Elioud

Lore & Background

In the Book of Jubilees, the Elioud are described as the offspring of the Nephilim, who themselves were born from the union of Watchers (angels) and human women. The text recounts a cycle of violence: the Giants slew the Naphil (Nephilim), the Naphil slew the Eljo (Elioud), and the Eljo slew mankind. This internecine conflict contributed to the earth being filled with iniquity, leading to the flood.

Accounts vary on the precise genealogy. In some readings of non-canonical texts, the Nephilim are the direct children of angels and human women, while in others, angels and human women produce the Gibborim, and the Nephilim are children of the Gibborim and human women. This ambiguity extends to the Elioud, who in some Greek manuscripts of 1 Enoch are said to be brought forth by the Naphelim, themselves brought forth by giants.

The texts that use the term 'Elioud' are non-canonical in modern Rabbinic Judaism, Western Christianity, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, but are considered canonical by Oriental Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and Beta Israel Jews.

Reader's Guide

The Elioud represent a key element in the antediluvian mythology that explains the origin of wickedness leading to the flood. Their inclusion in the Book of Enoch and the Book of Jubilees provides a detailed genealogy of hybrid races, contrasting with the more ambiguous reference to Nephilim in the canonical Book of Genesis. The tradition surrounding the Elioud highlights a theological dispute: early Christian and Jewish communities accepted these texts as scripture, but by the 4th century, a view that angels could not engage in sexual intercourse led to their omission from the Western Christian and Rabbinic Jewish canons. The Elioud thus serve as a marker of divergent canonical traditions, particularly between Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and other major branches. Their legacy also illustrates the complexity of interpreting ancient fragments, as the Book of Giants—found among the Dead Sea Scrolls—may reference them, but no complete version exists, and surviving fragments are in six archaic languages. The Elioud's story underscores how non-canonical texts preserve alternative cosmologies and genealogies that challenge literal readings of Genesis.

Did You Know?

• The Elioud are also transliterated as Eljo.
• In the Book of Jubilees, the Eljo are said to have slain mankind.
• Some Greek manuscripts of 1 Enoch describe the Elioud as a race brought forth by the Naphelim.