Angels-SHEMHAZAI AND AZAZEL

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all have angel lore related to angelic
lust for human beings. Although the basic idea of spirit beings or
demons having sex with human beings is very ancient, Judeo-Christian
speculation on such ideas grew out of two short, obscure verses in
Genesis (6:2 and 6:4) about the “sons of God” taking to wife the
“daughters of men.” In these rather odd verses, “sons of God” is taken
to indicate angels. The traditional interpretation of these passages is
that these sons of God are fallen angels.
One of the Jewish tales flowing out of this theme is the story of
Shemhazai (a variant spelling of Semyaza) and Azazel, a tale which
was adopted in Islam as the story of Harut and Marut. According to
the story, humanity’s inability to avoid temptation and sin prompted
God to consider destroying the world by flood. The angels Shemhazai
and Azazel reminded God that the angels had warned him in advance
about humankind. God responded by asserting that angels would have
failed just as quickly, if not more so, if placed under the same conditions.
In answer to God’s challenge, Shemhazai and Azazel journeyed
to earth to show that angels could do better.
Almost immediately, however, they were overcome by desire for
an attractive woman, and begat horrible giants (later destroyed in the
Flood). Shemhazai repented for his sin, and hung himself upside down
in the sky, where he remains to this day as the constellation Orion.
Azazel, however, refused to repent, and remains on the earth to this
day, encouraging women to wear jewelry and cosmetics in their effort
to lead mortal men into sin.