Power Under Heaven: The Ethics of Rule in Biblical Giants
What if the Bible's "giants" were never the point?
Power Under Heaven: The Ethics of Rule in Biblical Giants is a halachically grounded exploration of Nephilim, Rephaim, Watchers, Og, and Goliath that keeps ethics at the center and spectacle on a leash. Writing in a scholar-rabbi's cadence, Menachem Clausen follows the classic Jewish order of learning-Tanakh → Chazal and mefarshim → Zohar/Arizal (carefully) → Second Temple literature (as non-canonical context) → ANE languages & archaeology → modern science as analogy-so curiosity serves covenant, not the other way around.
Across Genesis, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Samuel, Daniel, and the prophets, "giants" emerge as a mirror: of abused office, fear-making speech, and cultures that mistake renown for righteousness. Babel becomes a case study in speech/power homogenization; Daniel's "Watchers" humble kings rather than license angelic biography; kabbalistic images are welcomed with the fences our sages modeled.
Inside you'll find:
A clear reading of Genesis 6 that centers human accountability and ḥamas over mythology.
Og and Goliath measured by peshat first, with aggadah for mussar, not for anatomy.
Zohar and Lurianic frames (middot, shevirah/tikkun) taught as moral pedagogy.
Responsible engagement with 1 Enoch, Jubilees, and the Qumran "Book of Giants" (context, not canon).
Philology and ANE parallels (e.g., Rephaim/rpum) that clarify language without importing foreign theologies.
Contemporary echoes in tech, platforms, and policy-where "men of name" still stride.
Who it's for: students of Tanakh and Jewish thought; rabbis and educators; readers of Bible-and-ancient-world studies who prefer sources over sensationalism; anyone seeking awe with guardrails.
Promise of the book: You will finish with a larger reverence for Torah, a cooler eye for spectacle, and a sturdier ethic for wielding power-at home, in shul, and in public life.
Non-canonical works are clearly labeled; editions are reputable; citations are meticulous. Power Under Heaven teaches how Israel reads fearsome tales into faithfulness-and why the surest answer to giants is still justice, kindness, and a humble walk with God.
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