Michael Heiser — Theological Critique

Dr. Michael Heiser (1963–2023) was a biblical scholar and the most influential theological critic of Zecharia Sitchin's work. He held a PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic Languages and was a specialist in the divine council worldview of the Old Testament.

Heiser's Key Criticisms

1. The Divine Council — Heiser argued that the biblical "sons of God" (bene elohim) were a divine council of spiritual beings created by Yahweh, not extraterrestrial Anunnaki
2. The Nephilim — Heiser argued that the Nephilim were the offspring of fallen angels (not Anunnaki) and human women
3. Elohim — The Hebrew word elohim means "spiritual being" or "god," not "extraterrestrial astronaut"
4. Translation — Heiser accused Sitchin of mistranslating key Hebrew and Sumerian terms
5. Unseen Realm — Heiser's book The Unseen Realm (2015) presented an alternative supernatural worldview

See Also

• Anunnaki Vs Nefilim — The distinction
• Old Testament — The Old Testament
• Mainstream Assyriology — Academic criticism
• Translation Disputes — Translation disputes