The Book of Enoch
I'm not sure if this is posted in the right place (Feel free to move it mods)
I've noticed many of the books I have quote from the book of Enoch? I will admit I didn't know there was such a book until I started using Logos software, so I was wondering if anyone knew the history of the book.. ie, is it a trusted inspired book and if so, why it didn't make it into the Bible?
I know Jude is said to quote from it,but I'm a little worried referring to it because I don't know if it is a trusted source?
I would appreciate any comments on this.
Many thanks.
Comments
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Here is the entry from the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary for the first book (note that there are 3 books of Enoch)ENOCH, FIRST BOOK OF. A collection of traditions and writings composed between the 4th century b.c.e. and the turn of the era, mainly in the name of Enoch, the son of Jared (Gen 5:21–24). The collection, which is roughly the length of the Book of Isaiah, is extant in its entirety only in a Ge’ez (ancient Ethiopic) translation of a Greek translation of Aramaic originals which are attested, nonetheless, by manuscript fragments from the Qumran caves (see B below).
The Enochic corpus claims to be a series of revelations which Enoch received in antiquity and transmitted to his son Methuselah for the benefit of the righteous who would live in the end times. Its major subject matter is twofold: the nature and implications of the created structure of the cosmos and the origin, nature, consequences, and final judgment of evil and sin.
The figure of Enoch portrayed in the various strata of this collection is much more complex than the prototypical righteous person suggested in Genesis. He is variously seer, sage, scribe, priest (or at least mediator), and eschatological judge.
V 2, p 509
Three myths govern the exposition in 1 Enoch. The primary myth, rooted in Gen 5:21–24 and its Mesopotamian sources, is concerned with Enoch’s journeys to the heavenly throne room and through the cosmos and the wisdom that was revealed to him during these excursions. Two other myths posit different scenarios for a primordial heavenly revolt that has had long-lasting evil consequences for the human race. In tension with these latter two myths, however, is the prevailing assumption that human beings are accountable for their conduct and for their positive or negative response to the revelations contained in this book.
In order to trace the development of the diverse but related traditions that have been collected in 1 Enoch, this exposition will follow what appears to have been the order of their composition.
———
A. The Component Parts of 1 Enoch
1. The Book of the Heavenly Luminaries (Chaps. 72–82)
2. The Book of the Watchers (Chaps. 1–36)
3. Enoch’s Two Dream Visions (Chaps. 83–90)
4. Two Pieces of Testamentary Narrative (81:1–82:3; 91)
5. The Epistle of Enoch (Chaps. 92–105)
6. An Account of Noah’s Birth (Chaps. 106–7)
7. Another Book by Enoch (Chap. 108)
8. The Book of Parables (or Similitudes) (Chaps. 37–71)
9. The Book of the Giants
B. Literary History, Versions, and Manuscript Tradition C. Literary Genres and their Function
1. A Collection of Apocalypses
2. A Testament and Testimony
D. The Enochic Corpus as Revealed Heavenly Wisdom
E. Dualism in the Enochic Writings
F. 1 Enoch as a Theological and Intellectual Synthesis
G. Provenance and Social Setting
H. The Enochic Traditions and Early Christianity
———
A.
The Component Parts of 1 Enoch
1. The Book of the Heavenly Luminaries (Chaps. 72–82).
Fundamental to the treatise is a solar calendar of 364 days, i.e., four seasons of ninety days each, plus one day added to each season. In the 2d century b.c.e. sectors of the Jewish community were locked in a bitter debate about the divine institution of the solar or lunar calendar. Evidence of this controversy appears in the Qumran sectarian documents and in the book of Jubilees (4:17, 21), which cites this treatise in support of polemics against a "gentile" lunar calendar (Jub. 6:35–38). Although the non-tendentious style of most of the treatise probably indicates that it was not composed for a polemical purpose, the revelatory form in which it is cast suggests that it is presented as a divinely ordained Torah, and two passages—probably not original to the book (80:2–8; 82:4–6)—indicate that the treatise had a polemical function in the form transmitted in 1 Enoch.
The literary history of this section has many question marks. Because of its fragmented condition, the precise contents of the Qumran Aramaic material underlying these chapters are uncertain. It is clear, however, that at least parts of the Ethiopic version are a considerably abbreviated form of an Aramaic treatise that was copied on manuscripts that did not contain the other parts of 1 Enoch. On the other hand, literary considerations indicate that 81:1–82:3 in the Ethiopic are an addition to an earlier form of the Book of the Luminaries.
2.
a.
Parallels to the form and contents of this section indicate that it is a fusion of literary forms and ideas that were at home in prophetic, wisdom, and priestly circles. The opening words (1:1) and the beginning of the theophanic description (1:3c–4) are drawn from the blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33), and the oracle is introduced in analogy to the oracles of Balaam the prophet (1:2–3b; cf. Num 24:15–17). The poetic first and third parts of the oracle (1:3c–9; 5:4–9) are a pastiche of phrases from biblical accounts of theophanies (Deuteronomy 33; Micah 1; Zechariah 14) and from the scenario of the new creation in Isaiah 65. Positive and negative paraphrases of the priestly benediction (Num 6:24–26) appear in 1:8 and 5:5–6. Between these two parts is a prose passage in wisdom style that contrasts nature’s obedience to God’s order with humanity’s disobedience of the divine commands. The paradigmatic citation of the heavenly bodies may indicate that the human perversion of God’s commands includes a rejection of the Enochic astronomical and calendrical Torah.
b.
In the second tradition of angelic rebellion, the angelic leader, ˓Aśa˒el, reveals the secrets of metallurgy and mining which enable men to make the instruments of war and to fashion the jewelry and cosmetics that facilitate sexual seduction. According to the text of chaps. 6–11 preserved by the chronographer Syncellus, this rebellion preceded and precipitated the rebellion of Semihazah and his associates. It is likely that in the original form of this myth the watchers were sent by God to instruct humankind in useful arts (cf. Jub. 4:15; 5:6; Pseudo-Clementine Homilies 8:13). The story of ˓Aśa˒el has analogies in ancient Near Eastern myths about culture bearers and is most closely paralleled in the Greek myth of Prometheus as told by Hesiod and Aeschylus. The motif of rebellion through the revelation of forbidden knowledge is further expounded in 8:3 (perhaps relying on another tradition), which ascribes to various of the watchers the revelation of several kinds of astrological prognostication. In context this revelation is a foil to the astronomical revelations that Enoch received and transmitted.
This section as a whole criticizes aspects of contemporary civilization, construing them as the result of heavenly rebellion that can be reversed and overcome only by divine judgment and reparation. The pervading sense of humanity’s victimization by demonic forces and the necessity for direct divine intervention will continue to be a constitutive part of much of later apocalypticism.
c.
The watchers’ sin is recounted in traditional language also found in polemics against the Jerusalem priesthood (15:3–4; cf. Ps. Sol. 8:13; CD 5:6–7), and aspects of the story are reminiscent of Ezra’s confrontation with the Jerusalem priests who had married foreign women. This may reflect a conflict between this author and the Jerusalem priesthood. The narrative setting of the account in Upper Galilee near sites that were sacred to Canaanites, Israelites, Jews, pagans, and—later—Christians, suggests that this author lived in this region among people whose opposition to Jerusalem led them to another traditional sacred place (Nickelsburg 1981b). A date in the mid–3d century b.c.e. seems likely.
d.
e.
