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The Book of Enoch the Prophet

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For those that are familiar with the Enoch literature this is a reprint of R.H. Charles shorter SPCK translation, not a facsimile of the full 1912 edition with all Charles' essays and notes. The extra pages are occupied with an introduction by R.A. Gilbert who has prefaced another half dozen similar genre reprints from the same publisher. That means this is 1 Enoch (Aramaic-Coptic Enoch), not 2 Enoch (Slavonic Enoch) or 3 Enoch (Hebrew Enoch). The 3 books, together with 'Jubilees' represent 4 very different versions of fallen angel myths. R.H. Charles' translations were ground-breaking at the time but for anyone with a serious interest in Jewish literature it is now no substitute for the scholarly translations of all 4 texts, among others, found in 'The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha: Apocalyptic Literature and Testaments (Old Testament Pseudepigraphia Vol 1) by James H. Charlesworth. Supplemented perhaps by Enochic material in the Dead Sea Scrolls (Vermes or Martinez editions).

For those that are not familiar with the Book of Enoch what we have here is a legend originating as a midrash on Genesis 6 (concerning the "sons of God and the daughters of men") in the time of the Maccabees. Although a lot of the midrashic material in the book is taken from elsewhere than Genesis. Such as the famous (or infamous) Jude 14 quote of from 1 Enoch 1:9, where Jude's quote is in turn a midrash based on Deuteronomy 33:2, i.e. words spoken by Moses and not the Biblical Enoch of whom no words are recorded. An account of the origin and growth of the Enoch myth in Second Temple period Judaism [aka "the Intertestamental Period"] is found in 'Jewish Literature Between the Bible and the Mishnah: An Historical and Literary Introduction' by George W. E., Nickelsburg.

The myth's reception in both Judaism and early Christianity was mixed. The Pharisee author of Liber Antiquarum known as Pseudo-Philo, and several pre-Mishnah and pre-Talmud rabbis rejected the interpretation of Genesis 6 'sons of God' as being about the fall of angels and they were followed in this by Jesus of Nazareth who said that "angels do not marry" and equated "the sons of God" with "sons of the resurrection". But equally Josephus, also a Pharisee, and Philo seem to have accepted the basic premise of the Enoch story. The book's popularity is illustrated by the various copies found at Qumran.

Both Peter and Jude quote from 1 Enoch more than is commonly realised. Peter's description of "chains of darkness" is drawn on the angel Uriel imprisoning the 200 fallen angels in Tartarus. Likewise Jude's "Enoch the seventh from Adam" is itself a quote from 1 Enoch not Genesis. This has led many readers, including R.A. Gilbert the editor of this reprint, to assume that Peter and Jude accepted the book as scripture. Of course quoting a book only proves you accept the book if you then agree with it. Those making this assumption tend to skip over such comments as Jude saying Michael would "not even rebuke" other heavenly beings - when the central event of 1 Enoch is the complaint of Michael to God in the heavenly throne room against the 200 fallen angels which gives Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael license to imprison them. Anyway, buy a translation of Enoch, read Peter and Jude and make up your own mind about whether they consider 1 Enoch scripture or, in Peter's words, "cunningly devised fables". You might also note that all extant Greek manuscripts of Jude have "Enoch prophesied TO these men", not "ABOUT these men" as the KJV has it. Small word, big difference. After the early Christian period Enoch enjoyed a vogue in the period from Tertullian (a real Enoch enthusiast) to Origen. After which the development of a new doctrine for the origin of the Devil based on Isaiah made Enoch redundant and it was sidelined into Coptic and Slavonic Christianity. Jews largely rejected the fallen angel myth from Trypho the Jew onwards - and Enochic material was excluded from both Jewish and Christian editions of the Septuagint, the Vulgate (and hence the apocrypha of the modern Jerusalem Bible), Mishnah, and Talmud.

In the modern era Enoch has come back into fashion again, partly due to the discovery of copies in Africa and Israel, partly due to the evident appeal of a story which tells the gaudy details of heavenly beings' sexual relations with human women and the fall of the rebel angels on which the Bible is so disappointingly negative.

For those to whom this story has less inherent appeal it is also interesting - if only to show what the NT writers were competing with.

