they slew all the
inhabitants. There were till then left the
race of giants, who had bodies so large, and countenances so entirely different from other men, that they were surprising to the sight, and
terrible to the hearing. The bones of these men are still shown to this very day, unlike to any credible relations of other men. Now they
gave this city to the Levites as an extraordinary reward. . "
"A little afterward
the king made war against the Philistines; and when he had joined battle with
them, and put them to flight, he was left
alone, as he was in pursuit of them; and when he was quite tired down, he was seen by one of the enemy, his name was Achmon, the
son of Araph, he was one of the sons of the giants. He had a spear, the handle of which weighed three hundred shekels, and a breastplate
of chain-work, and a sword. He turned back, and ran violently to slay [David] their enemy's king, for he was quite tired out with labor; but
Abishai, Joab's brother, appeared on the sudden, and protected the king with his shield, as he lay down, and slew the enemy. Now the
multitude were very uneasy at these dangers of the king, and that he was very near to be slain; and the rulers made him swear that he
would no more go out with them to battle, lest he should come to some great misfortune by his courage and boldness, and thereby
deprive the people of the benefits they now enjoyed by his means, and of those that they might hereafter enjoy by his living a long time among them. "
"When the king heard
that the Philistines were gathered together at the city Gazara, he sent an army
against them, when Sibbechai the
Hittite, one of David's most courageous men, behaved himself so as to deserve great commendation, for he slew many of those that
bragged they were the posterity of the giants, and vaunted themselves highly on that account, and thereby was the occasion of victory to the Hebrews."
"They had a man who
was six cubits tall, and had on each of his feet and hands one more toe and
finger than men naturally have. Now the person
who was sent against them by David out of his army was Jonathan, the son of Shimea, who fought this man in a single combat, and slew him; and
as he was the person who gave the turn to the battle, he gained the greatest reputation for courage therein. This man also vaunted himself to be
of the sons of the giants. But after this fight the Philistines made war no more against the Israelites."