The journey narrative begins in chap. 21 with a repetition, in reverse order, of the visions in 18:10–19:2. Still in the West, Enoch arrives at the mountain that holds the spirits of the dead until the time of the final reward or punishment (chap. 22). Chap. 23 may be a doublet of traditions in chap. 21. At 24:2–25:7, Enoch visits the mountain paradise where God’s throne is set (cf. 18:6–8). Here the Tree of Life is kept until it will be transplanted to the temple mount in the new Jerusalem, where it will nourish the righteous in the new age. Enoch’s vision of Jerusalem focuses on the cursed valley of Hinnom, where the wicked will be punished eternally in the presence of the righteous. Chaps. 24–26 depict the geographic setting for the scenario in the resurrection passage in Dan 12:2. In 28:1–32:2, a literary counterpart of 17:1–7, Enoch recounts his travels through the eastern spice orchards to the paradise of righteousness, whose trees are dominated by the fragrant tree of wisdom (32:3–6). At chap. 33 he arrives at the eastern end of the earth, where Uriel shows him the outlets of the luminaries, a summary allusion to V 2, p 511 the Book of the Luminaries. The Book of the Watchers ends in chaps. 34–36 with a brief account, reminiscent of chap. 76, which summarizes Enoch’s journey around earth’s edge, to the sources of the winds in the North, West, South and East.
3.
The second vision is an extensive allegorical apocalypse that traces human history from Adam to the eschaton (chaps. 85–90). The author depicts human beings as animals, and angels as human beings. The patriarchs through Isaac are portrayed as bulls. Jacob and his descendants are symbolized by sheep that are continually being victimized by the wild beasts that represent the gentiles. In response to the sin of Manasseh, the Lord of the Sheep commits his flock to seventy angelic shepherds (89:59–64), who are to rule for four periods. The shepherds abuse their office by permitting more than the proper number of sheep to be destroyed. This is recorded by an angelic scribe who intercedes for the sheep. The eschaton is depicted in a two-stage textual tradition (90:9–19). In its developed form, a great horned ram, representing Judas Maccabeus, wages war against the nations. A theophany leads to the final judgment of the rebel watchers, the angelic shepherds, and the apostate Jews of the end time (90:20–27). Then Jerusalem and the sanctuary are rebuilt in unsurpassed glory. A white bull is born as a (messianic?) reappearance of the primordial man, and the sheep and other animals are transformed into white bulls, thus signaling the eschatological unity of the human race which has returned to its created purity.
This dream vision has important points of contact with Enochic and biblical traditions. The rebellion of the watchers and their judgment by the archangels, the intercession of the angelic scribe which triggers the final judgment, and the final reconstitution of a righteous humanity all have counterparts in 1 Enoch 6–11. Many events in the historical narrative reflect biblical narratives. The antagonism of the sheep and wild beasts, the shepherds’ dereliction of duty (cf. Zechariah 11), and the appearance of an eschatological messianic figure are all reminiscent of Ezekiel 34. The seventy shepherds and the four periods of their rule recall the seventy years in Jer 25:11–12 and 29:10 (cf. Dan 9:2) and the four kingdoms in Daniel 7.
The dream vision was composed at least by the time of Judas’ defeat of Nicanor in 161 b.c.e., though an earlier version may have ended with the theophany. Although the exact provenance of the apocalypse is uncertain, several details reflect social, theological, and ideological aspects of that provenance. The author is critical of the Second Temple and seems to assert that the polluted food on the sacrificial altar (89:73; cf. Mal 1:7) was never removed. Alongside this polluted food are mentioned apostate Jews (blind sheep, 89:74), who, late in the Hellenistic period, are opposed by young lambs whose eyes are opened—obviously pious Jews of the author’s persuasion. At least in its final form the apocalypse was transmitted (and revised) by an author favorably disposed toward Judas Maccabeus, and the prominence of the motif of the eschatological sword indicates a militant ideology that is reminiscent of the congregation of mighty warriors, described as Hasidim in 1 Macc 2:42.
4.
Although chaps. 83–90 are part of Enoch’s instruction to Methuselah, the narrative style of 81:1–82:3 is continued in chap. 91. Enoch’s other children gather to hear the testimony of Enoch’s final instruction. Its ethical component employs the scheme of the two ways, of righteousness and wickedness. The predictive section in vv 5–10 parallels two subsequent texts: the Apocalypse of Weeks (93:1–10 + 91:11–17) and Enoch’s prediction in 106:13–107:2.
5.
The body of the Epistle employs three literary forms typical of biblical prophecy: woes, admonitions usually introduced by "Fear not," and eschatological predictions introduced by "then" or "in those days" (Nickelsburg 1977). Described throughout is the oppression of the righteous by rich and powerful sinners (corresponding to the aforementioned "violence") and the false teaching of those who alter the Torah and lead many astray with their lies (corresponding to the "deceit" mentioned in the Apocalypse; Nickelsburg 1982). In a final major section (102:4–104:8), the author confronts the problem of theodicy raised by the present situation and offers a solution in the judgment that will give new life to the righteous dead and will recompense the sinners who have thus far gone unpunished. In a brief concluding section (104:12–105:2), the eschatological wisdom mentioned in 93:10 is identified with the books of Enoch, which are the basis on which the righteous will "testify to the sons of the whole earth."
Although the Epistle employs earlier and, in many cases, non-Enochic traditions, the section as a whole was created as an exhortative conclusion to the Enochic corpus. Its V 2, p 512 admonitions to the faith and righteous conduct that will lead to salvation presume earlier sections of 1 Enoch. Enoch’s vision of the place of the dead (chap. 22) is presupposed in 102:4–103:8, his viewing of the heavenly tablets is cited in 103:2, and his visions of angelic intercession are referred to in 104:1. Vision, angelic interpretation, and his reading of the tablets are mentioned in 93:2. Through these citations and the use of prophetic literary forms and of oath formulas that underscore the certainty of the author’s message of judgment, the author identifies this section and the corpus as a whole as the revealed, saving wisdom they claim to be.
The date and provenance of the Epistle are uncertain. If the Epistle as a whole was composed at the same time as the narrative in 81:1–82:3 and 91, the possible allusion to this narrative in Jub. 4:18–19 may indicate a date early in the 2d century b.c.e. On the other hand, the body of the Epistle may reflect excesses in the Hasmonean period and thus date to the latter part of the 2d century. The Epistle was composed in unidentified circles closely related to the Qumran community.
6.
7.
8.
The Book of Parables is, for the most part, an account of the visions that Enoch saw and the accompanying angels interpreted as the seer journeyed to the heavenly throne room and through the cosmos. A significant part of the text is a revision of earlier Enochic traditions drawn from the Book of the Luminaries and the Book of the Watchers. Material parallel to the former is found in 41:3–8, chaps. 43–44; 60:11–24; and 69:22–24. The first parable has many point-by-point similarities to chaps. 1–16, and later sections develop aspects of the accounts of Enoch’s journeys in chaps. 17–36. The double list of angelic names in 69:1–12 is a variant of the lists in 6:7 and 8:1–3. The Noachic narratives in chaps. 65–67 are related to the stories in 83–84 and 106–107, although this material may be a secondary interpolation into an earlier form of this work.
The uniqueness of this Enochic work lies in a series of vignettes set in the heavenly throne room which depict, in the form of a developing drama, events related to the great judgment. The principal figure in these scenes is a transcendent heavenly figure whom God has designated as the eschatological judge and the vindicator of the righteous and elect. The text refers to him variously as "the Chosen One" (his primary title), "the Righteous One," "that son of man," and God’s "Anointed One." See SON OF MAN. As these designations indicate, the descriptions of this figure are the fruit of speculations on the biblical texts about "one like a son of man" (Daniel 7), the Deutero-Isaianic servant of the Lord (esp. Isaiah 42, 49, 52–53), and the Davidic king (Psalm 2 and Isaiah 11). The Chosen One will judge two major groups of sinners. They are "the kings and the mighty," who persecute the righteous and function in analogy to the giants in chaps. 6–11 and the sinners in 92–105, and the angelic chieftain Azazel and his hosts, who, like ˓Aśa˒el and the others in chaps. 6–11, have revealed the secrets of unrighteousness.
Through these vignettes the author presents his message. In the coming judgment, God will vindicate the righteous and elect and punish their enemies. The book, in turn, is offered as revealed wisdom about this judgment and the heavenly realm in which it is already beginning to happen, and it promises salvation to the righteous who stand firm in this knowledge.
The Enochic character of the Book of Parables is emphasized in its last two chapters, which, however, may be secondary to the text. Here Enoch’s translation (Genesis 5) is identified with his ascent to the heavenly throne room (1 Enoch 14) and with the presentation of the son of man in Daniel 7. Thus, as a climax to the drama that the seer has seen unfold, he sees himself being presented to God as the son of man who is to be the eschatological judge.
