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Milestone Documents of World Religions, Second Edition

Book of Enoch: Document Analysis

by Mary A. Afolabi

ca. 300–100 bce

“And now, the giants, who are produced fom the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling.”

Overview

The book of Enoch is an ancient religious work that presents esoteric wisdom and examines the origin of sin, blending ancient Jewish history and Christian-like views. It was probably written in either Hebrew or Aramaic and perhaps in both languages. It survives, however, in an Ethiopic language called Ge’ez, while fragments of the book exist in Greek and Latin. Scholars agree that the five portions of the book were written over a period of perhaps two centuries, from 300 to 100 bce, most probably in or around Jerusalem by the Essenes, a Jewish sect. These texts were then compiled into a single work, often referred to today as 1 Enoch, to distinguish it from 2 Enoch, which survives only in the Old Slavonic language, and 3 Enoch, which was written in about the fifth or sixth century ce.

The book of Enoch is one of the apocryphal books of the Bible. Apocrypha, a Greek word meaning “hidden,” “esoteric,” or “of questionable authenticity,” refers to books that were never included in the official Bible because they were not considered divinely inspired or because they were of spurious or unknown origin. Additionally, biblical scholars refer to the book of Enoch as pseudepigraphical, meaning that although the book is ascribed to a Hebrew patriarch—in this case, Enoch—scholars generally agree that the book’s five sections were each written by different authors.

The book is significant because it is one of the most extended early examples of apocalyptic literature. The word apocalyptic in modern times is generally taken to refer to catastrophic end-of-the-world events, but in biblical studies the word refers to literature that presumably reveals ancient, secret, mysterious wisdom, often about the future but sometimes about past events. The book of Enoch looks back to take as its reference point the story of Noah’s Flood, as recounted in the book of Genesis, and explores such issues as the fall of the angels, the origin of sin in the world, judgment, and the nature of heaven and hell. In this way it resembles, for example, Revelation (the last book of the New Testament) rather than a more historical book such as any of the Gospels or Genesis itself, in the Old Testament.

It is believed that the book of Enoch was held in high regard for at least five hundred years, revered by the Jews and early Christians, but that it lost this status among some Hebrew and Christian theologians because of its controversial discussion of the fallen angels as the origin of sin. It was thus excluded from the official Christian canon at the Council of Laodicea in about 364 ce. Consequently, the book of Enoch was lost for a thousand years, until it was discovered in 1773 by the Scottish explorer James Bruce in Ethiopia, where it had been saved and kept alongside other books of the Bible.

Context

The historical context in which the book of Enoch was written is referred to as Second Temple Judaism. This period began with the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem in 520–516 bce (the First Temple having been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 bce) and ended with the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 ce. This was a time of important changes in Judaism. In particular, it was during this period that the Hebrew Bible was assembled. As such, it marked the roots of what came to be called rabbinic Judaism, which originated in the teachings of the Pharisees, who stressed the need for critical interpretation of the Jewish Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. This form of Judaism emphasizes the study of the Talmud—the record of rabbinic discussions of law, philosophy, customs, traditions, and ethics—and debate regarding the theological and legal issues it raises.

The Second Temple period was also a time of considerable turmoil in Jerusalem and the Middle East. After Alexander the Great died in 323 bce, the Greek empire broke into three regions: the Syrian portion, ruled by the Seleucid Dynasty; the Egyptian portion, ruled by the Ptolemaic Dynasty; and Greece proper, including Athens, Sparta, and other city-states. Jerusalem fell under the Ptolemies of Egypt. Matters changed, however, in 198 bce, when the Seleucids, led by King Antiochus III, defeated the Ptolemies and assumed control of Palestine. His successor, Antiochus IV, felt that the Seleucid position was weak; the Ptolemies were a continuing threat, as was the Roman Empire. Further, he believed that the Jews of Palestine were resistant to the imposition of Greek culture. In fact, to the Greeks, the Jews were an alien culture, particularly because the Jews were monotheistic, meaning that they believed in a single deity; in contrast, the Greeks were polytheistic, meaning that they believed in a panoply of gods and goddesses. For their part, however, the Jews of Palestine admired the Greeks, particularly the value they placed on education and intellectual pursuits. The Hebrew Torah was translated into Greek in the third century bce, and this Greek version came to be called the Septuagint, named after the seventy rabbis who carried out the translation. Jewish culture and the Hellenic culture of the Greeks were becoming intertwined.

Matters were complicated by divisions among the Jews. On the one hand, some Jews in the empire became entirely Hellenized—that is, they adopted the dominant Greek culture. They spoke Greek, sent their children to Greek schools, and adopted Greek customs and traditions. In contrast stood traditional Jews, who maintained their religious beliefs as well as the culture and traditions they had inherited from the time of the patriarchs. But making matters tenser, beginning in the third century bce, a division emerged within the group of traditional religious Jews. On one side of this division were the Sadducees, who did not accept the divinity of the oral Torah, or the religious revelations Moses had acquired on Mount Sinai that were not written down. The Sadducees accepted only the written Torah, which they interpreted literally, even when the laws of the written Torah were obscure, even incomprehensible. They believed that God has no concern with the activities of humans and, in particular, has no concern about whether any human activity is evil. They regarded any choice between good and evil as a choice made by humans. They did not believe in the immortality of the soul or in punishment or rewards in an afterlife. On the other side of the division were the Pharisees, who followed traditional, orthodox teachings and accepted the truth of the oral Torah. The Greek overlords in Palestine found the “modern-thinking” Sadducees more compatible than the stodgy Pharisees.

Matters worsened again in the late second century bce, when the Hellenized Jews enlisted the support of Antiochus IV in an effort to Hellenize all Jews in the empire—in effect, to destroy traditional Judaism. What followed was a kind of reign of terror (as described in the biblical book of Maccabees). Antiochus seized control of the Temple; tried to eliminate the Jewish calendar; forbade the observance of the Sabbath, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and other major Jewish holy days; and outlawed studying the Torah and keeping the Old Testament’s kosher dietary laws. Copies of the Torah were burned, and the Temple was defiled by pagan sacrifices. Antiochus also forbade the practice of circumcision. Jews were forced to eat pork, and those who refused were tortured. Altars to the Greek god Zeus were constructed in the villages. Being a high priest at the Temple became a political appointment, and because the Sadducees were more Greek than Jewish, they were appointed to the highest positions in the priestly class—and accordingly became corrupt.

Ultimately, mainstream Jews—that is, the traditional Jews and Pharisees who were not Hellenized and did not have any rapport with the Greeks—revolted. A rebel army called the Maccabees seized control of parts of Palestine, reasserted their traditions, and reduced the influence of the Greeks. After Judas Maccabee’s victory in the revolt, the Jews rededicated the Temple in 165 bce, an event celebrated in Jewish tradition as the festival of Hanukkah. It is in this historical context that the book of Enoch examines the origin of sin and comments obliquely on the corruption of the priestly class.

