This thread was inspired mainly by two circumstances. BJH1960’s thread going through The Song of Songs and my finding a cheap copy of George Nickelsburg’s two-volume commentary on the B 0f E at an estate sale. The latter is considered the current critical commentary on the subject and given my interest I thought it would also be fun (at least for me ha) to write about it as I read.
ok, first what this is not. It’s not a review of Nickelsburg’s book although I will use it as a template. It’s not a scholarly essay. I make no claims to completeness. I will focus on what interests me. I’ll skip the minutiae of interest only to scholars. (The introduction to the first volume alone is 125 pages!) So I suppose I should make my own point of view explicit.
I have been interested in Space and Astronomy since I was very young. At some point I also picked up a fascination with ancient cultures. I suppose it was inevitable that at some point these wires would get crossed and a circuit formed involving the astronomical and cosmological views of ancient cultures. You can tell a lot about a culture by its view of the cosmos. Astronomy is the oldest of the sciences and in the ancient world, a world lit only by fire, humans sat and brooded over what they saw in the heavens. The impulse seems to have been universal and all these cultures eventually came to some conclusions. (So you’ll forgive me a bit later when I go on and on about solar and lunar calendars and such. That’s why I got on the bus.)
The Book of Enoch conserves an ancient, even primordial view of the cosmos in which these ancient thinkers imagined they lived. It draws from Ancient Near Eastern mythic concepts that go back millennia. It was influenced by Hellenism and passed ideas on to Judaism and Christianity as they formed and developed. It influenced gnosticism and Medieval Jewish mysticism. It’s well nigh impossible to underestimate the influence of this book.
So what the heck happened? Why did the Book of Enoch “drop off the radar” so to speak? Why is it not part of the Western canon? (In fact there are certain sects of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church that include it among their apocrypha.) Even more interesting why did Judaism itself eventually reject it?
First some background:
The Book of Enoch is also referred to as First Enoch because there are two other later works ascribed to or about the figure of Enoch. Second Enoch is a Christian work perhaps based on an older Jewish apocalypse. Third Enoch is part of the Jewish mystical Hekhalot literature. These latter two works are not part of the discussion although they are mighty interesting in their own right. When I say Enoch or the Book of Enoch I will mean exclusively the earlier work.
Enoch was preserved by the Ethiopian church and the only complete copies we have are in Ge’ez, the ancient Ethiopic liturgical language. Forty-nine fragments exist of which twenty-nine are complete. However, none of these predate the 16th or the 17th century! When this work was first introduced to the West in the 18th century many scholars considered it a forgery. It was only the discovery of Greek fragments that convinced everyone that it was much older. And then the discovery of Aramaic fragments at Qumran pushed its provenance back further still.
So this is where we are. The Book appears to have been originally composed in Aramaic, translated into Greek, and then into Ge’ez. There is some internal evidence that the translators into Ge’ez might have had both Greek and Aramaic texts at their disposal. (Nickelsburg, the good commentator, spends pages on this but I will not.) Of course, as you would expect, there are many textual variations among the fragments.
At Qumran were found eleven different fragments coming from that many different texts. In Aramaic we have about 1/5th of the original text comparing them to the complete versions in Ge’ez. But the only texts found at Qumran with as many or more different fragments of separate texts are Genesis, Isaiah, Jeremiah and the Psalms! Clearly Enoch was very important to the community at Qumran.
In Greek we have two major fragments dated from the 5th or 6th centuries and several minor ones. All in all in Greek we have about 28% of the original text. This sounds more dire than it actually is since one of those major fragments is an almost complete copy of the portion of the work known as the Book of the Watchers (chs 1-36), considered the foundational part of the entire work.
Translations:
If you go online you’ll see easily available copies of a translation done by a scholar named R H Charles. Charles was a scholar and translator active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. His translation of Enoch was issued in the 1890s. You see it all over because of course its been in the public domain for decades. Charles only had access to the Ge’ez versions and some few Greek fragments. However, Charles is still a well regarded scholar in the field and if you’re a normal person simply interested in reading the story then have at it! You can find free PDF downloads online. Why not?