The date and provenance of the book have long been disputed. Taking note of their absence from the Qumran Aramaic fragments and some similarities to the Christian Sibylline Oracles, Milik (1976: 91–98) has argued that they are a Christian product from ca. 270 c.e. However, several weaknesses in Milik’s argument make this conclusion highly dubious. The Parables’ absence from Qumran need only indicate that their author based his work on copies of the pre-Qumran Enochic texts which circulated outside of Qumran. The Christian Sibyllines are probably ultimately dependent on the Parables and not vice versa. Milik’s identification of the Parthians and Medes (56:5) with the V 2, p 513 Palmyrenes is generally not accepted. Currently, most scholars take the Parables to be a Jewish text from either the last half of the 1st century b.c.e. or the first three quarters of the 1st century c.e. The earlier dating finds in 56:5 a reference to the Parthian invasion of 40 b.c.e. and in 67:8–13 a reference to Herod the Great. The later dating emphasizes the affinities between the Parables and the Jewish apocalypses of the late 1st century c.e. and the book of Revelation (Knibb 1978). Their specific provenance in Judaism is uncertain.
9.
The Book of the Giants. Although these narratives about the sons of the watchers and the women are not part of the Ethiopic corpus, they are contemporaneous with some of the strata in that corpus. Fragments of six copies of the work have been identified among the Qumran Aramaic fragments, and paleographic considerations indicate the early 1st century b.c.e. as a terminus ad quem for its composition. From the Qumran fragments and from numerous fragments and passages from a Manichean version of the work we can reconstruct some of the contents of the book, but the rest of its contents and its relationship to the narrative parts of 1 Enoch are uncertain (Milik 1976: 298–317). The Book of Parables (or Similitudes) (Chaps. 37–71). This longest of all the Enochic books is generally considered to be the latest major stratum in the corpus. There is some doubt as to its title. Although the superscription in 37:5 calls attention to the three "parables" (38–44; 45–57; 58–69) that constitute its primary contents, and 68:1 (a later interpolation) refers to "the Book of the Parables," the expression "He took up his parable and said" is used in earlier strata to introduce the initial oracle (1:2, 3) and the Apocalypse of Weeks (93:1, 3). The author’s superscription designates the work as "The vision of wisdom which Enoch … saw" and wrote down both for the men of old and those of the latter days (37:1–3; cf. 1:1–2; 92:1). Another Book by Enoch (Chap. 108). This brief work of uncertain origin and date was added to the end of the corpus as a final word of exhortation to the righteous of the end time. Drawing on other parts of the corpus, it presents a brief vision of the place of punishment as evidence of the coming judgment and calls on the suffering righteous to endure in anticipation of their glorification. An Account of Noah’s Birth (Chaps. 106–7). The miraculous circumstances attending Noah’s birth terrify his father Lamech, who suspects an angelic conception and sends Methuselah to Enoch for an explanation. The seer attributes the evils of the present time to the angelic rebellion but promises that in Noah Lamech’s progeny will be preserved and the world and humankind will be restored after the judgment of the Deluge. Thus the narrative concludes the Enochic corpus with the promise, inherent in its typology of primordial and end times, that salvation will follow the eschatological judgment. Evidence from the Qumran manuscripts indicates that the narrative was composed before the middle of the 1st century b.c.e. It is a variant of the stories of Enoch’s vision of the Flood in chaps. 83–84 and Noah’s anticipation of the Flood in chap. 65. All three reflect the kind of apprehension and fear that are typical of people who believe they are living in the last times. The Epistle of Enoch (Chaps. 92–105). These chapters claim to be an epistle from Enoch to his spiritual descendants in the latter generations. Counterposed throughout are the righteous and the sinners and the respective judgments that await them. The introductory Apocalypse of Weeks schematizes human history from Enoch to the eschaton and provides a time frame for the judgment that is presumed in the rest of the Epistle (VanderKam 1984: 142–60). Central to the Apocalypse is the primordial and eschatological opposition between violence and deceit and righteousness and truth. The seventh week will be marked by the constitution of the community of the righteous and chosen, whose gift of "sevenfold wisdom and knowledge" will enable them to uproot the structure of violence and deceit. The sword of judgment given to the righteous in the eighth week is reminiscent of the Animal Vision, and the motif is repeated in 95:3; 96:1; and 98:12. In the tenth week, the eschatological temple will be built, and the revelation of righteous Torah will turn all humanity to righteousness (see also above). Two Pieces of Testamentary Narrative (81:1–82:3; 91). The brief narrative in 81:1–82:3, which is out of place in its present context in the Book of the Luminaries, forms a narrative bridge with material that follows. Enoch views the heavenly tablets that contain a record of human deeds. He is then brought back to earth by the angelic guides mentioned in the Book of the Watchers and is told to instruct his children for one year, transmitting to them the wisdom he received on his journeys. This "testimony" for future generations is given in the presence of Methuselah. Enoch’s Two Dream Visions (Chaps. 83–90). Enoch recounts to Methuselah the contents of two dream visions which he saw before he was married to Edna. According to the first (chaps. 83–84), he saw a vision of the Deluge and prayed that his posterity not be destroyed. Enoch’s Journey to the East (Chaps. 20–36). After a list of the seven archangels who will accompany Enoch (chap. 20), this section recounts Enoch’s visions, from the far west (where chaps. 17–19 left off) to the easternmost edge of earth’s disk. The principal motif is eschatological retribution, which is stressed through a series of additions to the traditions in chaps. 17–19 (Wacker). Enoch’s Journey to the West (Chaps. 17–19). From the heavenly throne room (the setting of chaps. 14–16) certain angels (17:1; only Uriel is named in 19:1) accompany Enoch on a journey to the western edge of earth’s disk, which culminates in two visions of the places of punishment of the rebel watchers and certain transgressing stars (18:10–11 + 19:1–2 + 18:12–16 + 19:3, assuming there is a displacement in the received text). The order of the account parallels chaps. 14–16, with the horizontal journey to God’s mountain throne and the vision of the watchers’ punishment replacing the vertical ascent to the heavenly throne room and the oracle that announces that punishment. A literary form akin to the Greek Nekyia (a journey to the places of punishment in the underworld) replaces the form of the prophetic call. The detailed references to places of geographic and cosmic importance indicate the apocalyptist’s familiarity with speculation about these matters. In the account, however, they function as landmarks that document the seer’s progress to his journey’s goal. Enoch’s Commissioning as a Prophet of Judgment (Chaps. 12–16). In a kind of commentary on chaps. 6–11, this section describes Enoch’s ascent to the heavenly throne room as a prophetic commissioning in the tradition of Ezekiel 1–2. The account also contains important characteristics of later Jewish accounts of mystical ascents. Although the name of Šemiḥazah is not mentioned, the text focuses on the watchers’ sin with the women, which is interpreted as the heavenly priests’ forsaking the eternal sanctuary and defiling themselves by violating the created distinction between spirit and flesh. Unlike chaps. 6–11, the death of the giants results not in their annihilation, but in the release of evil spirits which will plague the world until the eschaton (15:11–16:1; cf. Jub. 10:1–13). Reference to ˓Aśa˒el and the revelation of forbidden secrets (13:1–2; 15:2–3) appears to be secondary to the section but reflects ˓Aśa˒el’s increasing importance in the tradition. The Myths of the Watchers’ Rebellion (Chaps. 6–11). This narrative of the primordial angelic rebellion serves as a mythic foundation for the Enochic authors’ interpretation of certain regnant evils and their expectation of its resolution in the eschatological judgment (Nickelsburg 1981a: 212–13). The text conflates two or three separate traditions. The first recasts Genesis 6–9. The biblical "sons of God" are angels, led by their chieftain Šemiḥazah—"holy watchers," whose intercourse with mortal V 2, p 510 women breeds a race of malevolent giants whose bloody violence desolates the earth. The sin of "all flesh," which triggered God’s judgment in the Deluge, according to Genesis, is here transformed into the watchers’ rebellion and giants’ violent victimization of "all flesh." The biblical description of the postdiluvian restoration of the earth (Genesis 9) is rewritten as a scenario of eschatological re-creation. The tradition interprets the events of Genesis as a prototype of eschatological violence, judgment, and restoration in which evil that originated in demonic rebellion would find its cure in divine intervention. Although aspects of this interpretation of Genesis may have their roots in pre-Hellenistic times, the form of the myth attested in 1 Enoch 6–11 fits well in the time of the successors of Alexander (the Diadochoi), whose wars in contention for the kingdom (323–302 b.c.e.) have a mythic counterpart in the violence of the giants and whose claims of divine parentage find an admirable parody in the motif of the watchers’ rebellious spawning of semi-divine warriors. Introdution (Chaps. 1–5). Most likely composed as an introduction to chaps. 1–36, this section strikes the keynote for the book (Hartman 1979). The superscription and introduction to the section (1:1–3) describe Enoch as a righteous man who saw heavenly visions that were interpreted by angels and that are now transmitted as a "blessing" for "the righteous chosen" who will live at the time of the eschatological judgment. That blessing is given in an oracle in late prophetic style which describes the eschatological theophany and the resulting blessing and curse on the righteous and sinners. Thus the Book of the Watchers is presented as a collection of revelations about the judgment. The Book of the Watchers (Chaps. 1–36). These chapters constitute the second oldest section of 1 Enoch. As a literary unit they probably date to the second half of the 3d century b.c.e. and reflect a developing accretion to a nucleus of traditions that stem from the 4th century. The structure and functioning of celestial (mainly) and terrestial phenomena are the subject matter of these chapters (VanderKam 1984: 76–109). The primitive science that is expounded suggests that this section is the oldest stratum in 1 Enoch and that it stems from the Persian period (Neugebauer in Black 1985: 387). The text as it presently stands is a narrative in which Enoch recounts to Methuselah (76:14; 79:1) his journey through the heavens and over the earth, during which Uriel, the angel in charge of the luminaries, interpreted what Enoch saw.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Bibliography
Nickelsburg, G. W. E. 1981a. The Books of Enoch in Recent Research. RelSRev 7: 210–17.