About the Author

As noted, the book of Enoch is one of the most prominent pseudepigraphical books. Although it was ascribed to Enoch, it was most likely written by several unknown authors over a two-century period. The scrolls are traditionally identified with the ancient Jewish sect called the Essenes, though some recent interpretations have challenged this association and argue that the scrolls were penned by priests, Zadokites (Sadducees), or other unknown Jewish groups. The Essenes lived throughout Palestine in their own communities, and they are believed to have founded a small community in Khirbat Qumran, just off the northwestern coast of the Dead Sea. They are considered to be responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls. The attribution of the book to Enoch at the time was likely intended to place the book within the patriarchal tradition and thus give it more credence and weight. The Enoch of the Bible supposedly lived approximately seven hundred years before the Flood, when, according to the Old Testament, most of earth’s physical features had not been formed—so the mention of mountains tends to disprove that Enoch wrote the book.

Nevertheless, the book is attributed to the Hebrew patriarch Enoch, whose biography is found in the Bible in Genesis 5:21–24. Enoch was the seventh descendant from Adam. His father was Jared, and at the age of sixty-five he became the father of Methuselah, the oldest man to live on earth. He was also the great-grandfather of Noah, the only man who lived among a wicked generation and was saved from the flood that destroyed the earth. Enoch lived on earth for 365 years and did not die like his predecessors but was taken up to heaven.

Time Line 520–516 bce ▪ The Second Temple is built in Jerusalem. 323 bce ▪ Alexander the Great dies, leaving the Roman Empire to break into three competing regions. ca. 300–200 bce ▪ The Hebrew Torah is translated into Greek. ca. 300–100 bce ▪ The book of Enoch is written. 198 bce ▪ The Seleucids, led by King Antiochus III, defeat the Ptolemies and assume control of Palestine. 167 bce ▪ Antiochus IV begins persecution of the Jews in Palestine. 165 bce ▪ The Second Temple is rededicated after the success of the Maccabean revolt. ca. 364 ce ▪ The book of Enoch is excluded from the Christian Bible by the Council of Laodicea. 1773 ▪ James Bruce, a famous Scottish traveler, obtains copies of the book of Enoch in Ethiopia and takes the copies to Europe. 1947–1956 ▪ Fragments of the book of Enoch are found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The story of Enoch in the Bible is very short, consisting of only three verses, but reference is made to him in two other books of the New Testament. In Hebrews 11:5 he is mentioned among the fathers of the faith, and he is quoted as referring to God’s judgment of “ungodly sinners” in the one-chapter book of Jude, verses 14–15. The question raised by this quotation is whether Enoch actually left a book behind or whether the quote is from some other source such as oral tradition. From the very short story of Enoch in the Bible and the tribute to him in Hebrews, it is understood that Enoch lived a righteous life and God rewarded him by taking him into heaven.

Explanation and Analysis of the Document

The book of Enoch consists of five parts: “Book of the Watchers,” “Book of Parables” (or the “Similitudes of Enoch”), “Astronomical Book” (or the “Book of the Heavenly Luminaries”), “Book of Dream Visions” (or just “Book of Dreams”), and “Epistle of Enoch.” The section reproduced here is the “Book of the Watchers,” beginning with Chapter VI. These thirty chapters describe the fall from heaven of the two hundred angels known as Watchers, so called because they were to watch over human affairs without interfering. These angels each make a decision to take wives from the daughters of men on earth because these daughters are beautiful. Their resolve is to defile these women and have children by them. After taking an oath on Mount Hermon, they carry out their plan, but this action is to spell doom temporarily for the earth and permanently for the fallen angels. Enoch, considered righteous by God and the holy angels, is sent to tell the Watchers of their fate. During this assignment, he has visions in which he is spoken to by God, and he is later shown many places and secrets by the holy angels.

There is no single authoritative text of the book of Enoch. The most complete version is the one found in Ethiopia in the eighteenth century. Additionally, there exist fragments of the book in Greek and Latin. The passage reproduced here is an edited version that collates the texts. In some passages, editors have provided missing words in parentheses. Other passages remain garbled and obscure.

♦ Chapters VI–VII

These chapters deal with the fall of the angels, the “Watchers.” The angels, the “children of heaven,” lust after the “beautiful and comely” daughters on earth. The angels commune with one another to choose wives from these daughters and have children from them. Their leader is Semjaza, who urges the Watchers to take responsibility for the action they are about to embark upon, implying that he is aware that what they are about to do is sinful. Semjaza’s fellow angels—two hundred in all—take an oath on Mount Hermon to go ahead with the plan. Having sworn this oath, the two hundred angels take for themselves wives and begin to defile themselves with them.

Biblical scholars have tried to interpret these chapters in light of traditional biblical history. They argue that the “angels” were not really angels but rather the male descendants of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve, while the daughters were the female descendants of Cain. Hence, these sons of Seth defiled themselves by marrying unbelievers, resulting in corruption and moral decadence. Additionally, these chapters suggest an origin for sin in the world: the intermixing of angels and humans, or spirit and flesh. It was for this reason that the book of Enoch was regarded as noncanonical, for traditional Judeo-Christian theology holds that sin comes from breaking the law—specifically, from the fall of humankind in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve violated God’s law.

The Watchers teach these wives all sort of charms and enchantments and the “cutting of roots,” and they make their wives acquainted with plants. The meaning of this passage is obscure but could refer to the acquisition of divine secrets not intended for humankind. The union of the fallen angels and their wives results in the birth of giants, the Nephilim, each of whose height is three hundred ells (an ell is a unit of measure about the length of the forearm, related etymologically to the word elbow). These giants cannot be sustained by the “acquisitions of men,” so they consume humankind, animals, and, finally, one another’s flesh and blood. Perhaps the immense size of the Nephilim signifies the enormity of the evil that has spread through the earth.

♦ Chapters VIII–XI

The Watchers teach their wives about metalworking, enchantments, and astrology, resulting in godlessness and fornication. This suggests that there is a catalog of knowledge and wisdom about the stars, planets, and elements that perhaps was not intended for humans. People are led astray, becoming completely corrupt and subsequently perishing. However, in their perishing, their souls cry out and go up to heaven and are heard by the angels of God: Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel. The angels bring the petition of the souls of men to God, giving details of what the angels who descended from heaven have taught the men of the world.

God, the “Most High,” responds to the angels’ petition by giving each one of them specific assignments concerning punishments due to the fallen angels, their wives, and their children. In addition, they are sent to heal the earth. Uriel, whose name means “Light of God” and who is one of the angels prominently mentioned in esoteric texts, is sent to Noah, instructing him to hide himself and his offspring to preserve the generations of the world. Uriel also reveals to Noah God’s plan to destroy the earth by flood. Additionally, God instructs the angel Michael to “destroy all the spirits of the reprobate and the children of the Watchers, because they have wronged mankind. Destroy all wrong from the face of the earth and let every evil work come to an end.” In an extended metaphor, the spreading of righteousness is described in terms of the sowing of seeds and planting.