The Book of Enoch (as well as the second and third by the way) is included in the first volume of James H Charlesworth’s The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. Charlesworth had access to the Ge’ez and the Greek fragments available. (If you find it odd that he did not accommodate the Aramaic since his edition post-dates the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls I refer you to the long, sad story of how the texts at Qumran were distributed to the scholarly community.) A nice two volume edition to have. Lots of good stuff.
George Nickelsburg’s two volume critical commentary for Hermeneia reflects all the extant material, Aramaic, Greek and Ge’ez. But most people who aren’t scholars are not going to want to invest $80 a volume. I wouldn’t had I not stumbled upon a cheap copy at the aforementioned estate sale a while back.
HOWEVER, and for this the fine folks at Hermeneia deserve a big ole hug, there is an inexpensive paperback edition (less than $20!) that includes Nicklesburg’s complete translation with a shorter intro and added notes! What is missing is the critical apparatus including line by line commentary which frankly, most people won’t miss at all. This volume is so easily attainable I would say if you’re really interested, by all means spring for it!
***
ok this is enough for my first post. My next post will be a bibliography of books that I have read and enjoyed over the years about Enoch. In books the bibliography comes at the end but I figured it would be better to have it all up front instead of people having to roam through all my posts looking for stuff. All written by well regarded scholars who are currently active in the field.
A short bibliography (because god knows the shelves groan…)
(My usual proviso. I use Amazon as an info resource but I can almost always find cheaper copies elsewhere. Look for used copies. See ** you do not have permission to see this link **? Borrow from your library.)
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As an introduction to the subject of apocalyptic literature, of which the Book of Enoch is the mothership, this is going to be impossible to beat. A classic. This will place Enoch in its context and give you an overview of what the heck is going on.
** you do not have permission to see this link **
This a study of the figure of Enoch and his influence on Jewish and Christian lit. Prof VanderKam did the updates to the second volume of Nickelsburg’s commentary and has done his own translations of other related works.
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Who are the mysterious Watchers? What is the real story of the Fallen Angels? How could four verses cause such a furor that still echoes down the centuries?
Translations:
** you do not have permission to see this link **
Available in various formats to download including kindle and pdf.
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The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha vol 1 download
hmmmm… I would have thought that this book would still be under copyright but the Internet Archive is usually meticulous about such things so have at it…
** you do not have permission to see this link **
Wow, why can’t Brill or de Gruyter or Eisenbraun figure out that regular folks who aren’t well-healed are interested in this stuff too?
My interest in this stuff goes back many years and I realize not everyone has the time or the desire to do a deep dive. There are all kinds of monographs and articles and such online. It’s a bottomless pit not just reserved for the fallen angels. So I cast this bread upon the waters. Better too much than not enough.
The Book of Enoch conserves an ancient, even primordial view of the cosmos in which these ancient thinkers imagined they lived. It draws from Ancient Near Eastern mythic concepts that go back millennia. It was influenced by Hellenism and passed ideas on to Judaism and Christianity as they formed and developed. It influenced gnosticism and Medieval Jewish mysticism. It’s well nigh impossible to underestimate the influence of this book.
Wonderful.
I’m really looking forward to this.
Thanks for the bibliography. The first two you list spark my interest so I might just see whether I can find them.
Thanks. I hope I do the subject justice.
I was going to plunge into the text but I suppose it will be useful to take care of one more bit of housekeeping first.
Who is Enoch anyway? Why does he deserve so much attention?
Well he must be a major figure in the Hebrew Bible, right? Sooo…
When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.
-Genesis 5:21-24 NRSV
Aside from a mention in the genealogy of Adam in 1 Chronicles, that’s it! So why did this rather obscure figure go on to be so influential?
Fortunately there’s a lot scholars can determine from examining the text and context of this passage in Gen 5. Note the formula used in describing each generation of the descendants of Adam and how the description of Enoch differs from it. Note the brevity of Enoch’s lifespan compared to the other antediluvian ancestors. Note Enoch’s activity and his fate.
The standard formula in each description is: When —– had lived —– years he became the father of —–. —– lived after the birth of —–, —— years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of —– were ——years, and he died.
Robert Alter notes that the term “walked” is the same as the one used in Genesis 3:8 where God is said to walk in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day. Only Noah is said to have also walked with God in this special sense. Claus Westermann, in his commentary on Genesis, interprets this to denote an “intimate relationship”. And apparently meant quite literally. James VanderKam, in the book I listed in the bibliography, points out that the Septuagint translates the expression “walked with God” as “pleased God”. He detects a reticence on their part in accepting such an embodied view of God, able to walk side by side with human beings.
