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The Book of Enoch

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Whatever theological disagreements one might have with the compiler and editor of this volume, and Dr. Yefru's critical analysis therein, there is no denying that Rev. Ronald K. Brown has presented the reading public with something wonderful and very readable. It is a breath of fresh air. This volume is a noble addition to the right library, to any person who is interested in the history of the Book of Enoch. "Believers" and church study groups will find it useful and informative, as will critics, skeptics, scholars and humanists. Certainly there is nothing to fear here, unless one is afraid of a good story.

Written, refined and compiled over a period spanning at least 800 years (approx. 250 BCE-650 CE, from Qumran through the Hellenistic and Roman periods), the Book of Enoch, or Henok, is one of the finest non-canonical writings produced in the apocalyptic tradition, and is referenced numerous times in canonical books. It certainly influenced the OT and NT. Ironically, Enoch was once (and in some places, still is) part of the canon. The reader will at once see that Rev. Brown has compiled and edited a version of the Book of Enoch from purely Ethiopic sources, though he does not cite which manuscripts he referenced and studied for this compilation of a truly "African" edition of Enoch. Whatever the reasons Rev. Brown speaks only broadly of his studies of Ethipoic texts (and the questionable, dated, 1906 translation by R.H. Charles), this book is compiled from the only known complete works of Enoch dating from antiquity.

The most complete texts of Enoch have been preserved through the Ethiopic Christian Church in a language known as Ge'ez. Ethiopic (Ge'ez) is an African writing system designed as a meaningful and graphic representation of a wide array of knowledge, including, languages. It is a knowledge system that is organized to represent philosophical features like ideography, numerology, syllography, astronomy, and grammatology. Furthermore, Ethiopic is not only a cultural agency: It is a foundation to a great literary tradition in Ethiopia. This rich literary tradition, too often overlooked in the past by many Western scholars, is evident in this book, though it is still arguable whether Ethiopic was the original language of Enoch. In fact, no one is certain what the original language of Enoch was; some feel it was both Aramaic and Hebrew. Others think it was Ethiopic because it is akin to the ancient Egyptian (Mirzraim) Hamitic language family. In this case it hardly matters because Rev. Brown has chosen some of the finest renditions of the Ethiopic for readers, and this IS a Book of Enoch based on that literary tradition. In fact, the finest translations of the Book of Enoch I have read have all been structured on the Ethiopic sources (e.g., Kebran 9/II, Princeton Ethiopic 3, Abbadianus 55, EMML 2080, 4437, 4750, the Chester Beatty papyrus, et al). Admittedly, Rev. Brown's compilation has a somewhat compressed Astronomical book (the Book of Heavenly Luminaries, probably the oldest preserved Enochian book), and though taken from Ethiopic texts, the Book of the Similitudes appear here though they were decidedly a later, Christian addition from the common era. 1 Enoch is, after all, a composite that represents numerous periods and writers. One may wonder how the Book of Enoch was shaped, polished and edited over time, how later Christian insertions became a part of the story. There is no Book of Similitudes (Book of Parables) in the Qumran corpus, but rather fragments of the Book of Giants, or men of renown and power.

I do beg to differ with Rev. Brown's assertion that the Book of Enoch is an "inspired" work that only further bolsters claims of biblical prophecy, as well as Dr. Yefru's contention that the Book of Enoch dates from 4000 BCE. The foundations of Enoch may very well have existed in several places around the Mediterranean and Northeast Africa before 300 BCE; in fact, it is quite likely. The genesis material that became the Book of Enoch almost certainly predated the written word, circulating as oral tradition, traveling from East to West. At some point, the elements of Enoch coalesced, but no one knows when. The current body of evidence cannot support the contention for a 4000 BCE inception.

To his credit, Rev. Brown has included, for those married to the KJV of the Bible, an exhaustive concordance. His remarks in the preface aside, Rev. Brown has compiled/edited a very neutral, unbiased Book of Enoch accessible to any reader, and it is, in my opinion, a fine contribution to the investigation and reconstruction of ancient African historiography. This little gem of a book should not be ignored.

I have read this book several times. Written over a period of several years by my good friend Ronald K. Brown. This carefully detailed work will amaze you. It is one of the few of books of God's word on the mysteries of the universe, and wonders of our ancient world. The Book of Enoch, ties in the prehistoric origins to our modern times. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about this amazing prophet, for Enoch's story is far from over. He is destined to be one of the 2 witnesses (Elijah is the other) to come back in the end times.

1.If this book is as old as Brown says, or is even just older than Jesus...
2.And the text is translated fairly accurately...
then I believe that this text is the real deal. There are many reasons to believe this. First of all, it is referred to in the book of Jude 14,15. This leads me to believe that the text was probably important all the way to around 65-70 A.D.
According to Brown, the only complete original text is written in Ethiopian script, and dates to being older than Job (the oldest text of the bible).
Keeping all this in mind, when you actually grasp what's in the text, you may be quite shocked.
ENOCH 48:2 and in that hour the Son of Man was named...
ENOCH 48:4 ...And he shall be the light of the Gentiles...
ENOCH 50:3 ...through His name they shall be saved...

and check out this verse that ties to Rev 12:1-6...
ENOCH 62:4 Then pain shall come on them as on a woman in travail, and she has pain in bringing forth
When her child enters the mouth of the womb,
And she has pain in bringing forth.(62:5) And one portion of them shall look on the other, And they shall be terrified, And they shall be downcast of countenance, And pain shall seize them, when they see that the Son of Man Sitting of the throne of his glory.