♦ Chapters XII–XIV

While these events are taking place, Enoch’s family is unaware of his whereabouts. What readers gather from Chapter XII is that Enoch has been hidden because of the activities of the Watchers and is with the holy angels. The holy angels, considering Enoch’s righteousness, send him to the Watchers to tell them of the impending destruction of their children. Enoch carries out the assignment, telling the fallen angels of the great coming punishment; this causes fear among the fallen Watchers, who ask Enoch to petition the Lord for forgiveness. Enoch acquiesces to their request and writes out petitions concerning their forgiveness. He reads them until he falls asleep at the waters of Dan. Here, he dreams of having visions of chastisement, with a voice bidding him to reprimand the sons of heaven. Enoch tells the fallen Watchers that God will not grant their petition, and from thenceforth they will no longer ascend into heaven and on the earth they would be in bonds. In Chapter XIV, Enoch describes in allegorical detail his vision of heaven.

♦ Chapters XV–XVI

In these chapters, Enoch describes in further detail the visions he had at the waters of Dan. He first records the words of God to him concerning the fallen Watchers. God began by telling Enoch to tell the Watchers that angels were meant to intercede for men and not men for angels; the suggestion is that evil in the world is a kind of inversion of the natural order. He told Enoch that because of their sin, the children born to them, a product of spirit and flesh, would be called evil spirits; hence their dwelling would be on earth, causing much affliction, oppression, destruction, and war. God reemphasized that the giants would be destroyed. Finally, he sent Enoch to tell the Watchers that all the mysteries they made known to the women were worthless, as all the mysteries had not yet been revealed to them in heaven before they left.

♦ Chapters XVII–XIX

These chapters describe Enoch’s first journey through the earth and Sheol—a place of darkness to which all dead souls go and where they are denied the light of God. The spirits of the dead will reside here until the death and Resurrection of the Messiah allow the righteous spirits to depart to Paradise; likewise, the wicked spirits of men are cast in Sheol, where they await judgment. Here, Enoch sees the luminaries (celestial or heavenly bodies), the treasures of the stars, thunder, lightning, and rivers. Finally, he is taken to a place at the end of heaven and earth that became “a prison for the stars and the host of heaven.” In this place the fallen angels will stand until the Day of Judgment; similarly, judgment will be pronounced on the women they have sinned with and who are described as sirens, or seducers. This punishment could be seen as a curse upon these women, who were to live their lives leading men astray. Enoch remarks that these visions were seen by him alone and that no other man was to see what he had seen. Again, the theology of the book of Enoch involves revelations of the secrets of the cosmos—secrets that the Watchers should not have shared with their earthly wives. The book of Enoch was thus an early manifestation of esoteric wisdom. In this respect it contrasted sharply with the didactic, or instructional, wisdom of the canonical books of the Hebrew scripture.

♦ Chapter XX–XXV

Chapter XX gives the names and functions of the seven archangels in heaven. These archangels serve as guides and escorts to Enoch in his second journey through the earth and Sheol, interpreting for him the places he comes across and things he sees. Chapters XXI–XXV focus on Enoch’s second journey through the earth and the underworld. Chapter XXI describes the beginning and final place of punishment of the fallen angels. In the next chapter, Enoch gives an account of Sheol, which he describes as being divided into sections. Raphael, his guide, explains to him that the four divisions have been made to separate the spirits of the dead. From here, Enoch is transported to the west ends of the earth, where he sees more visions. He sees seven magnificent mountains; one of them is isolated and resembles the seat of a throne with fragrant trees encircling it. Among these trees is one noteworthy for its fragrance and beauty. Michael explains that no mortal is permitted to touch it till the great judgment, when God will take vengeance on all. The fruits of the tree will be food for the righteous and holy, and it will be transplanted to the holy place, to the temple of the Lord. The allusion to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Genesis account of the Garden of Eden is clear.

♦ Chapters XXVI–XXXVI

Enoch goes to the middle of the earth and marvels at a blessed place with trees, mountains, ravines, and streams; this place signifies the holy city of Jerusalem. In this same place, Enoch beholds an accursed valley, which Uriel explains is the valley for those who have uttered unsuitable words against the Lord. At the end of the thirty-second chapter, Enoch sees a very beautiful tree, which the angel Raphael explains is the tree of wisdom from which his old father and aged mother ate and learned wisdom. These parents are Adam and Eve, who were deceived into eating fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil against God’s instruction. Enoch’s journey takes him to the ends of the earth and then the north, west, and south, and he blesses the Lord for his glorious wonders.

Audience

It is impossible to cite a specific audience for the book of Enoch in its time. It is not known who wrote its various parts, nor is it known specifically when they were written. Because the work is built around revelations of secret wisdom, it would have been of interest to Jewish mystics and others who regarded orthodox Hebrew scripture as incomplete. The book was read by early church fathers, who found it instructive but were not prepared to regard it as divinely inspired scripture. The book, however, is considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church—and indeed it was not discovered in the West until the eighteenth century, when it was imported from Ethiopia to western Europe. It is not entirely surprising that the Christian Church in Ethiopia would retain the book of Enoch in its canon, for Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity is a blend of Christian and Jewish practices. For example, every Ethiopian Christian male is circumcised, the Sabbath (Saturday) is kept as holy, an ark (representing the Ark of the Covenant) is a key part of every church, and priests make sacrifices of goats and lambs for the sick. The peculiar blend of ancient Jewish history and Christian-like views in the book of Enoch makes the book appealing to the strain of Christianity adhered to by Ethiopian Christians.

Impact

The book of Enoch was read for about five hundred years and found approval among such early church theologians as Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, and Saint Augustine. It was regarded as particularly valuable because it provided an explanation for some puzzling verses found in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 6, just before the exposition involving Noah and the Flood, readers are informed that “when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as they chose.” The passage goes on:

Then the Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for he is flesh, but his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.

The passage continues by referring to the “wickedness of man” and men’s “evil.” The passage states that God was sorry that he had created human beings and concludes that he will “blot out man.” Only Noah, who had “found favor in the eyes of the Lord,” would be spared.

The book of Enoch, though, was considered heretical by the early Church. At the Council of Laodicea in about 364, it was not included in the official biblical canon, although the passage from the council’s proceedings that lists the officially recognized books of the Bible is of somewhat doubtful authenticity. Thus, the attitude of the Church to the book of Enoch is shrouded in some mystery. What is known is that the book essentially disappeared in the West for over a thousand years.

Modern biblical scholars have taken renewed interest in the book of Enoch, for in many respects it bears similarities to the New Testament. For example, it espouses the reality of the Kingdom of God and the need for repentance. It also discusses such matters as the Messiah, the end of the world, and final judgment. But although early theologians held the book in high esteem, it was never referred to by Jesus Christ or the apostles and is not thought of as scriptural. Rather, it provides insights into the thinking of Jewish writers in the centuries immediately before the advent of the Christian age, when Judaism was changing and conflict over historical teachings divided the Jewish community.