Another interesting aspect to consider is a comparison of the genealogy of Adam in Gen 5 with the famous Mesopotamian “King’s List” of the kings who lived before the Flood. All enjoyed long lifespans. Interestingly the tenth person in both lists is the survivor of the Flood, Noah and Utnapishtim. But then see the 7th name. In Genesis, Enoch. In the king’s List, Enmeduranki. So? Well, note Enoch lived only 365 years. The number of days in a solar calendar. Enoch did not die but was taken by God. Enmeduranki was a devotee of the solar God Shamash who made him immortal. In Babylonian lore Enmeduranki was the divinized scribe who was given the secrets of the gods. Coincidence? Probably not.
In his commentary Alter laments that there is probably a whole context of mythic associations assumed by the composers of Genesis lost to us by time. But this does help to explain why Enoch survives in a mythic role that seems far above the actual references to him in Hebrew lore. See VanderKam’s book for much much more.
Thanks. I hope I do the subject justice.
I have absolutely no doubt you will.
This is what’s so wonderful about the forum – having the opportunity to learn from people with knowledge and passion for the subject matter.
Robert Alter notes that the term “walked” is the same as the one used in Genesis 3:8 where God is said to walk in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day…He detects a reticence on their part in accepting such an embodied view of God, able to walk side by side with human beings.
The reticence is interesting especially considering how often God is embodied in the Old Testament.
Another interesting aspect to consider is a comparison of the genealogy of Adam in Gen 5 with the famous Mesopotamian “King’s List” of the kings who lived before the Flood. All enjoyed long lifespans. Interestingly the tenth person in both lists is the survivor of the Flood, Noah and Utnapishtim. But then see the 7th name. In Genesis, Enoch. In the king’s List, Enmeduranki. So? Well, note Enoch lived only 365 years. The number of days in a solar calendar. Enoch did not die but was taken by God. Enmeduranki was a devotee of the solar God Shamash who made him immortal. In Babylonian lore Enmeduranki was the divinized scribe who was given the secrets of the gods. Coincidence? Probably not.
Fascinating.
In his commentary Alter laments that there is probably a whole context of mythic associations assumed by the composers of Genesis lost to us by time.
No doubt true. I suppose the best we can hope is for are glimpses of such associations.
The reticence is interesting especially considering how often God is embodied in the Old Testament.
One of the prime characteristics of Second Temple Judaism was the development (or absorption) of the idea of divine intermediaries. Jewish thinkers grew more and more uncomfortable with the idea of the embodied immanent God as depicted in the oldest parts of the Hebrew Bible. Consequently we get complex angelologies as the concept of God gets more and more exalted and transcendent. A couple good books about this trajectory are James Kugel’s ** you do not have permission to see this link **.
Kugel’s book is about the transformation of the concept of the God in the Hebrew Bible over time. He focuses on the figure of the ‘Angel of the Lord’ which in the older strata of the text appears to have been created to take the place of God’s own direct presence. Smith discusses the various concepts of God’s divine body as depicted in the Hebrew/Ancient Near Eastern traditions. (As I said earlier there is no lack of books about these subjects. One encounters a veritable Deluge of material. And I apologize in advance for all the bad puns I’ll be making in this thread.)
…Enochic Judaism and writings found at Qumran observed a 365-day solar calendar rather than the Jewish solar calendar. This would have kept them at odds with the temple celebrations in Jerusalem.
I promise not to go overboard with this when I get to the Book of the Luminaries! It does give us a hint though why the Book of Enoch was ultimately rejected by the Rabbis.
…Enoch too is not only a scribe as the author of the Book of Enoch, but he is also a celestial scribe in the Book of Jubilees, fragments of the Book of Giants, and the the later Merkabah tradition.
The web spreads endlessly! Interestingly James VanderKam has done the Hermeneia edition of Jubilees and like Enoch, along with a two volume critical commentary, there is a shorter affordable translation with intro and notes. I honor these scholars wanting to get this stuff out there, accessible to regular folk such as your Humble Correspondent. I would give a lot to see a complete Book of the Giants which alas, as you say, survives only in fragments. The Book of the Giants was an important text for the Manicheans it turns out.