Wow! And that aint the half of it! This book looks to me like it is the brige between Genesis and Revelation. I didn't even get into all of the fallen angel business in this review. Buy this book. It's either the real thing, or its not. Take it as you will.

I became aware of the Book of Enoch during a recent sunday sermon
at church. I was curious as to why the Book of Enoch did not appear in either the King James version of the Bible or the
current Catholic Bible. I looked forward to receiving this book
from Amazon. It is hard cover, and very nicely presented. Its
something I can add to my book collection. The author very carefully footnoted everything. I learned a great deal. But one
outstanding fact came to light. Both the Catholic Church and all the Protestants ripped out this book from the Old Testament, even though the Book of Enoch was in the Bible for over 500 years.
Some preachers say that the Book of Enoch was not "divinely" inspired. However, the author's clear presentation of this
ancient scripture shows that Enoch, the great grandfather of
Noe, foretold the Great Deluge. Chapter 84 is devoted to "Enoch's
Prayer" which asks God to not destroy all persons, but to at
least leave Enoch with survivors in his family. The Book of
Enoch probably came under political scrutiny because it talks
of all the interactions between angels (both good and bad angels)
and human beings. There was also some astronomical data presented
which probably contradicted offical Church positions during the eras of Cupernicus and Galileo. I was quite impressed by the volume. I came away from my complete read of the volume with the
attitude that it should be considered a legitimate book of the
Bible. Enoch's prayer in Chapter 84 is on the same level as the
Lord's Prayer of the New Testiment. Now I am wondering what else
has been either left out or removed from the Bible.....? I shall definitely be purchasing other volumes from Amazon to try to
answer that question.

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.

Beautiful presentation in hardback.
Ronald K. Brown brought these ancient manuscripts to us in a way that is easily readable.
The book of Enoch should be in every Bible. A prophet (Enoch) who has gone into Heaven and 'seen' God should be inspirational enough for inclusion.
It is criminal that this book was suppressed and destroyed from a seeking & beleiving public.
The Astronomy taught by Archangel Uriel would be especially intriguing to astronomers today.
I do beleive the information Enoch garnered regard the fallen angels and what they taught had a lot to do with it's being banned. Astrology alone was enough to be burned at the stake in the middle ages. The understanding of why the judgement of these same angels are essential to humans in not following these same teachings today.
Enochs naming of the Angels, Michael and Raphael's conversations and most importantly the description of God Himself is worth the read.
This is a book that should be an essential in the library of every sincere seeker of truth. As well the lover of His-tory!

The Book of Enoch will open your eyes to some questions you've been asking. I really don't understand how this great book wasn't Canonized with the other 66 books of the King James Bible. There are a lot of Uncanonized Holy Books out there, and The Book of Enoch is amongst my favorite. I love the Holy Bible but I know God's words go far beyond the 66 books choosen by man. Increase your Wisdom and Knowledge, buy this book and hopefully God will lead you to the other Uncanonized books.

If you are a christian who seeks knowledge and truth, this book is worth reading. The best thing to do is to compare specific parts of the book that is referenced to specific parts of the Bible. After doing so, then you can make a determination as to whether it is valid.

There seem to be three sorts of book on Enoch available these days.

The first kind would be texts of the relevant material (Ethiopian 1Enoch, Slavonic 2Enoch, Hebrew 3Enoch, and Jubilees) including out-of-copyright reprints of editions and translations of R.H. Charles and other late 19th Century scholars, as well as newer versions such as the standard Old Testament Pseudepigrapha edited by Charlesworth.

The second kind would be commentaries and analysis from modern scholars, such as George Nickelsburg and James Vanderkam.

The third kind, which in terms of both number and sales probably make up the majority, are written by enthusiasts for the Enoch story per se.

The Rev. Brown falls into the third category, about which there is nothing wrong in itself. After all, everyone is entitled to accept or not accept the authority of ancient texts and traditions, and the sections of 1Enoch found among the Dead Sea Scrolls prove that this tradition is older than the Christian New Testament. The Coptic Orthodox Church in Ethiopia has long accepted 1Enoch as part of their canon, and during the 19th Century as translations of Ethiopic 1Enoch appeared in English many American denominations have made some use of Enoch traditions.

However if one is going to present "Enoch: A Cross-Reference Exegesis of the Holy Bible" there should be critical analysis of the texts so "cross-referenced".

For example it is not enough to point out that Jude 9 is related to 1Enoch 9, one should also ask how and why. In 1Enoch 9 Michael accuses the leader of the rebel angels, but in Jude 9 the writer, using material drawn from Zechariah 3, contradicts this and says Michael would not even rebuke. The same goes for the other quotes of 1Enoch in Jude.

Another example : anyone can see that there is a correspondence between "angels" and "sons of God" in Luke 20:36 and the angels marrying in 1Enoch 1, but we need to ask this: Is Jesus agreeing with 1Enoch or disagreeing?

I'm sorry but anyone wanting a book about Enoch would be much better served by 'Enoch : A Man for All Generations' (Studies on Personalities of the Old Testament) written the head of Hebrew at University of Notre Dame, James C. Vanderkam.

This is an odd book.

I believe Encoh's account to be authentic, accurate, and ancient. I don't believe, though, that it was divinely-inspired. This is an ancient work full of curiosities, historical references, and cross references with accepted scripture.

Accounts of angels having relationships with earthly women, of Noah being a remarkable great-grand baby, of the portals for the four winds, and other supernatural phenomena are all described in detail by one of two humans ever to be translated. "Enoch walked with God and was no more." says the book of Genesis.

This ancient text will leave you pondering events the scriptures allude to. Well worth the reading along with "Josephus", "Acts of Pilate", and other ancient manuscripts.