Essential Quotes

“And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: ‘Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.’”

(Section 1)

“And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells.”

(Section 1)

“Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him: ‘Go to Noah and… reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it. And now instruct him that he may escape and his seed may be preserved for all the generations of the world.’”

(Section 1)

“Before these things Enoch was hidden, and no one of the children of men knew where he was hidden, and where he abode, and what had become of him. And his activities had to do with the Watchers, and his days were with the holy ones.”

(Section 1)

“And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling.”

(Section 1)

“And I, Enoch, alone saw the vision, the ends of all things: and no man shall see as I have seen.”

(Section 1)

Further Reading

▪ Books

1 

Baigent, Michael, and Richard Leigh. The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception. London: Corgi, 1992.

2 

Black, Matthew, James C. VanderKam, and Otto Neugebauer. The Book of Enoch; or, I Enoch: A New English Edition. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 1985.

3 

Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible, Complete and Unabridged. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2003.

4 

Humphreys, David. The Lost Book of Enoch. London: Janus Publishing, 2005.

5 

Knibb, Michael A. Essays on the Book of Enoch and Other Early Jewish Texts and Traditions. Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2009.

6 

Ladd, John D. Commentary on the Book of Enoch. Longwood, Fla.: Xulon Press, 2008.

7 

Reed, Annette Yoshiko. Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity: The Reception of Enochic Literature. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

8 

VanderKam, James C. Enoch and the Growth of an Apocalyptic Tradition. Washington, D.C.: Catholic Biblical Association of America, 1984.

9 

VanderKam, James C. Enoch: A Man for All Generations. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1995.

♦ Web Sites

10 

Suter, David W. “Enoch as Precursor: The Role of the Enochic Manuscripts in the Qumran Literature.” University of St. Andrews School of Divinity Web site. http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/divinity/rt/dss/guestlectures/suter

Questions for Further Study

  • 1. The book of Enoch is referred to as an example of “apocalyptic” literature. What does this term mean in biblical studies? In what way is the book similar to the New Testament book of Revelation, and how does it differ?

  • 2. During the early years of the Christian Church, both Christianity and Judaism were in a state of turmoil, as new sects developed, heresies emerged, and contention arose about biblical books and which were canonical. What part did the book of Enoch and the events surrounding its production play in this turmoil? Why was this book not accepted as canonical, despite being admired by early church fathers and occupying a place in the canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church?

  • 3. Imagine that you are an archeologist with a particular interest in religious history and that you discovered a new biblical text, perhaps one stored in an ancient monastery or museum. The text purports to have been written by one of Judas Maccabee’s followers, and it excites you because it presents a widely differing version of events during this period in Jewish history. What would you do with the text? How would you authenticate it? Try to recreate the process of studying lost ancient texts from the standpoint of a historian or archeologist.

  • 4. The book of “Enoch” almost certainly was not written by the biblical figure Enoch. Why, then, is it called the book of Enoch? More important, does the authorship of the book make any difference in the matter of its authority?

  • 5. It is highly likely that most Christians have heard of such groups as the Pharisees and the Sadducees, whose names appear in readings from the Gospels at church services. It is also highly likely that most laypeople have only a vague understanding of who these groups were. Based on your reading of the entry, who were the Pharisees and Sadducees, and why was the distinction between the two groups important?

Document Text

Book of Enoch: Document Extract

ca. 300–100 bce

CHAPTER VI.

  • 1. And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters.

  • 2. And the angels, the children of the heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: “Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.”

  • 3. And Semjaza, who was their leader, said unto them: “I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin.”

  • 4. And they all answered him and said: “Let us all swear an oath, and all bind ourselves by mutual imprecations not to abandon this plan but to do this thing.”

  • 5. Then sware they all together and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.

  • 6. And they were in all two hundred; who descended in the days of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon, because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it.

  • 7. And these are the names of their leaders: Semiazaz, their leader, Arakiba, Rameel, Kokabiel, Tamiel, Ramiel, Danel, Ezeqeel, Baraqijal, Asael, Armaros, Batarel, Ananel, Zaqiel, Samsapeel, Satarel, Turel, Jomjael, Sariel.

  • 8. These are their chiefs of tens.

CHAPTER VII.

  • 1. And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants.

  • 2. And they became pregnant, and they bare great giants, whose height was three thousand ells:

  • 3. Who consumed all the acquisitions of men. And when men could no longer sustain them,

  • 4. the giants turned against them and devoured mankind.

  • 5. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink the blood.

  • 6. Then the earth laid accusation against the lawless ones.

CHAPTER VIII.

  • 7. And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures.

  • 8. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjaza taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijal, (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon. And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven.…

CHAPTER IX.

  • 1. And then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven and saw much blood being shed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth.

  • 2. And they said one to another: “The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their crying up to the gates of heaven.

  • 3. And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men make their suit, saying, ‘Bring our cause before the Most High.’”

  • 4. And they said to the Lord of the ages: “Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings, and God of the ages, the throne of Thy glory (standeth) unto all the generations of the ages, and Thy name holy and glorious and blessed unto all the ages!

  • 5. Thou hast made all things, and power over all things hast Thou: and all things are naked and open in Thy sight, and Thou seest all things, and nothing can hide itself from Thee.

  • 6. Thou seest what Azazel hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which men were striving to learn:

  • 7. And Semjaza, to whom Thou hast given authority to bear rule over his associates.

  • 8. And they have gone to the daughters of men upon the earth, and have slept with the women, and have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins.

  • 9. And the women have borne giants, and the whole earth has thereby been filled with blood and unrighteousness.

  • 10. And now, behold, the souls of those who have died are crying and making their suit to the gates of heaven, and their lamentations have ascended: and cannot cease because of the lawless deeds which are wrought on the earth. 11. And Thou knowest all things before they come to pass, and Thou seest these things and Thou dost suffer them, and Thou dost not say to us what we are to do to them in regard to these.”

CHAPTER X.

  • 1. Then said the Most High, the Holy and Great One spake, and sent Uriel to the son of Lamech, and said to him:

  • 2. “Go to Noah and tell him in my name ‘Hide thyself!’ and reveal to him the end that is approaching: that the whole earth will be destroyed, and a deluge is about to come upon the whole earth, and will destroy all that is on it.

  • 3. And now instruct him that he may escape and his seed may be preserved for all the generations of the world.”

  • 4. And again the Lord said to Raphael: “Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein.

  • 5. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light.

  • 6. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons.

  • 8. And the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.”

  • 9. And to Gabriel said the Lord: “Proceed against the bastards and the reprobates, and against the children of fornication: and destroy the children of fornication and the children of the Watchers from amongst men and cause them to go forth: send them one against the other that they may destroy each other in battle: for length of days shall they not have.

  • 10. And no request that they (their fathers) make of thee shall be granted unto their fathers on their behalf; for they hope to live an eternal life, and that each one of them will live five hundred years.”