The problem with all this stuff is that it can frequently make my head spin. I comfort myself with the old saying, “Too quick to understand, too quick to misunderstand”. So I creep up on it as slowly and carefully as possible.
It is a useful reminder that the standard story, a pious Temple cult scrupulously following a settled Torah tradition, i.e., “Judaism”, does not even begin to describe how messy a project it was.
Robert, I was hesitant to get this far down in the weeds, since my knowledge of the languages is completely deficient, but for you and anybody else who has the languages, here is a downloadable PDF of J T Milik’s book about his original research on the Qumran Enoch Aramaic fragments in Cave 4.
** you do not have permission to see this link **
Actually the book is worth skimming even for a functional illiterate such as myself since Milik does provide useful commentary. (And Milik holds some interesting dissenting opinions about the Enoch tradition that I’ll get to by the by.)
I guess I need to discuss dating a bit to place these texts in their context. Here is a little chart I made with my monstrous HTML skills.
| Book of Enoch Section (Chapters) | Date |
|---|---|
| Book of the Watchers (1-36) | mid-to-late 3rd century BCE |
| Parables of Enoch (37-71) | 1st century BCE – 1st century CE |
| Book of the Luminaries (72-82) | late 4th century to 3rd century BCE |
| Book of Dream Visions (83-90) | mid 2nd century BCE |
| Epistle of Enoch (91-105) | mid-to-late 2nd century BCE |
| The Birth of Noah (106-107) | mid-to-late 2nd century BCE |
| Appendix (108) | 1st century CE |
The first thing you notice is that the “booklets” (as scholars describe the individual sections) are not in chronological order. The Book of the Watchers, the foundational portion of the entire work, does turn out to be one of the oldest portions, exceeded only by the Book of the Luminaries which seems pre-Enochic. (I’ll get to the Book of the Luminaries in due course but one interesting aspect to mention is that at Qumran it was always found as a separate text in Aramaic testifying that it probably was a standalone that was later absorbed into the Enoch material.)
So we’re firmly in the Hellenistic Period although sources clearly reach back much earlier. Portions of these texts were being put together at the same time as the Book of Daniel. Some of it might be as late as New Testament texts.
One of the advantages of textual criticism of Enoch is that each “booklet” or subsection has a separate provenance although just like the Hebrew Bible there are interpolations and edited variants. I’ll discuss this stuff where it’s relevant but I’m not going to get bogged down in it.
Now before I get into the actual text let me just say, this will not be a seminar. I’m going to spend time on the part that interests me, which is the story, the cool monsters, weird places and bizarre occurrences.
One of the best pieces of advice I ever got from a teacher was when I was reading Dante’s Inferno. He said to read it like you would a science fiction novel. Now this analogy shouldn’t be pushed too far but as a way “in”, a way to get an ignorant youth through the front door, it works admirably. Once you get somebody in then you can start with the nuances. So you could look at Enoch as the weirdest fantasy novel ever written. The composers definitely ** you do not have permission to see this link **.
Humility requires me to give up my ** you do not have permission to see this link **. A nice website with templates and practice exercises. Consider it a…revelation.
Are the individual booklets complete in and of themselves?
Mostly. They have been edited to be a bit referential. For example the complete Ethiopic versions of the Book of the Luminaries have references to Enoch added that were probably not in the original text.
…as a fantasy novel as well as an acid trip…
The story has a dream logic. Dreams make perfect sense while you’re having them. It’s only waking consciousness that wonders over them. Through their writings we can enter the thoughts of these ancients. We meet them in their dreams.
Book of the Watchers (1-36)
ch 1-5
I will not be going through this text line by line of course but it won’t hurt to take a minute and discuss the opening chapters and not simply rush through to the “good parts”. These verses raise some issues we’ll see again.
1. Superscription 1:1
The words of the blessing with which Enoch blessed the righteous chosen who will be present on the day of tribulation, to remove all the enemies; and the righteous will be saved.