Suter, D. W. 1981. Weighed in the Balance: The Similitudes of Enoch in Recent Discussion. RelSRev 7: 217–21.
Texts and Translations
Bonner, C. 1937. The Last Chapters of Enoch in Greek. SD 8. London. Repr. 1968.
Charles, R. H. 1906. The Ethiopic Version of the Book of Enoch. Anecdota Oxoniensia, Sem. Ser. 11. Oxford.
Knibb, M. A., and Ullendorf, E. 1978. The Ethiopic Book of Enoch. 2 vols. Oxford.
Milik, J. T. 1976. The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4. Oxford.
Uhlig, S. 1984.
Apokalypsen: Das äthiopischen Henochbuch.
JSHRZ 5/6. Gütersloh.
Other Literature
Black, M. 1985. The Books of Enoch or 1 Enoch: A New English Edition with Commentary and Textual Notes. SVTP 7. Leiden.
Collins, J. J. 1984. Pp. 33–67, 142–54 in The Apocalyptic Imagination. New York.
Hartman, L. 1979. Asking for a Meaning: A Study of 1 Enoch 1–5. ConBNT 12. Lund.
Himmelfarb, M. 1983. Tours of Hell: An Apocalyptic Form in Jewish and Christian Literature. Philadelphia.
Knibb, M. A. 1978–79. The Date of the Parables of Enoch: A Critical Review. NTS 25: 345–59.
Lawlor, H. J. 1897. Early Citations from the Book of Enoch. Journal of Philology 25: 164–225.
Nickelsburg, G. W. E. 1977. The Apocalyptic Message of 1 Enoch 92–105. CBQ 39: 309–28.
———. 1981b. Enoch, Levi, and Peter: Recipients of Revelation in Upper Galilee. JBL 100: 575–600.
———. 1982. The Epistle of Enoch and the Qumran Literature. JJS 33: 333–48.
———. 1986. 1 Enoch and Qumran Origins: The State of the Question and Some Prospects for Answers. SBLASP, pp. 341–60.
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Österreichische Biblische Studien 6. Klosterneuburg.
Stone, M. E. 1976. Lists of Revealed Things in the Apocalyptic Literature. Pp. 414–52 in Magnalia Dei: The Mighty Acts of God. Ed. F. M. Cross et al. Garden City.
VanderKam, J. C. 1984. Enoch and the Growth of an Apocalyptic Tradition. CBQMS 16. Washington, DC.
Wacker, M.-T. 1982.
Weltordnung und Gericht: Studien zu 1 Henoch 22. Forschung zur Bibel 45.
Würzburg.
The Enochic Traditions and Early Christianity
Until the discovery of the Qumran Scrolls, the only preserved texts of the Enochic writings derived from Christian circles (see B above). The living context of this transmission was a religious community that arose from and for some time continued to draw on the resources of an apocalyptic Judaism transmitted in the Enochic writings. At least some of the Son of Man sayings in Mark and "Q" know the tradition as it was reshaped in the Book of Parables and "christologize" it (see SON OF MAN). Traditions associated with the Apostle Peter (in Matthew 16, 1 and 2 Peter, and the Apocalypse of Peter) draw on elements in the corpus (Rubinkiewicz). Matthew and probably Luke reflect parts of it. The Apocalypse of John of Patmos uses Enochic traditions about ˓Aśa˒el and is the closest formal counterpart to the Book of Parables. Jude (vv 14–15) and Tertullian (de Idololatria 4; de Cultu Feminarum 3:1) ascribe prophetic status to the patriarch Enoch and quote the opening oracle and the Epistle respectively. Barnabas 16 quotes the Animal Vision and the Apocalypse of Weeks as "scripture." Justin Martyr (2 Apologia 5) and evidently Irenaeus (Adversus Haereses 4.36.4) appear to know the Enochic traditions about the angelic rebellion, and Pseudo-Clement (Homilies 8:12ff.) knows more than is preserved in 1 Enoch. Other allusions and quotations appear in Clement of Alexandria and in Origen. Thus, at a time when the writings ascribed to Enoch were falling into disuse among Jews, these same texts continued to be cited as inspired scripture in sectors of Christianity. Except in the Ethiopian church and among the Manicheans, however, this authority of Enochic scripture disappeared as the canon of ancient writings was limited to the books contained in the Hebrew Bible or the. Nonetheless, the Enochic influence has continued in the form of traditions that were formative in the writing of the NT texts.
Provenance and Social Setting
The Enochic writings are a corpus of closely related traditions that were created, transmitted, and developed in "pious" Jewish circles of the 4th to 1st centuries b.c.e. The Essenes at Qumran were one important heir and transmitter of the corpus during the 2d and 1st centuries, although there is no sure evidence that this group wrote any part of the corpus (Nickelsburg 1986). That the group or groups who created the Enochic traditions were closely related to the Qumran sect is indicated not only by the presence of many Enoch manuscripts at Qumran but also by allusions to this literature in Qumran sectarian documents and by a substantial number of similarities between 1 Enoch and various of the sectarian texts. Among the similarities are a common solar calendar, antagonism toward the Second Temple (though partly for different reasons), the prized memory of a religious awakening, reform, or renewal in the Hellenistic period, the claim to be God’s (harried and persecuted) righteous elect who possess the interpretation of the Torah necessary for salvation and insight into the divine eschatological mysteries, and a common militant ideology that anticipated the elect community’s participation in the coming judgment.
