Semyaza

Semyaza, also spelled Semjaza or Shemyaza, is a figure from Hebrew apocrypha, chiefly the Book of Enoch. In 1 Enoch he is described as the leader of the Watchers, a group of fallen angels who descended to earth to observe humanity.

According to the narrative, Semyaza and about two hundred other angels swore an oath to forsake their heavenly station and to take wives from humankind. They taught humans forbidden arts and knowledge—sorcery, astrology, metallurgy, cosmetics, and other skills—and their union with humans produced the Nephilim, a race of giants who disrupted the earth.

When God learned of the transgression, he commanded the archangels to intervene. Semyaza, as the leading figure, and the other Watchers were bound and imprisoned, often described as being cast into darkness and chained beneath the earth, to await the day of judgment.

Scholars emphasize that Semyaza’s role is primarily as the chief instigator of the Watcher rebellion, and his name has appeared in various spellings across translations, such as Semjāzā, Semiyazā, and Shemyaza. Outside the Book of Enoch, the figure has influenced later demonological and apocalyptic traditions, where he is sometimes treated as a fallen angel or demon associated with the sin of the Watchers.