According to the biblical narrative (Genesis 5:21-24), Enoch lived 365 years, far less than the other patriarchs in the period before the Flood. Enoch allegedly walked with God who turned him into the archangel Metatron.

He called the people back to his forefathers' religion, but only a few listened to him, while the majority turned away. According to the Talmud Selections when the people went astray, Enoch who lived a pious life in seclusion was given prophethood. He came among the people and by his sermons and speeches made the people give up the idolatory and obey the Command of God. Enoch ruled them and during his reign there was peace and justice.

Prophet Enoch and his followers left Babylon for Egypt. There he carried on his mission, calling people to what is just and fair, teaching them certain prayers and instructing them to fast on certain days and to give a portion of their wealth to the poor.
Enoch was the first to invent books and writing, much like Thoth the scribe.
The ancient Greeks declare that Enoch is the same as Mercury / Hermes Trismegistus writing the Emerald Tablets of Thoth.
Enoch taught the sons of men the art of building cities, and enacted some admirable laws. He discovered the knowledge of the Zodiac, and the course of the Planets; and he pointed out to the sons of men, that they should worship God, that they should fast, that they should pray, that they should give alms, votive offerings, and tenths. He reprobated abominable foods and drunkenness, and appointed festivals for sacrifices to the Sun, at each of the Zodiacal Signs.

Enoch's name signified in the Hebrew, Initiate or Initiator. The legend of the columns, of granite and brass or bronze, erected by him, is probably symbolical. That of bronze, which survived the flood, is supposed to symbolize the mysteries, of which Masonry is the legitimate successor from the earliest times the custodian and depository of the great philosophical and religious truths, unknown to the world at large, and handed down from age to age by an unbroken current of tradition, embodied in symbols, emblems, and allegories.
There was a substantial Zoroastrian Influence on Judaism when Jewish exiles were exposed to the Persian religion during the Babylonian captivity. Some Jews adopted Enochian tradition in Babylon during the Exile and brought it back to Canaan when Cyrus gave them leave to Return. The Enochian Jews were detested by the priesthood in Jerusalem, and they were forced to flee into the desert before 300 BCE. Naturally, they supported the Maccabees during the uprising of 165 BCE. The Enochians at Qumran 'updated' the text to include Judah the Hammer in the big story.
The last of the Essene stragglers buried the secret book in Cave IV at Qumran c.70 CE. The urban Christians and Jews of the Near East rejected it. The authors of the Apocalypse rewrote and retitled it, but they didn't understand the heptadic structure of the original lines, the arrangement of sevens. Only the students of the Merkabah in Babylonia possessed the key to the Enochian mystery.
The Book of Enoch is a pseudo-epigraphal work that claims to be written by a biblical character. It was not included in either the Hebrew or most Christian biblical canons, but could have been considered a sacred text by the sectarians. The original Aramaic version was lost until several Dead Sea Scroll fragments were discovered in Qumran Cave 4 - providing parts of the Aramaic original.
The Book of Enoch was first discovered in Abyssinia in the year 1773 by a Scottish explorer named James Bruce. In 1821 The Book of Enoch was translated by Richard Laurence and published in a number of successive editions, culminating in the 1883 edition.
Enoch acts as a scribe, writing up a petition on behalf of the fallen angels, or fallen ones, to be given to a higher power for ultimate judgment.
Christianity adopted some ideas from Enoch, including the Final Judgment, the concept of demons, the origins of evil and the fallen angels, and the coming of a Messiah and ultimately, a Messianic kingdom.
The Book of Enoch was removed from the Bible and banned by the early church. Copies of it were found to have survived in Ethiopia, and fragments in Greece and Italy.
Enoch is the supposed author of 366 books, collectively termed Enochian literature. The most famous writings bearing his name are the First, Second, and Third Books of Enoch, ranked among the large body of literature termed apocryphal and pseudepigraphical, meaning that they are noncanonical (not accepted into the body of recognized books of the Bible) and are-in the case of the pseudepigrapha-attributed to some person of note and written in the style of genuine biblical books. Most interesting of all the legends is the one in which Enoch was transported to heaven and there transformed into the angel Metatron. Once there, he was, with the divine flourish, made into Metatron, the angel of the face, high priest of the heavenly temple, and one of the supreme angels in all of the celestial hierarchy-not to mention the tallest of angels, with 36 wings and 265,000 eyes.