This opening seems to paraphrase Deut 33:1 and I mention that only to point out that the Book of Enoch reflects a deep knowledge of the Hebrew Bible that will appear over and over again. Also, note that right from the beginning we are presented with the idea of a righteous remnant, a “chosen” from among the Jews, not all of them, who will be saved. These “enemies” then are not just pagans. The Book of Enoch is concerned not just with evil but with corruption. We can see how this text might appeal to groups disenfranchised from the Jewish establishment, the official Temple Cult, like the community at Qumran – and the early Jesus movement! And we get a whiff of an explanation as to why this text was ultimately rejected by the Rabbis.
2. Introduction 1:2-3b
And he took up his discourse and said, “Enoch, a righteous man whose eyes were opened by God, who had the vision of the Holy One and of heaven, which he showed me. From the words of the watchers and holy ones I heard everything; and as I heard everything from them, I also understood what I saw. Not for this generation do I expound, but concerning one that is distant I speak. And concerning the chosen I speak now, and concerning them I take up my discourse.
Enoch has a classic “throne vision” bestowing prophetic authority on him. (See Isaiah 6) Note the abrupt change in the point of view from third person to first person and the discontinuity in time. Really, there are places in the Book of Enoch that read like a modernist novel. Positively Joycean. It’s helpful to get a sense of things. Enoch’s revelation is antediluvian, but aimed at a much later generation, doubtless the author’s own time, like in the book of Daniel. (See Daniel 12:4) So the book relates events from the distant past characterized as the mythic present and consequently leaps from past to future and back again. (Joyce would be proud.)
3. Theophany for Judgement 1:3c-9
The Great Holy One will come forth from his dwelling, and the eternal God will tread from thence upon Mount Sinai,
He will appear with his army, he will appear with his mighty host from the heaven of heavens.
All the watchers will fear and , and those who are hiding in all the ends of the earth will sing.
All the ends of the earth will be shaken, and trembling and great fear will seize them (the watchers) unto the ends of the earth.
etc etc…
Once again a classic OT theophany, right out of Isaiah, Jeremiah or Micah. But the most interesting part is the easiest to miss. Remember this prophetic oracle is supposedly taking place from before the flood; pre-Torah, pre-Mosaic law. It is intended for the author’s own generation much much later, after the revelation at Sinai and the Torah and the Mosaic Law. This is the only place in the entire Book of Enoch that directly mentions Mt Sinai! (There are a couple episodes later in the book that might be references to those events.) Scholars immediately recognized that while the Book of Enoch never criticizes the Torah or Moses, it does what from the perspective of the Rabbis was much much worse. It ignores them! Here we seem to have an alternative Judaism. (More on this later.)
1 En 1:9 of course is famous because it is quoted in the New Testament book of Jude (at 1:14-15).
Behold, he comes with the myriads of his holy ones,
to execute judgement on all,
and to destroy all the wicked,
and to convince all flesh
for all the deeds that they have done,
and the proud and hard words that wicked sinners spoke against him.
-1En 1:9
It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.
-Jude 1:14-15
The author of Jude regards Enoch’s words as a prophecy and there’s no evidence he didn’t consider them as authoritative as any other OT passage. It appears as late as the end of the first or early in the second century BCE someone still considered Enoch as scripture. (So why did Enoch drop off the radar among both Jewish and Christian commentators in the fourth century? We have already seen hints but there’s more to come.)
4. Accusation 2:1-5:4
Contemplate all (his) works, and observe the works of heaven, how they do not alter their paths; and the luminaries heaven, that they all rise and set, each one ordered in its appointed time; and they appear on their feasts and do not transgress their own appointed order.
Observe the earth, and contemplate the works that take place on it from the beginning until the consummation, that nothing on earth changes, but all the works of God are manifest to you.
Observe the signs of summer and winter. Contemplate the signs of winter, that all the earth is filled with water, and clouds and dew and rain rest upon it.
etc etc
Here we can see a bit of a resemblance to the theophany at the end of Job. But notice what’s missing. No violation of ethical or moral or covenantial precepts. God’s Law is revealed not in ethics or covenant obligations but in the cosmic order of things. In the Book of Enoch knowledge is sapiental. One is made aware of the nature of things. Perhaps here lie the seeds that later sprouted into “gnosis” and gnosticism. Certainly these later communities took this way of thinking and ran with it. And once again we glimpse another Judaism.
5.Consequences of judgement 5:5-9
Then you will curse your days, and the years of your life will perish, and the years of your destruction will increase in an eternal curse; and there will be no mercy or peace for you!