  • 11. And the Lord said unto Michael: “Go, bind Semjaza and his associates who have united themselves with women so as to have defiled themselves with them in all their uncleanness.

  • 12. And when their sons have slain one another, and they have seen the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, till the day of their judgement and of their consummation, till the judgement that is for ever and ever is consummated.

  • 13. In those days they shall be led off to the abyss of fire: and to the torment and the prison in which they shall be confined for ever. And whosoever shall be condemned and destroyed will from thenceforth be bound together with them to the end of all generations.

  • 15. And destroy all the spirits of the reprobate and the children of the Watchers, because they have wronged mankind.

  • 16. Destroy all wrong from the face of the earth and let every evil work come to an end: and let the plant of righteousness and truth appear: and it shall prove a blessing; the works of righteousness and truth shall be planted in truth and joy for evermore.

  • 17. And then shall all the righteous escape,

    And shall live till they beget thousands of children,

      And all the days of their youth and their old age

     Shall they complete in peace.

  • 18. And then shall the whole earth be tilled in righteousness, and shall all be planted with trees and be full of blessing.

  • 19. And all desirable trees shall be planted on it, and they shall plant vines on it: and the vine which they plant thereon shall yield wine in abundance, and as for all the seed which is sown thereon each measure (of it) shall bear a thousand, and each measure of olives shall yield ten presses of oil.

  • 20. And cleanse thou the earth from all oppression, and from all unrighteousness, and from all sin, and from all godlessness: and all the uncleanness that is wrought upon the earth destroy from off the earth.

  • 21. And all the children of men shall become righteous, and all nations shall offer adoration and shall praise Me, and all shall worship Me. And the earth shall be cleansed from all defilement, and from all sin, and from all punishment, and from all torment, and I will never again send (them) upon it from generation to generation and for ever

CHAPTER XI.

  • 1. And in those days I will open the store chambers of blessing which are in the heaven, so as to send them down upon the earth over the work and labour of the children of men.

  • 2. And truth and peace shall be associated together throughout all the days of the world and throughout all the generations of men.”

CHAPTER XII.

  • 1. Before these things Enoch was hidden, and no one of the children of men knew where he was hidden, and where he abode, and what had become of him.

  • 2. And his activities had to do with the Watchers, and his days were with the holy ones.

  • 3. And I, Enoch was blessing the Lord of majesty and the King of the ages, and lo! the Watchers called me—Enoch the scribe—and said to me:

  • 4. “Enoch, thou scribe of righteousness, go, declare to the Watchers of the heaven who have left the high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women, and have done as the children of earth do, and have taken unto themselves wives: ‘Ye have wrought great destruction on the earth:

  • 5. And ye shall have no peace nor forgiveness of sin: and inasmuch as they delight themselves in their children,

  • 6. The murder of their beloved ones shall they see, and over the destruction of their children shall they lament, and shall make supplication unto eternity, but mercy and peace shall ye not attain.’”

CHAPTER XIII.

  • 1. And Enoch went and said: “Azazel, thou shalt have no peace: a severe sentence has gone forth against thee to put thee in bonds:

  • 2. And thou shalt not have toleration nor request granted to thee, because of the unrighteousness which thou hast taught, and because of all the works of godlessness and unrighteousness and sin which thou hast shown to men.”

  • 3. Then I went and spoke to them all together, and they were all afraid, and fear and trembling seized them.

  • 4. And they besought me to draw up a petition for them that they might find forgiveness, and to read their petition in the presence of the Lord of heaven.

  • 5. For from thenceforward they could not speak (with Him) nor lift up their eyes to heaven for shame of their sins for which they had been condemned.

  • 6. Then I wrote out their petition, and the prayer in regard to their spirits and their deeds individually and in regard to their requests that they should have forgiveness and length of days.

  • 7. And I went off and sat down at the waters of Dan, in the land of Dan, to the south of the west of Hermon: I read their petition till I fell asleep.

  • 8. And behold a dream came to me, and visions fell down upon me, and I saw visions of chastisement, and a voice came bidding (me) I to tell it to the sons of heaven, and reprimand them.

  • 9. And when I awaked, I came unto them, and they were all sitting gathered together, weeping in ‘Abelsjail, which is between Lebanon and Seneser, with their faces covered.

  • 10. And I recounted before them all the visions which I had seen in sleep, and I began to speak the words of righteousness, and to reprimand the heavenly Watchers.

CHAPTER XIV.

  • 1. The book of the words of righteousness, and of the reprimand of the eternal Watchers in accordance with the command of the Holy Great One in that vision.

  • 2. I saw in my sleep what I will now say with a tongue of flesh and with the breath of my mouth: which the Great One has given to men to converse therewith and understand with the heart.

  • 3. As He has created and given to man the power of understanding the word of wisdom, so hath He created me also and given me the power of reprimanding the Watchers, the children of heaven.

  • 4. I wrote out your petition, and in my vision it appeared thus, that your petition will not be granted unto you throughout all the days of eternity, and that judgement has been finally passed upon you: yea (your petition) will not be granted unto you.

  • 5. And from henceforth you shall not ascend into heaven unto all eternity, and in bonds of the earth the decree has gone forth to bind you for all the days of the world.

  • 6. And (that) previously you shall have seen the destruction of your beloved sons and ye shall have no pleasure in them, but they shall fall before you by the sword.

  • 7. And your petition on their behalf shall not be granted, nor yet on your own: even though you weep and pray and speak all the words contained in the writing which I have written.

  • 8. And the vision was shown to me thus: Behold, in the vision clouds invited me and a mist summoned me, and the course of the stars and the lightnings sped and hastened me, and the winds in the vision caused me to fly and lifted me upward, and bore me into heaven.

  • 9. And I went in till I drew nigh to a wall which is built of crystals and surrounded by tongues of fire: and it began to affright me. And I went into the tongues of fire and drew nigh to a large house which was built of crystals: and the walls of the house were like a tesselated floor (made) of crystals, and its groundwork was of crystal.

  • 11. Its ceiling was like the path of the stars and the lightnings, and between them were fiery cherubim, and their heaven was (clear as) water.

  • 12. A flaming fire surrounded the walls, and its portals blazed with fire.

  • 13. And I entered into that house, and it was hot as fire and cold as ice: there were no delights of life therein: fear covered me, and trembling got hold upon me.

  • 14. And as I quaked and trembled, I fell upon my face.

  • 15. And I beheld a vision, And lo! there was a second house, greater than the former, and the entire portal stood open before me, and it was built of flames of fire.

  • 16. And in every respect it so excelled in splendour and magnificence and extent that I cannot describe to you its splendour and its extent.

  • 17. And its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path of the stars, and its ceiling also was flaming fire.

  • 18. And I looked and saw therein a lofty throne: its appearance was as crystal, and the wheels thereof as the shining sun, and there was the vision of cherubim.

  • 19. And from underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look thereon.

  • 20. And the Great Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and was whiter than any snow.