Much work remains to be done on the history of the circles that produced the Enochic literature and their relationships to the Qumran sect, but the following are guideposts. In the earliest recoverable form of the Šemiḥazah story, the reference to God’s revelation to Noah reflects the author’s belief that he and certain others constitute a righteous remnant whose knowledge of the coming judgment will save them. The early date of the Book of the Luminaries indicates that a solar calendar was one of the earliest constituents of Enochic Torah. Chaps. 12–16 appear to reflect antipathy toward the Temple as early as the 3d century, and the later Animal Vision and probably the Apocalypse of Weeks trace this back to the time of its construction. The book of Jubilees, which probably dates to the time of Jason’s reforms in Jerusalem, prizes the Enochic traditions and emphasizes the importance of the solar calendar. Nonetheless, it reflects little sectarian consciousness and appears to limit its condemnation of the temple and priesthood to the Hellenistic period. Daniel 7 and 12 appear to reflect traditions in 1 Enoch 14: 24–27, and Daniel’s visionary activity parallels that of Enoch. Although we know very little about the Hasidim mentioned in 1 and 2 Maccabees, nothing in the Enochic texts prevents the theory that these texts and that group were parts of a common reform movement or series of movements. Column 1 of the Damascus Document and the Apocalypse of Weeks appear to refer to a religious awakening in a period that both describe without mention of the Return and the Second Temple, and Column 8 of the Manual of Discipline reapplies the tradition to the founding of the Qumran community. The absence of the Book of Parables in the Qumran library suggests that the corpus was transmitted and developed in at least one context other than Qumran.
Although the pseudepigraphic nature of the Enochic texts masks much of the social, institutional, and other functional realia that constituted their authors’ world, some hints are present. Interpretation of received tradition was a primary activity. This tradition was, of course, ascribed to Enoch. Behind it, however, lay the Pentateuch and the Latter Prophets, and in the Animal Vision, the history recorded in the Former Prophets. In addition, certain kinds of speculation reflect a study of the heavens and transmission of cosmographic and geographic lore. From a formal point of view, the largest part of the corpus records dreams and visions and their interpretation—an activity with a history that runs from the Joseph stories, through Ezekiel and Zechariah, to the Danielic stories and visions.
Binding all this activity together is the claim to be mediating revelation. Interestingly, however, in spite of the Mosaic and prophetic roots of much of the tradition, the authors never attribute the title of "prophet" to Enoch or to any of the righteous described in the texts. Two terms V 2, p 516 in the texts are suggestive of revelatory activity. Certain of the righteous who teach divine Law are called "the wise" (98:9; 99:10), which may indicate the title ḥakkı̂m or maśkı̂l. Since Enochic "wisdom" is revealed, the title has revelatory connotations. Enoch, on the other hand, is called the wise and righteous "scribe" (15:1; 92:1). Although this term refers to his writing activity, it has more exalted connotations. In keeping with the earlier picture of Ezra and the later description by Ben Sira (chaps. 24, 39), it probably identifies the authors as sages who are the authoritative interpreters and transmitters of sacred tradition. Unlike both of these, however, the Enochic authors claim for their interpretation a directness and immediacy of revelation that functionally parallels that of the prophets. The precise office, institution, and practices that underlie the terms "wise" and "scribe" need further study. The Qumran Scrolls offer some hints in their references to "the Teacher of Righteousness," whose title parallels that of Enoch (1 Enoch 12:4; 15:1) and whose interpretation of the Torah and the Prophets may be counterparts of some of the types of activity in the Enochic tradition.
How the Enochic authors and their readers and adherents may have been organized into a community or communities remains a mystery. Some suggestions of communal existence may be present in the references to the chosen righteous in chaps. 1–5, the Apocalypse of Weeks, and 104:12–14, as well as in the Parables in the reference to "the houses of his congregations." However, specific and explicit information of the type furnished by the Qumran Manual of Discipline and archeological evidence is lacking for the Enochic literature.
1 Enoch as a Theological and Intellectual Synthesis
1 Enoch
attests the confluence of many social, cultural, and religious currents in postexilic Judaism. Fundamental is the belief that God’s will has been revealed and is to be obeyed. The Mosaic Torah, evidently interpreted in specific ways, is presumed, but supplemented by Enochic Torah, which focuses on cosmology and calendar. In their predominating claim to be mediating revelations about the great eschatological judgment that will recompense the righteous and the sinners for their responses to God’s will, the Enochic authors are indebted to aspects of Israelite prophecy, as is evident from the use of prophetic forms and genres and dependence on specific prophetic traditions. However, the embodiment of this message in extended historical and cosmological apocalypses and the transformation of the call vision into a heavenly ascent reflect important divergences from biblical tradition. Passing allusions and detailed references to animate and inanimate aspects of the created world and its components and structure indicate more than a passing acquaintance with interests and concerns elsewhere evident in the Wisdom Literature (Stone 1976). These motifs supplement the temporal emphasis of prophetic eschatology with a spatial dimension, and the whole is further embellished through the use of literary forms and traditions at home in the Wisdom Literature.
Through the intersection of these currents a new phenomenon appears in 1 Enoch. The content of Torah is broadened, and its true interpretation is specified. The revelation of God’s will and of the eschatological future is supplemented by revealed knowledge of a hidden world, and together these are identified as heavenly wisdom of broad and inclusive dimensions, mediated by a primordial seer and sage.
The Enochic convergence of Israelite intellectual, theological, and religious streams is further complicated by elements of pagan provenance: Babylonian myths about the ancient sage (VanderKam 1984: 23–75), Greek myths about Prometheus and about the Titans, and common Near Eastern mythic geography and cosmology (Nickelsburg 1981a: 212–13). The principle of selective syncretism is not new to Israelite religion, but the specific mix is novel.
Dualism in the Enochic Writings
The Enochic authors’ use of revelatory genres is a function of the dualistic understanding of historical and cosmic reality which pervades the corpus and is essential to its exposition. The phenomenal world is a reflection of a hidden world whose complex realities can be known only if they are revealed. The nature and functions of this dualism and the consequent pervasive use of apocalyptic genres are important defining characteristics of the Enochic corpus and signal some important transformations of biblical tradition.
A spatial dualism is integral to the exposition of Enochic Torah. Although we are not well informed about the totality of the Torah of the circles that created the Enochic writings, it is evident that correct calendrical practice played an important role. For this reason, certain of the authors emphasized the revealed knowledge of the hidden world of the heavenly luminaries which was necessary for right conduct.
Important aspects of the Enochic authors’ understanding of the nature of evil were governed by a dualistic worldview. Human beings were, of course, responsible for their actions, and they would be rewarded or punished accordingly at the great judgment. Nonetheless, the Enochic authors attributed a significant part of the evils in this world to a hidden demonic world, and the corpus devotes considerable space to myths that trace the origins of that world to an angelic rebellion that took place in the heavenly realm and the hidden primordial past (see A.1.b above).
Given the supernatural origin and character of the evils, the authors seek a remedy beyond history and beyond the empirical world. On the one hand, the remedy lies in the hidden future when divine judgment will usher in a new age qualitatively different from the present one, when the Creator’s primordial intention will become permanent reality and evil will be forever eradicated. On the other hand, the solution is already in process, in the hidden throne room in the heavenly realm, where the archangelic counterparts of the demons plead and prepare for salvation, V 2, p 515 and in the secret recesses of the cosmos, where the places of punishment await or already claim their victims.
The Enochic Corpus as Revealed Heavenly Wisdom
The Enochic authors’ use of revelatory genres derives from their belief that they are transmitting heavenly "wisdom." Contrary to what one might expect, the noun "revelation" seems never to have been used in this corpus, and the verb "reveal" is rare (see 7:1; 8:3; 9:6, 8; 13:2 for the secrets brought by the rebellious watchers; 10:2, 107:3 for information about Noah and the Flood, and 106:19; 91:14; 94:2 for the revelations to Enoch and their promulgation in the end time). More frequently Enoch’s revelations are called "wisdom" (5:8; 32:3–6; 37:1–4; 82:2–3; 92:1; 93:8, 10; 94:5; 104:12; 105:1), and the verb "given" denotes its divine origin (5:8; 37:4; 93:10; 104:12).
The Enochic corpus is an earthly deposit of wisdom from and about the hidden world, which has been mediated through authors who are identified with the primordial sage and seer. One is interested not in the historical process by which this wisdom came to be embodied in these texts but with its identity as heavenly wisdom and its association with an ancient figure who is perceived to have been the quintessential source and mediator of such wisdom.