The three so-called pseudepigraphical works were allegedly written by or under the influence of the antediluvian patriarch Enoch, who was taken up to heaven by the Lord, an event described in the Book of Genesis (5:24); pseudepigraphical writings are those that are noncanonical (meaning not accepted into the body of biblical books) and were composed in a style intending to resemble or appear as authentic biblical literature, often assuming the title of some personage known to the audience. In the case of the Books of Enoch, the actual writers or compilers chose a figure who was the source of many legends and tales, the most notable being his transformation by God into the truly powerful angel Metatron. While decidedly uncanonical, the three books remain fascinating and colorful reading, as well as treasures of detail and fanciful images concerning angels.
1 ENOCH-Known also as the Ethiopic Book of Enoch from the fact that the only surviving complete manuscript of it is in Ethiopic , this is the oldest of the three Enoch books, dating to the mid-second century B.C., although it actually comprises various sections, each dated differently: "The Book of Noah"; "Similitudes"; "The Dream Visions"; "Apocalypse of the Weeks"; and "The Book of the Heavenly Luminaries." Aside from material on Gehenna and heaven and the nature of evil, the text is full of stories and accounts of angels. The writer covers the fall of angels, the names of the archangels, and the fire of the luminaries of heaven. The reader thus encounters such angelic personages as Raguel, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, Michael, and Saraqael.

2 ENOCH-Known also as the Slavonic Book of Enoch because the only extant version is a Slavonic translation of the Greek original text, this specific edition dates to the seventh century A. D., although it is based on a much older Jewish text of the first century. A.D. While similar in some ways to the first book of Enoch and perhaps using it as a source, the Slavonic Enoch details Enoch's journey through the seven heavens, the life of Enoch's successors, especially Methuselah, and then gives a forecast of the Great Flood that encompassed the world in later generations. There are descriptions of angels residing in the heavens.

3 ENOCH-Also called the Hebrew Apocalypse of Enoch, this is a Jewish writing dating probably to the second century A.D. It was allegedly written by the noted Rabbi Ishmael, a brilliant scholar of Palestine during the early second century A.D. He reputes to recount his journey to heaven, where he beheld the very throne of God, along with the hosts of angels. His information was granted to him by the archangel Metatron, the onetime patriarch Enoch. This work remains perhaps the single greatest compendium of angelic lore, including a comprehensive assemblage of angels, archangels, and holy creatures, such as the watchers and holy ones.

This Book is full of mystical revelations; however, the font is so small that it strains the eyes to read.

Great knowledge, but need to be presented with more consideration for all who might invest in it.

I got the Dover version of this book the other day, and I can't put it down. This book is full of Messianic prophecy that predates Christ by thousands of years. Jude in his inspired epistle says that the book was written by Enoch himself. If you are a believer of the inspired Word, then this should cause you to sit up and think.

It also explains the origin of the demons, and it's not what you've always been taught. The early church all accepted this view of the origin of the demons. I won't spoil it for you. You'll have to buy the book. Here's a hint: We Bible believing Christians accept the worldwide flood of Noah as literal, we then see many flood legends around the world in the collective memories of many people groups. We also see many legends around the world in the collective memories of many people groups in regards to Nephilim. In various mythological tales from Rome and Greece, we read of the god's coming down and having relations with women and bearing demi-gods. The early Christians were aware of these stories and of their true origins. They also knew what demons really were, and what Peter meant in his second epistle when he said that the angels that had sinned were sent to Tartarus (hell in the KJV). All this and more is made clearer by reading the book of Enoch.

This book has many verses that are almost the same as those found in Scripture. I have been writing them down in the book as I come across them. Many are from the book of Revelations. Some are from the Gospels and some are from the Epistles. This gives me the distinct impression that the writers of the NT were aware of and in agreement with the Book of Enoch.

Here are a few examples:

1 Enoch 50:2 On the day of affliction on which evil shall have been treasured up against the sinners.

Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

1 Enoch 51:1b ...Sheol shall give back that which it has received, and hell shall give back that which it owes.

Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them

1 Enoch 63:6 (speaking of the unrepentant rulers of the earth) And light has vanished from before us, and darkness is our dwelling place for ever and ever.

Jude 13 (speaking of false prophets) ...to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

Jude also speaks in this verse of the "wandering stars". 1 Enoch speaks of the stars also.