  • 21. None of the angels could enter and could behold His face by reason of the magnificence and glory and no flesh could behold Him.

  • 22. The flaming fire was round about Him, and a great fire stood before Him, and none around could draw nigh Him: ten thousand times ten thousand (stood) before Him, yet He needed no counselor.

  • 23. And the most holy ones who were nigh to Him did not leave by night nor depart from Him.

  • 24. And until then I had been prostrate on my face, trembling: and the Lord called me with His own mouth, and said to me: “Come hither, Enoch, and hear my word.”

  • 25. And one of the holy ones came to me and waked me, and He made me rise up and approach the door: and I bowed my face downwards.

CHAPTER XV.

  • 1. And He answered and said to me, and I heard His voice: “Fear not, Enoch, thou righteous man and scribe of righteousness: approach hither and hear my voice.

  • 2. And go, say to the Watchers of heaven, who have sent thee to intercede for them: ‘You should intercede for men, and not men for you:

  • 3. Wherefore have ye left the high, holy, and eternal heaven, and lain with women, and defiled yourselves with the daughters of men and taken to yourselves wives, and done like the children of earth, and begotten giants (as your) sons?

  • 4. And though ye were holy, spiritual, living the eternal life, you have defiled yourselves with the blood of women, and have begotten (children) with the blood of flesh, and, as the children of men, have lusted after flesh and blood as those also do who die and perish.

  • 5. Therefore have I given them wives also that they might impregnate them, and beget children by them, that thus nothing might be wanting to them on earth.

  • 6. But you were formerly spiritual, living the eternal life, and immortal for all generations of the world.

  • 7. And therefore I have not appointed wives for you; for as for the spiritual ones of the heaven, in heaven is their dwelling.

  • 8. And now, the giants, who are produced from the spirits and flesh, shall be called evil spirits upon the earth, and on the earth shall be their dwelling.

  • 9. Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men, and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called.

  • 10. As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling.

  • 11. And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause offences. And these spirits shall rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them.

CHAPTER XVI.

  • 1. From the days of the slaughter and destruction and death of the giants, from the souls of whose flesh the spirits, having gone forth, shall destroy without incurring judgement—thus shall they destroy until the day of the consummation, the great judgement in which the age shall be consummated, over the Watchers and the godless, yea, shall be wholly consummated.’

  • 2. And now as to the Watchers who have sent thee to intercede for them, who had been aforetime in heaven, (say to them): ‘You have been in heaven, but all the mysteries had not yet been revealed to you, and you knew worthless ones, and these in the hardness of your hearts you have made known to the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on earth.’

  • 3. Say to them therefore: ‘You have no peace.’”

CHAPTER XVII.

  • 1. And they took and brought me to a place in which those who were there were like flaming fire, and, when they wished, they appeared as men.

  • 2. And they brought me to the place of darkness, and to a mountain the point of whose summit reached to heaven.

  • 3. And I saw the places of the luminaries and the treasuries of the stars and of the thunder and in the uttermost depths, where were a fiery bow and arrows and their quiver, and a fiery sword and all the lightnings.

  • 4. And they took me to the living waters, and to the fire of the west, which receives every setting of the sun.

  • 5. And I came to a river of fire in which the fire flows like water and discharges itself into the great sea towards the west.

  • 6. I saw the great rivers and came to the great river and to the great darkness, and went to the place where no flesh walks.

  • 7. I saw the mountains of the darkness of winter and the place whence all the waters of the deep flow.

  • 8. I saw the mouths of all the rivers of the earth and the mouth of the deep.

CHAPTER XVIII.

  • 1. I saw the treasuries of all the winds: I saw how He had furnished with them the whole creation and the firm foundations of the earth.

  • 2. And I saw the corner-stone of the earth: I saw the four winds which bear the earth and the firmament of the heaven.

  • 3. And I saw how the winds stretch out the vaults of heaven, and have their station between heaven and earth: these are the pillars of the heaven.

  • 4. I saw the winds of heaven which turn and bring the circumference of the sun and all the stars to their setting.

  • 5. I saw the winds on the earth carrying the clouds: I saw the paths of the angels. I saw at the end of the earth the firmament of the heaven above. And I proceeded and saw a place which burns day and night, where there are seven mountains of magnificent stones, three towards the east, and three towards the south.

  • 6. And as for those towards the east, one was of coloured stone, and one of pearl, and one of jacinth, and those towards the south of red stone.

  • 7. But the middle one reached to heaven like the throne of God, of alabaster, and the summit of the throne was of sapphire.

  • 8. And I saw a flaming fire. And beyond these mountains

  • 9. is a region the end of the great earth: there the heavens were completed.

  • 10. And I saw a deep abyss, with columns of heavenly fire, and among them I saw columns of fire fall, which were beyond measure alike towards the height and towards the depth.

  • 11. And beyond that abyss I saw a place which had no firmament of the heaven above, and no firmly founded earth beneath it: there was no water upon it, and no birds, but it was a waste and horrible place.

  • 12. I saw there seven stars like great burning mountains, and to me, when I inquired regarding them,

  • 13. The angel said: “This place is the end of heaven and earth: this has become a prison for the stars and the host of heaven.

  • 14. And the stars which roll over the fire are they which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord in the beginning of their rising, because they did not come forth at their appointed times.

  • 15. And He was wroth with them, and bound them till the time when their guilt should be consummated (even) for ten thousand years.”

CHAPTER XIX.

  • 1. And Uriel said to me: “Here shall stand the angels who have connected themselves with women, and their spirits assuming many different forms are defiling mankind and shall lead them astray into sacrificing to demons as gods, (here shall they stand,) till the day of the great judgement in which they shall be judged till they are made an end of.

  • 2. And the women also of the angels who went astray shall become sirens.”

  • 3. And I, Enoch, alone saw the vision, the ends of all things: and no man shall see as I have seen.

CHAPTER XX.

  • 1. And these are the names of the holy angels who watch.

  • 2. Uriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the world and over Tartarus.

  • 3. Raphael, one of the holy angels, who is over the spirits of men.

  • 4. Raguel, one of the holy angels who takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries.

  • 5. Michael, one of the holy angels, to wit, he that is set over the best part of mankind and over chaos.

  • 6. Saraqael, one of the holy angels, who is set over the spirits, who sin in the spirit.

  • 7. Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim.

  • 8. Remiel, one of the holy angels, whom God set over those who rise.

CHAPTER XXI.

  • 1. And I proceeded to where things were chaotic.

  • 2. And I saw there something horrible: I saw neither a heaven above nor a firmly founded earth, but a place chaotic and horrible.

  • 3. And there I saw seven stars of the heaven bound together in it, like great mountains and burning with fire.

  • 4. Then I said: “For what sin are they bound, and on what account have they been cast in hither?”

  • 5. Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels, who was with me, and was chief over them, and said: “Enoch, why dost thou ask, and why art thou eager for the truth?

  • 6. These are of the number of the stars of heaven, which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here till ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.”