Enochic wisdom has a salvific function. It is Torah broadly conceived. Aspects of it reveal the laws that embody the divine will that is to be obeyed if one is to be saved. It also provides instruction about the coming judgment, in which God will save and damn the obedient and disobedient. Thus the Enochic revelation of wisdom and one’s response to it are crucial for salvation, or life, or blessing.
This view of wisdom is functionally similar to Ben Sira’s understanding of wisdom. As is evident from Sirach 24, Ben Sira sees the Mosaic Torah less as a historical phenomenon associated with Mount Sinai than as the perennial repository of preexistent heavenly wisdom whose life-giving function is mediated through its interpretation by sages like himself. The differences between the two authors’ understanding of wisdom must, of course, be noted. Ben Sira expounds what he understands to be Mosaic Torah; his opinion about the specifics of Enochic wisdom is uncertain (44:16 is textually problematic). As to the means of revelation, he is skeptical about dreams and visions (34:1–8). Unlike the author of the Epistle, moreover, he does not limit salvation to those who accept his interpretation of Torah.
Literary Genres and Their Function
1 Enoch
provides a wealth of information about the development of (biblical) literary genres during the crucial transitional Hellenistic period. Chaps. 6–11 are an early example of the rewriting of biblical narrative which will later emerge in Targum and Midrash. Other texts are developing examples of the prophetic forms of call story, salvation-judgment oracle, woe, or exhortation. Chaps. 2–5, the two–ways instruction in chaps. 91 and 94, and some of the woes in the Epistle have important analogies in Israelite Wisdom Literature.
1.
A Collection of Apocalypses. Large parts of the Enochic corpus belong to two literary genres. The first of these appears in various types of apocalypse. The Book of the Luminaries, chaps. 17–19 and 20–36, large parts of the Parables, and part of the narratives in 81:1–82:3 and chap. 108 are cast as journeys to inaccessible places where visions are interpreted by an accompanying angel. This form and literary device have counterparts in Ezekiel 40–48 and Zechariah 1–6 (Himmelfarb 1983: 56–58). In addition, in texts with no counterpart in a biblical genre, Enoch recounts in chaps. 85–90, 93:1–10, and 91:11–17 visions that describe the history of the world from primordial time to the eschaton. In both of these, the narrator functions as an inspired revealer of secrets about the hidden future. Finally, the instruction and exhortation that constitute the major part of the Epistle are explicitly based on Enoch’s visions of heavenly and cosmic entitites: heavenly tablets and books, angelic intercession, and the places and objects of eschatological blessing and punishment. This repeated use of revelatory literary forms and recourse to revealed visions and information justifies our calling 1 Enoch an apocalyptic work or, in large part, a collection of apocalypses.
Enoch sees and then reveals to the reader God’s hidden world and hidden future. The former is important to note because studies of apocalyptic theology have tended to stress eschatology. However, in its earliest form, a work like the Book of the Luminaries appears not to have dealt with eschatology. Instead, the author revealed the hidden workings of the heavenly bodies which undergird a calendrical Torah.
Although the journey narratives in chaps. 17–36 reveal aspects of God’s hidden world and doubtless reflect study and speculation about "scientific" matters, the journeys and various segments in them climax in interpreted visions about phenomena and places of eschatological importance, and thus the cosmic information functions to undergird V 2, p 514 the author’s eschatology. This eschatology has both a temporal dimension and a spatial one. Here Enoch sees the places, things, and agents of the judgment that elsewhere is predicted. God has prepared and built into the cosmos the entities that will facilitate that judgment and its consequences. Enoch’s revelation includes reports that these things are present and happening in God’s hidden world, and this revelation of present realities guarantees that the future judgment and its consequences will also take place.
2.
A Testament and Testimony. The function of the apocalyptic genres becomes evident in the use of a second genre—the testament—which governs the shape of a large part of the Enochic corpus. Especially noteworthy are the similarities to parts of Deuteronomy. The superscription and initial description of the eschatological theophany recall the Blessing of Moses (1:1, 3c–4, 9; cf. Deut 33:1–2). The testamentary setting in 81:5–82:3 and chap. 91, the double description of future history in 91:5–10, 93:1–10, and 91:11–17, and the two–ways instruction in 91:3–4, 18–19; 94:1–4 have counterparts in Deuteronomy 38–32. The fragmentary passage in 93:11–14 paraphrases Deut 4:33 and sets the uniqueness of Enoch’s revelations of the heavenly throne room and the cosmos in parallel to the uniqueness of the revelation of the Mosaic Torah (contrast Deut 30:11–14). The key word "testify" (81:6; 91:3), used of Enoch’s instruction to his children and of the book’s function in the eschaton (104:11; 105:1), parallels the usage in Deuteronomy 30–31 and ascribes to the Enochic corpus a function that parallels the Mosaic Torah and Moses’ descriptions of the future. In the end time the testamentary deposit of Enoch’s revealed wisdom appeals to the righteous and the world at large to obey its Torah (both what is written in the corpus and the broader tradition transmitted by the community) so that they may be saved in the coming judgment.
Literary History, Versions, and Manuscript Tradition
Although many details remain obscure, we can trace major aspects in the literary history of the Enochic corpus. The Book of the Watchers developed in stages from its mythic nucleus in chaps. 6–11. With some more additions this major unit came to function as the narrative introduction to an Enochic testament. An additional narrative described how Enoch returned from his journeys through the cosmos and was commanded to instruct his children (81:1–82:3; 91). At some point that instruction came to include not only the two–ways admonitions in chap. 91 and 94:1–4 and the historical surveys in 93:1–10 and 91:11–17, but also the two dream visions (chaps. 83–90) and the body of the Epistle (92; 94:5ff). This latter served as an exposition of the two–ways theology and an extended exhortation that was based on Enoch’s visions (chaps. 21–36; 81) and the announcement of the judgment implicit in them and explicit in chaps. 1–5. The addition of chaps. 106–107 provided a narrative of primordial times that anticipated the salvation of the eschaton. A compressed form of the Book of the Luminaries (chaps. 72–82) was juxtaposed to the astronomical material in chaps. 33–36, and then the Book of Parables (chaps. 37–71) was interpolated between these two sections. Chapter 108 was added as a final exhortation.
With the exception of the Parables and chaps. 83–84 and 108, all the major sections of 1 Enoch are represented among the Qumran Aramaic manuscripts, as is the Book of Giants. It is likely that all component parts, including the Parables, were composed in Aramaic. The Akhmim papyrus (6th century) and the Chester Beatty papyrus (4th century) preserve, between them, approximately twenty-five percent of the Book of Watchers and the Epistle in Greek translation. Two other mss preserve Greek fragments of the Book of the Luminaries and the Animal Vision. Quotations in the Book of Jude, various of the Church Fathers, and the chronography of George Syncellus reflect knowledge of a Greek translation of the Book of the Watchers, the Apocalypse of Weeks, and the Epistle, and the earliest of these quotations indicates the late 1st century c.e. as a terminus ad quem for the Greek translation(s). Whether the archetype of the Ethiopic translation, which was made no later than the 6th century, used a single Greek ms or a set of mss depends on whether the Parables were translated from a Greek version or directly from the Aramaic, as Ullendorf and Knibb suggest (Knibb 1978: 2.37–46). In the latter case, 1 Enoch would have come into its present form only in the Ethiopic version. Of that version, a large number of mss are known, many of them parts of more extensive biblical mss.
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Enoch was written either in Aramaic or in Hebrew during the 2nd temple period. It was preserved in the Ethiopic church (in Geez). Parts of a Greek translation were discovered on several papyri. In 1947 scrolls containing parts of Enoch in Aramaic were discovered in Qumran.
Enoch was chosen probably because of the story which is told of him in Gen 5:22. Why the book did not enter the Jewish canon we do not know. Many Pseudepigraphical books did not make it to the Jewish canon.
EDIT: I see now the AYBD entry which was posted as I was writing this.