I could go on and on with the Biblical references and perhaps I will add to this review over time. It just seems to obvious to me that the Biblical writers were reading and using this book.

The only downside is that parts of the book may be lost, and other parts added to it over the millenia. It seems that although this book was inspired it was not God's good pleasure to keep it wholly intact. I feel that this book should be regarded as very important, and I personally regard it as at least a deuterocanonical book. That is, at least of secondary importance after the 66-73 books of the universally accepted books. In saying that though, this book is accepted as canonical by the Ethiopic church, which has at its foundation one the Apostles.

If you want just a copy of the text of 1 Enoch this book is excellent. If you want to do any study to see how it compares to the canonical texts, I would recommend this version:

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Enoch-Ronald-K-Brown/dp/096757370X/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274897104&sr=1-11

A little confusing but interesting. I can understand why this book did not make it into the Canon. There was one point where the writer refers to Enoch as his grandfather and that gets a little confusing so I wonder if the book is actually a family compilation. It did help as an extension of Bereshit 6 in regards to the fallen angels and the Nephilim. But otherwise did not add a lot to my knowledge of other events. I would not take it as literally as I do the authorized scriptures.

This is a remarkable book in the fact that, if you study the bible this book can answer questions that you won't get answered anywhere else but heaven. [ I'll tell you a mystery ? ] In this book, Enoch tells you what the true meaning of the eagle. In this book, they are the highest of the chain of birds that are represented as demons. A hyerarchy of demons that start with the eagle, the vulture, the kite = i.e. falcons/hawks , ravens. All these are listed in the bible as unclean to eat. Think hard ? Good book.

Owning this book will give you new light on angels and other information about the antediluvian world. I didn't read the final chapters though. The language is somewhat similar to the KJV bible.

I found this book informative but only learned from the last approximately 10 pages. Unless one is into astronomy and studies the stars the rest of the book is not for the basic popoulation who knows nothing about the stars. I have read before that the stars show everything that has happened and what will happen except for this time period. and this book just confirmed that.

I didn't read the book on this page, but I read "The Lost book of Enoch" by Joseph B. Lumpkin - a far cry from what some of these people are saying. First, one must remember that it was the Catholics who decided what books would go in the Bible, Second I believe it was God who let this book of Enoch become lost because it wasn't "time" yet.

The jury is still out about this book, but NEVER does it say that Enoch was turned into some angel! And it is said that it was written by several people, not just Enoch. There are a couple things about it that bother me, but I will have to read it again: it claims that when these angels (Nephilim) were born, they are the ones who brought evil into the world - contradicting what Moses wrote about the serpent. But, we must remember that Moses spoke of them in Genesis, albeit briefly. The other thing is the timing of this book and the fact that Enoch is supposed to have appeared to Noah, who wrote part of this book - Enoch was taken up to heaven before Noah was born.

BUT, Jesus Himself states that the end of the age will be "like the days of Noah." I believe that it was very possible that the reasoning for the flood was indeed because of the Nephilim. And one might consider the fact that these angels (terafim) left heaven and appeared as men on earth in order to marry these women, therefore making the statement "angels do not marry" without merit. They were no longer "angels." And it has been in my studies that perhaps that statement only refers to those angels who dwell in heaven - humans will dwell on the earth again after it is restored.

Lastly, the word "locusts" is the same word that is translated as "beasts" in the King James Version, and "living creatures" in the NKJ, but in actuality these locusts are in fact "angelic beings." Which kind, I haven't figured out yet, but they are NOT locusts as we know them. The actual meaning of the word has nothing to do with locusts so I have no idea where the translators came up with that word.

In conclusion, I believe it could be very possible that the "locked up in the abyss" terafim could indeed be released at the end (Revelation 20), because it is supposed to be an evil none of us has ever encountered before. These "angelic beings" are dark angels, and if God thought they were evil enough to kill off (the Nephilim that is - the offspring of the terafim and human women) in the flood, then perhaps these are going to be the exact beings let loose on the earth at the end of this age. Those who try to discount this possible fact, are deceivers and one should make up their own mind after reading Enoch 1 and comparing it to Scripture. But I remind you, these creatures are mentioned in Genesis - something to ponder. Only time will tell - make up your own mind instead of trusting these reviewers.