  • 7. And from thence I went to another place, which was still more horrible than the former, and I saw a horrible thing: a great fire there which burnt and blazed, and the place was cleft as far as the abyss, being full of great descending columns of fire: neither its extent or magnitude could I see, nor could I conjecture.

  • 8. Then I said: “How fearful is the place and how terrible to look upon!”

  • 9. Then Uriel answered me, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said unto me: “Enoch, why hast thou such fear and affright?” And I answered: “Because of this fearful place, and because of the spectacle of the pain.”

  • 10. And he said unto me: “This place is the prison of the angels, and here they will be imprisoned for ever.”

CHAPTER XXII.

  • 1. And thence I went to another place, and he showed me in the west another great and high mountain and of hard rock.

    E [Ethiopean] 2. And there was in it four hollow places, deep and wide and very smooth. How smooth are the hollow places and deep and dark to look at.

    Gg [Greek] 2. And there were four hollow places in it, deep and very smooth: three of them were dark and one bright; and there was a fountain of water in its midst. And I said: “How smooth are these hollow places, and deep and dark to view.”

  • 3. Then Raphael answered, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said unto me: “These hollow places have been created for this very purpose, that the spirits of the souls of the dead should assemble therein, yea that all the souls of the children of men should assemble here. And these places have been made to receive them till the day of their judgement and till their appointed period till the period appointed, till the great judgement (comes) upon them.”

    E 5. I saw the spirits of the children of men who were dead, and their voice went forth to heaven and made suit.

  • 6. Then I asked Raphael the angel who was with me, and I said unto him: “This spirit—whose is it whose voice goeth forth and maketh suit?”

    Gg 5. I saw (the spirit of) a dead man making suit, and his voice went forth to heaven and made suit.

  • 6. And I asked Raphael the angel who was with me, and I said unto him: “This spirit which maketh suit, whose is it, whose voice goeth forth and maketh suit to heaven?”

  • 7. And he answered me saying: “This is the spirit which went forth from Abel, whom his brother Cain slew, and he makes his suit against him till his seed is destroyed from the face of the earth, and his seed is annihilated from amongst the seed of men.” E

  • 8. Then I asked regarding it, and regarding all the hollow places: “Why as one separated from the other?”

    Gg 8. Then I asked regarding all the hollow places: “Why is one separated from the other?”

    E 9. And he answered me and said unto me: “These three have been made that the spirits of the dead might be separated. And such a division has been made for the spirits of the righteous, in which there as the bright spring of water.

  • 10. And such has been made for sinners when they die and are buried in the earth and judgement has not been executed on them in their lifetime.

  • 11. Here their spirits shall be set apart in this great pain till the great day of judgement and punishment and torment of those who curse for ever, and retribution for their spirits. There He shall bind them for ever.

  • 12. And such a division has been made for the spirits of those who make their suit, who make disclosures concerning their destruction, when they were slain in the days of the sinners.

  • 13. Such has been made for the spirits of men who were not righteous but sinners, who were complete in transgression, and of the transgressors. They shall be companions: but their spirits shall not be slain in the day of judgement nor shall they be raised from thence.”

  • 14. Then I blessed the Lord of glory and said: “Blessed be my Lord, the Lord of righteousness, who ruleth for ever.”

CHAPTER XXIII.

  • 1. From thence I went to another place to the west of the ends of the earth.

  • 2. And I saw a burning fire which ran without resting, and paused not from its course day or night but (ran) regularly.

  • 3. And I asked saying: “What is this which rests not?”

  • 4. Then Raguel, one of the holy angels who was with me, answered me and said unto me: “This course of fire which thou hast seen is the fire in the west which persecutes all the luminaries of heaven.

CHAPTER XXIV.

  • 1. And from thence I went to another place of the earth, and he showed me a mountain range of fire which burnt day and night.

  • 2. And I went beyond it and saw seven magnificent mountains all differing each from the other, and the stones (thereof) were magnificent and beautiful, magnificent as a whole, of glorious appearance and fair exterior: three towards the east, one founded on the other, and three towards the south, one upon the other, and deep rough ravines, no one of which joined with any other.

  • 3. And the seventh mountain was in the midst of these, and it excelled them in height, resembling the seat of a throne: and fragrant trees encircled the throne.

  • 4. And amongst them was a tree such as I had never yet smelt, neither was any amongst them nor were others like it: it had a fragrance beyond all fragrance, and its leaves and blooms and wood wither not for ever: and its fruit is beautiful, and its fruit resembles the dates of a palm.

  • 5. Then I said: “How beautiful is this tree, and fragrant, and its leaves are fair, and its blooms very delightful in appearance.”

  • 6. Then answered Michael, one of the holy and honoured angels who was with me, and was their leader.

CHAPTER XXV.

  • 1. And he said unto me: “Enoch, why dost thou ask me regarding the fragrance of the tree, and why dost thou wish to learn the truth?” Then I answered him saying: “I wish to know about everything, but especially about this tree.” And he answered saying: “This high mountain which thou hast seen, whose summit is like the throne of God, is His throne, where the Holy Great One, the Lord of Glory, the Eternal King, will sit, when He shall come down to visit the earth with goodness.

  • 4. And as for this fragrant tree no mortal is permitted to touch it till the great judgement, when He shall take vengeance on all and bring (everything) to its consummation for ever. It shall then be given to the righteous and holy.

  • 5. Its fruit shall be for food to the elect: it shall be transplanted to the holy place, to the temple of the Lord, the Eternal King.

  • 6. Then shall they rejoice with joy and be glad,

    And into the holy place shall they enter;

    And its fragrance shall be in their bones,

    And they shall live a long life on earth,

    Such as thy fathers lived:

    And in their days shall no sorrow or plague

    Or torment or calamity touch them.”

  • 7. Then blessed I the God of Glory, the Eternal King, who hath prepared such things for the righteous, and hath created them and promised to give to them.

CHAPTER XXVI.

  • 1. And I went from thence to the middle of the earth, and I saw a blessed place in which there were trees with branches abiding and blooming of a dismembered tree.

  • 2. And there I saw a holy mountain, and underneath the mountain to the east there was a stream and it flowed towards the south.

  • 3. And I saw towards the east another mountain higher than this, and between them a deep and narrow ravine: in it also ran a stream underneath the mountain.

  • 4. And to the west thereof there was another mountain, lower than the former and of small elevation, and a ravine deep and dry between them: and another deep and dry ravine was at the extremities of the three mountains.

  • 5. And all the ravines were deep and narrow, (being formed) of hard rock, and trees were not planted upon them.

  • 6. And I marveled at the rocks, and I marveled at the ravine, yea, I marveled very much.

CHAPTER XXVII.

  • 1. Then said I: “For what object is this blessed land, which is entirely filled with trees, and this accursed valley between?”

  • 2. Then Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with me, answered and said: “This accursed valley is for those who are accursed for ever: Here shall all the accursed be gathered together who utter with their lips against the Lord unseemly words and of His glory speak hard things.

