Giants

There's an odd passage in Genesis 6:

Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward— when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.

I had the peculiar thought today that this might reflect an ancient oral tradition based on encounters (not necessarily sexual) between modern men and Neanderthals. A quick search of Google reveals my lack of originality in this, but I do wonder. One quick note is that the Hebrew word Nephilim (נְפִילִים — often translated "giants"), can also mean “monster” or “deformed.”

This can be compared to the Biblical flood, which is often associated with the filling of the Black Sea, c. ~5600 BCE. Archaeological evidence suggests that Neanderthals survived in the middle east until 40,000 years ago, and may have survived in western Europe until 24,000 years ago.

Peace