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Thanks for the replies... im wondering what other peoples opinion are.. ie, do you personally look at it as a trusted source?
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Well basically, it is not part of the Bible.
While there may be arguments on why it should or should not be included, the fact is, that it is not.
So protestants would probably look at it, as one of the books of the Apocrypha.
Unless someone took some action to include it in their Bible or doctrine, or elsewhere, it would just be another resource.
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Nicky said:
im wondering what other peoples opinion are
Opinion? Now we are talkin'. [:D]
The book is considered to be 200 years younger than "accepted" Scripture. Parts of it are written in Coptic, an Egyptian language. The same language used largely by the Gnostics. Whereas, The new testament was written in Greek, or Aramaic. Those are just a couple reasons that I don't spend much time/effort dissecting the book of Enoch.
~
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I've read "in" Enoch, but haven't read it through. I do find it odd that some will question quoting it...or for that matter, even reading it. Especially since some of the same folks have no problem reading Dan Brown or the "Left Behind" series, or quoting from this or that commentary, historian, preacher, or dictionary. It is a source and thus a resource, and it gives insight and background to much that is not otherwise presented. I read it for what it's worth, knowing that some of it could be true, and that some of it may not be...just like any commentary, the Talmudim, or a preacher's sermon.
ASUS ProArt x570s Creator, AMD R9 5950x, HyperX 64gb 3600 RAM, ASUS Strix RTX 2080 ti
"The Unbelievable Work...believe it or not." Little children...Biblical prophecy is not Christianity's friend.
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David Paul said:
I read it for what it's worth
As it should be. I do the same. Unfortunately, I am much less likely to even consider the worth of the material when there is such a strong push (albeit from a minority) to consider such material as part of the Bible.
An ancient commentary? ...of course I'll look at it. A Pseudo-Gospel? ... I'll Pass.
~
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Dan Sheppard said:
Well basically, it is not part of the Bible.
We must be careful about saying it is not part of the Bible. Not all members of the forum are Protestant. Or even Catholic.
What we should say is that it is not accepted as inspired scripture
by any modern group of Christians except the Ethiopic Church (and a few
fringe groups and NAR's). Although even the Ethiopic Church does not use it liturgically.As for the original poster...
The Book of Enoch was considered scripture by several prominent and well respected Church Fathers. Although Tertullian, who at one time seems to have accepted it, questioned its authoritativeness in later years.
But, we must not overstate the case that some early Church Fathers accepted the book. Some also accepted the Shepherd of Hermas, the Didache, and the Gospel of Peter. The Church as a whole (the Ethiopic, Coptic, and Syrian Churches split from the remainder of the Church in 451 over the rulings in the Council of Chalcedon), under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, chose to disregard the Book of Enoch and these others as inspired Scripture. Why? We do not know. But they did. Others, also through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, were also not selected. Many of the books not selected were from heretical groups, others were note. Many were condemned, but these four books (and a few others) were never condemned and some (the Shepherd of Hermas and the Didache) were still considered as good reading for Christians.
The fact that Jude quotes a prophecy that is recorded in 1 Enoch 1:9 does not grant scriptural status to the Book of Enoch. Jude does not state that the entire book is prophetic or inspired. Nor does he even state that he was quoting from the book rather than from tradition, although the argument that he quoted from the text is strong. Jude quotes as prophecy ONE prophetic utterance that is included in the Book of Enoch. You could just as easily say that any book that includes a prophetical passage from the Scriptures is inspired because that one passage in the book is inspired.
We must remember, that if we as individuals begin to decide what is Scripture and what is not rather than trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit upon the Church as a whole then we risk using books or not using books that are required for a proper interpretation of Scripture. Just think, where would the case for Faith and Faith alone be without Romans? Where would be the divinity of Christ without John?
But... To get this back on track with being a Logos forum... You might find reading the volume on 1 Enoch in the Hermeneia Commentary series by George W. E. Nickelsburg interesting.
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May the Peace of the Lord be with you...
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Thank you James for an excellent explanation. I appreciate it very much. [Y]
Bohuslav
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Nicky said:
if anyone knew the history of the book.. ie, is it a trusted inspired book and if so, why it didn't make it into the Bible?
I would appreciate any comments on this.
Many thanks.
While i wouldn't consider it scripture though I do tend to treat much of the Apocrypha as scripture not the same level as the gospels, but on the level of Chronicles or Proverbs or Song of Solomon I would say the Apocrypha can offer something to teach Christians. I am fine with people not wanting to draw doctrine from them, I don't think any of the Bible should have doctrine drawn from it except trough the lens of the gospel (most people will treat different parts of the bible with different levels of usefulness). I have not studied Enoch too much, I do know that the Ethiopic church has always had it as part of their Bible and it is how we have it now. I am not a fundamentalistic believer, I do believe the Bible is God's word, but it is so because of History and the Spirits moving as much as anything... Almost certainly not all of Paul's letters made it into scripture, does that mean they were not all good, no just some were better and worth keeping. If we had the others to see, I would read them and look for what was worth keeping, I probably wouldn't call them Scripture but then with over a billion catholics and a few hundred million orthodox Christians, the majority of Christian's have the Apocrypha as deutrocanonical books (the Catholic term used to affirm the usefulness and value to these books despite their eventual rejection by modern Judaism (Canon was in flux till after the destruction of the temple, though the apocryphal books were included in the early greek translation known as the Septuagint (circa 200BC if memory serves), which was the Old Testament used by most of the early Church. Jerome (who had learned Hebrew) thought the Hebrew Canon should be preferred which lead him to placing the books between the Testaments.
-Dan
PS: I grew up knowing only standard Protestant Bible, I respect that many want nothing to do with it and I am Ok with that. I like Luther and the rest of the Anglican Church do not draw doctrine from it but just find it edifying reading.
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Thanks all for your replies, they are very much appreciated [:)]
David Paul said:I do find it odd that some will question quoting it
I think its absolutely fine to question it. The issue is not about quoting from just a bog standard commentary or novel, but whether or not it is an inspired book which should be treated as trusted scripture. ie, is it Gods inspired word...thats why it is a valid question in my book. [;)]
Abi Gail said:As it should be. I do the same. Unfortunately, I am much less likely to even consider the worth of the material when there is such a strong push (albeit from a minority) to consider such material as part of the Bible.
An ancient commentary? ...of course I'll look at it. A Pseudo-Gospel? ... I'll Pass.
I think I lean more this way too. I'm curious of course, even more so since there are some great commentaries out there that quote from it just as they would any other book in the Bible, but I think I will remain a bit reluctant when it comes to trusting it as inspired.
Thanks too for the indepth responses.
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I cam across this in Barclay this morning and thought I would share it....
The fact is that Jude, a pious Jew, knew and loved the Book of Enoch and had grown up in a circle where it was regarded with respect and even reverence; and he takes his quotation from it perfectly naturally, knowing that his readers would recognize it, and respect it. He is simply doing what all the New Testament writers do, as every writer must in every age, and speaking to men in language which they will recognize and understand.
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hmm... there seems to be alot of either for or against its credibility. The scripture Jude quotes, is also in Genesis (I cant remember what scripture it was right now).
It seems it would be left more to personal preference than anything else.. but Im still not convinced regarding its authenticity
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In my own personal opinion, I do not view it as an inspired piece of Scripture. As such I also do not view its original autograph as inerrant.
However, there is great insight to be gained from reading such writings. Read with caution and quote with a disclaimer.
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Due to my personal study, I do consider it canonical, as it is the only thing that helps make sense of several parts of the bible, like the Azazel goat. Jude quotes from him as we'll, and Jesus seems to make reference to Enoch when he mentions that the Pharisees err not knowing the scriptures, and that we shall be as the angels not marrying or giving in marriage. There are many, many other times where the only plausible explanation is that the book of enoch is part of the Scriptural canon of heaven.
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Ace ... interesting points and welcome to forums!
Regarding Barclay, his is a slippery slope (icy, actually). If you read the Apostolic Fathers, the first surprise is they don't seem to be aware of the inspired writings (NT). At best some of Paul's epistles.