    E 3. Here shall they be gathered together, and here shall be their place of judgement. In the last days there shall be upon them the spectacle of righteous judgement in the presence of the righteous for ever: here shall the merciful bless the Lord of glory, the Eternal King.

    Gg 3. Here shall they be gathered together, and here shall be the place of their habitation.

  • 3. In the last times, in the days of the true judgement in the presence of the righteous for ever: here shall the godly bless the Lord of Glory, the Eternal King.

  • 4. In the days of judgement over the former, they shall bless Him for the mercy in accordance with which He has assigned them (their lot).”

  • 5. Then I blessed the Lord of Glory and set forth His glory and lauded Him gloriously.

CHAPTER XXVIII

  • 1. And thence I went towards the east, into the midst of the mountain range of the desert, and I saw a wilderness and it was solitary, full of trees and plants.

  • 2. And water gushed forth from above.

  • 3. Rushing like a copious watercourse which flowed towards the north-west it caused clouds and dew to ascend on every side.

CHAPTER XXIX.

  • 1. And thence I went to another place in the desert, and approached to the east of this mountain range.

  • 2. And there I saw aromatic trees exhaling the fragrance of frankincense and myrrh, and the trees also were similar to the almond tree.

CHAPTER XXX.

  • 1. And beyond these, I went afar to the east, and I saw another place, a valley (full) of water.

  • 2. And therein there was a tree, the colour of fragrant trees such as the mastic.

  • 3. And on the sides of those valleys I saw fragrant cinnamon. And beyond these I proceeded to the east.

CHAPTER XXXI.

  • 1. And I saw other mountains, and amongst them were groves of trees, and there flowed forth from them nectar, which is named sarara and galbanum.

  • 2. And beyond these mountains I saw another mountain to the east of the ends of the earth, whereon were aloe trees, and all the trees were full of stacte, being like almond-trees.

  • 3. And when one burnt it, it smelt sweeter than any fragrant odour.

CHAPTER XXXII.

E 1. And after these fragrant odours, as I looked towards the north over the mountains I saw seven mountains full of choice nard and fragrant trees and cinnamon and pepper.

Gg 1. To the north-east I beheld seven mountains full of choice nard and mastic and cinnamon and pepper.

  • 2. And thence I went over the summits of all these mountains, far towards the east of the earth, and passed above the Erythraean sea and went far from it, and passed over the angel Zotiel.

E 3. And I came to the Garden of Righteousness, and saw beyond those trees many large trees growing there and of goodly fragrance, large, very beautiful and glorious, and the tree of wisdom whereof they eat and know great wisdom.

Gg 3. And I came to the Garden of Righteousness, and from afar off trees more numerous than these trees and great—two trees there, very great, beautiful, and glorious, and magnificent, and the tree of knowledge, whose holy fruit they eat and know great wisdom.

  • 4. That tree is in height like the fir, and its leaves are like (those of) the Carob tree: and its fruit is like the clusters of the vine, very beautiful: and the fragrance of the tree penetrates afar.

  • 5. Then I said: “How beautiful is the tree, and how attractive is its look!”

  • 6. Then Raphael the holy angel, who was with me, answered me and said:

  • 7. “This is the tree of wisdom, of which thy father old (in years) and thy aged mother, who were before thee, have eaten, and they learnt wisdom and their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked and they were driven out of the garden.”

CHAPTER XXXIII.

  • 1. And from thence I went to the ends of the earth and saw there great beasts, and each differed from the other; and (I saw) birds also differing in appearance and beauty and voice, the one differing from the other.

  • 2. And to the east of those beasts I saw the ends of the earth whereon the heaven rests, and the portals of the heaven open.

  • 3. And I saw how the stars of heaven come forth, and I counted the portals out of which they proceed, and wrote down all their outlets, of each individual star by itself, according to their number and their names, their courses and their positions, and their times and their months, as Uriel the holy angel who was with me showed me.

  • 4. He showed all things to me and wrote them down for me: also their names he wrote for me, and their laws and their companies.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

  • 1. And from thence I went towards the north to the ends of the earth, and there I saw a great and glorious device at the ends of the whole earth.

  • 2. And here I saw three portals of heaven open in the heaven: through each of them proceed north winds: when they blow there is cold, hail, frost, snow, dew, and rain.

  • 3. And out of one portal they blow for good: but when they blow through the other two portals, it is with violence and affliction on the earth, and they blow with violence.

CHAPTER XXXV.

  • 1. And from thence I went towards the west to the ends of the earth, and saw there three portals of the heaven open such as I had seen in the east, the same number of portals, and the same number of outlets.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

  • 1. And from thence I went to the south to the ends of the earth, and saw there three open portals of the heaven: and thence there come dew, rain, and wind.

  • 2. And from thence I went to the east to the ends of the heaven, and saw here the three eastern portals of heaven open and small portals above them.

  • 3. Through each of these small portals pass the stars of heaven and run their course to the west on the path which is shown to them.

  • 4. And as often as I saw I blessed always the Lord of Glory, and I continued to bless the Lord of Glory who has wrought great and glorious wonders, to show the greatness of His work to the angels and to spirits and to men, that they might praise His work and all His creation: that they might see the work of His might and praise the great work of His hands and bless Him for ever.

William Blake, Enoch Lithograph 1807, illustrating Genesis 5:24 “Enoch walked with God; then was no more, because God took him away.

MDWR_BookofEnoch.jpg

Glossary

Abel… Cain: the sons of Adam and Eve

antimony: a chemical element, a silvery gray metal

Azazel: a mysterious supernatural being in Jewish mythology, regarded as an outcast or as having characteristics of Satan

chiefs of tens: that is, each of the leaders listed led ten other Watchers; there were two hundred Watchers, but only nineteen leaders listed, an inconsistency that has no explanation

cutting of roots: possibly an indication that the wives were provided with secret wisdom

Dan: a biblical city, the northernmost city in Israel, belonging to the Israelite tribe of Dan

Dudael: the place of imprisonment for Azazel

Erythraean sea: a name used to refer variously to the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and portions of the Indian Ocean

frankincense: an aromatic resin used in perfumes and incense

mastic: here, a plant resin

Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel: the angels of God

Mount Hermon: a mountain on the border between Syria and Lebanon

myrrh: an aromatic resin, at times more valuable than gold

son of Lamech: that is, Noah

Tartarus: the underworld; hell

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Afolabi, Mary A. "Book Of Enoch: Document Analysis." Milestone Documents of World Religions, Second Edition, edited by David M. Fahey, Salem Press, 2016. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=MDWR2_0027.
APA 7th
Afolabi, M. A. (2016). Book of Enoch: Document Analysis. In D. Fahey (Ed.), Milestone Documents of World Religions, Second Edition. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Afolabi, Mary A. "Book Of Enoch: Document Analysis." Edited by David M. Fahey. Milestone Documents of World Religions, Second Edition. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2016. Accessed December 14, 2025. online.salempress.com.