But they are quite comfortable quoting what we seem to have a heart attack with. My favorite is 'Clement' and the explanation of Jesus' resurrection using the rising Phoenix with the sun god iin northeastern Egypt. I've no doubt Clement was pretty confident about that Phoenix, just as Jude was confident of Enoch and Paul felt confident quoting some other 'non-inspired' writings.
My theory (and strictly that) was that the Enoch Similutudes appeared in the mid-40s and so the sudden emphasis on angelology in the NT writings.
Our pastor is about a conservative as they get, but even he was unwilling to walk away from Enoch (but not willing to endorse it either).
By the way, if anyone is interested in the Apostolic Fathers and want an updated discussion of http://www.logos.com/product/3047/the-new-testament-in-the-apostolic-fathers .....
A few years back Oxford released http://www.amazon.com/The-Reception-Testament-Apostolic-Fathers/dp/0199230072/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351444730&sr=8-1&keywords=reception+of+the+new+testament+apostolic+fathers and it's quite good, especially chapter 2.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Ace Hedger said:
Due to my personal study, I do consider it canonical, as it is the only thing that helps make sense of several parts of the bible, like the Azazel goat. Jude quotes from him as we'll, and Jesus seems to make reference to Enoch when he mentions that the Pharisees err not knowing the scriptures, and that we shall be as the angels not marrying or giving in marriage. There are many, many other times where the only plausible explanation is that the book of enoch is part of the Scriptural canon of heaven.
If this is an area of interest for you Logos does have several resources that discuss 1 & 2 Enoch see http://www.logos.com/products/search?q=Enoch
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Dan Sheppard said:
While there may be arguments on why it should or should not be included, the fact is, that it is not.
Unless, of course, you belong to a church that accepts it i.e. the Jewish Beta Israel or the Christian Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church,
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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for fgh I'm not editing my prior post. 2 Enoch survives in Old Church Slavonic which implies that it was still held in respect at least as late as the 9th century (the date of the Old Church Slavonic obtaining a written form).
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Abi Gail said:
Parts of it are written in Coptic
Re: 1 Enoch There are fragments in Greek, Aramaic and Latin. The Coptics tend to believe the original was in Ge'ez but most scholars believe that the original was in Hebrew and/or Aramaic.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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MJ. Smith said:
for fgh I'm not editing my prior post.
Thank you! You're finally learning.[:D]
(For newcomers: MJ has [had] a bad habit of putting the most interesting parts of her posts in edits, which means that people like me who read via e-mail never get to see it. Since we share interests, I'm not happy about missing so much, so I've complained a few times.)
Mac Pro (late 2013) OS 12.6.2
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Nicky said:
hmm... there seems to be alot of either for or against its credibility. The scripture Jude quotes, is also in Genesis (I cant remember what scripture it was right now).
It seems it would be left more to personal preference than anything else.. but Im still not convinced regarding its authenticity
Good questions, Nicky. You are going to have to read Enoch to see what it's all about. As you say, this is like reading a Tolkien: you don't have to treat it as Bible, but it's a good read and you can learn from it.
Bear in mind that when the Jewish people finally delineated their Scriptures (after the time of Jesus), Enoch was not included. Consequently it is not accepted as canonical by the vast majority of the Christian church either. I'm personally pretty glad about that: much of it's content I cannot believe.
Having said that, I have bought the 2-volume Nickelsburg commentaries (Hermeneia series), and found them helpful to make sense of this ancient book that was very influential in Jewish thinking. Parts of it date back to fourth century BC, so it influenced Jubilees and later apocalyptic texts. That genre influenced the Book of Revelation too.
So, my suggestion would be to sequence your Biblical studies like this (over months or years):
- Concentrate on getting a good understanding of the canonical texts first: New Testament, Old Testament narratives, wisdom literature and prophets.
- When you have a reasonable handle on those, read the OT Apocrypha (deutero-canonical books), starting with 1 Mac.
- Then tackle the OT Pseudepigrapha, starting with Enoch.
If you don't already have Enoch in the Pseudepigrapha translated by Charles, the Charlesworth one is more recent.
For me, the biggest benefit of studying Enoch has been to live within the mindset of first century Judaism. Books are amazing how they can help us do that.
(BTW, the Jude 9 quote refers to a Genesis event [flood], but isn't actually in Genesis.)
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Allen Browne said:
Jewish people finally delineated their Scriptures (after the time of Jesus), Enoch was not included.
Unless you were among the Beta Israel Jews ... and I haven't been able to find the canon for the Chinese and South Asian Jews.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Allen Browne said:
Concentrate on getting a good understanding of the canonical texts first: New Testament
I can't resist - which New Testament canon? You might want recognize that 2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude and Revelation are not universally accepted. Some of them Luther thought deserved another skeptical look. Or ask yourself why German Bibles continued to include the Letter to the Laodiceans well into the Late Middle Ages.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Nicky said:
Thanks for the replies... im wondering what other peoples opinion are.. ie, do you personally look at it as a trusted source?
Trusted for what? It is good to be familiar with the book since, as you noted, Jude quotes it. There is another factor which is not generally known—it is good background information for the throne room scene in Re 4 where the one seated on the throne has a rainbow around his head thus linking the scene to the Flood narrative which is alluded to in the following chapters (war, tumult, famine, death) and the martyrs which contrary to the usual understanding are not Christian martyrs but those of the time of the Flood (cf. the account of the Watchers in Enoch). I certainly would not quote it as scripture, but a knowledge of it is useful as background.
george
gfsomselיְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
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MJ. Smith said:Allen Browne said:
Concentrate on getting a good understanding of the canonical texts first: New Testament
I can't resist - which New Testament canon?
:-) Fair enough, MJ.
MJ. Smith said:2 Peter, 2 John, 3 John, Jude and Revelation are not universally accepted.
Excellent! I might get to reject Jude from the canon yet.
You know, the way it quotes Enoch and all ... <gdr>0 -
I hope everyone recognizes we're chatting with a thread from 2 years ago (except for Ace). And questioning the Lord's brother (or so it says).
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Allen Browne said:
Excellent! I might get to reject Jude from the canon yet.
You know, the way it quotes Enoch and all ... <gdr>[:D] I like your style. [:D]
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Just in case it gets overlooked in the discussion:
http://www.logos.com/product/5221/the-book-of-enoch
Logos Bible Software gives you unprecedented access to the Book of Enoch. A simple search for references to Enoch, for example, returns over 1,000 hits in the Word Biblical Commentary and over 440 hits in the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. That’s over 1,500 references in just two sets of books!
[:)] and for good measure.....
http://www.logos.com/product/4242/qumran-sectarian-manuscripts
The Dead Sea Scrolls are divided into two collections. The first collection is the biblical scrolls - pieces of books found in the Hebrew Bible. The second collection is called 'sectarian manuscripts', which is all of the non-biblical scrolls. This includes commentaries on scripture, common books that would have been considered canonical by the Qumran community, even though they aren't in the Hebrew canon today (such as the Book of Enoch) .......
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David J. Wilson said:
Just in case it gets overlooked in the discussion:
http://www.logos.com/product/5221/the-book-of-enoch
Logos Bible Software gives you unprecedented access to the Book of Enoch. A simple search for references to Enoch, for example, returns over 1,000 hits in the Word Biblical Commentary and over 440 hits in the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. That’s over 1,500 references in just two sets of books!
and for good measure.....http://www.logos.com/product/4242/qumran-sectarian-manuscripts
The Dead Sea Scrolls are divided into two collections. The first collection is the biblical scrolls - pieces of books found in the Hebrew Bible. The second collection is called 'sectarian manuscripts', which is all of the non-biblical scrolls. This includes commentaries on scripture, common books that would have been considered canonical by the Qumran community, even though they aren't in the Hebrew canon today (such as the Book of Enoch) .......
You might also consider
https://www.logos.com/product/5746/old-testament-pseudepigrapha
https://www.logos.com/product/4237/the-apocrypha-and-pseudepigrapha-of-the-old-testament-in-english
george
gfsomselיְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
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