…But all the chosen will rejoice…
etc etc
Scholars recognize the similarities in these verses, common motifs, words and phrases, with Isaiah 65-66. Good ole Trito-Isaiah! Imagine going through eternity known as “Third Isaiah”? But he laughs all the way to the bank. He got in didn’t he? And he helped inspire the Enochic tradition that rumbled down the centuries through Second Temple Judaism, Merkabah and Kabbalism. Not to mention how it hovers behind apocalyptic Christianity which haunts us to this very day.
And I, Enoch, alone saw the vision, the ends of all things: and no man shall see as I have seen.
-1En 19:3
1 Enoch
Book of the Watchers (1-36)
The Rebellion (6-7)
When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that they were fair, and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. Then the Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.
-Genesis 6:1-4 NRSV
When the sons of men had multiplied, in those days, beautiful and comely daughters were born to them. And the watchers, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them. And they said to one another, “Come, let us choose for ourselves wives from the daughters of men, and let us beget children for ourselves.” And Shemihazah, their chief, said to them, “I fear that you will not want to do this deed, and I alone shall be guilty of a great sin.
And they all answered him and said, “Let us all swear an oath, and let us all bind one another with a curse, that none of us turn back from this counsel until we fulfill it and do this deed.” Then they all swore together and bound one another with a curse. And they were, all of them, two hundred, who descended in the days of Jared onto the peak of Mount Hermon. And they called the mountain “Hermon” because they swore and bound one another with a curse on it. And these are the names of their chiefs… [long list of Watchers omitted]
These and all the others with them took for themselves wives from among them such as they chose. And they began to go in to them, and to defile themselves through them, and to teach them sorcery and charms, and to reveal to them the cutting of roots and plants. And they conceived from them and bore to them great giants. And the giants begot Nephilim, and to the Nephilim were born †Elioud†. And they were growing in accordance with their greatness.
They were devouring the labor of all the sons of men, a and men were not able to supply them. And the giants began to kill men and to devour them. And they began to sin against the birds and beasts and creeping things and the fish, and to devour one another’s flesh. And they drank the blood. Then the earth brought accusation against the lawless ones.
-1 Enoch 6:1-8, 7:1-5 Nickelsburg
It’s clear that there is some relationship between the famous and compelling passage in Gen 6:1-4 and the account in 1En. Scholars have mulled this one over right from the beginning. I won’t be coy. The overwhelming consensus among scholars today is that 1 En is a paraphrase and expansion of the verses in Gen 6. However there are some important dissenters. J. T. Milik, for one, the scholar who did the original work on the Aramaic fragments of 1En at Qumran. (That’s like finding out that one of the few dissenters to a consensus opinion in physics is Einstein.) You can disagree with Milik – most scholars do – but you can’t just blow him off.
Milik considers Gen 6 to be a condensed version of the longer original. Nickelsburg, who sides with the majority, points out that it need not be a direct transmission either way. As I noted earlier, Robert Alter laments that we have lost to time the Mesopotamian mythic complex that undoubtedly lies behind this episode. There are hints and associations that can be traced back and we can get at least some idea of a transmission that reaches back into much earlier pre-Hebrew myth.
Note: If anyone is really interested in the nitty-gritty of this argument about textual priority please go and look at some of the material I linked. I’m not qualified to have an opinion and am happy to accept the consensus. I’m more interested in who these folks are in the story and what they’re doing. Just be aware that playing the game ‘fill in the blanks’ and ‘connect the dots’ is fraught. But not hopeless.
I would have thought it undisputed that the authors of First Enoch would have known Genesis, so I’m sort of confused why there is uncertainty of what influenced what. Is 1 Enoch older than I thought?
The sources known as the Astronomical Book (72-82) and the Rebellion portion (6-11) of the Book of the Watchers (1-36) are now thought to go back to the 4th century BCE with some elements even earlier. These parts of the text seem to pre-date references to Enoch and only later in editing is he associated with them. Someone correct me on this but I think Genesis was considered an authoritative text by at least the end of the 4th century. This is why the logical conclusion seems to me to be that both these texts spring from an older more universal mythic complex. But then I’m a disciple of Jonathon Z Smith whose mantra was, resemblance does not assume dependence.
They were devouring the labor of all the sons of men, and men were not able to supply them. And the giants began to kill men and to devour them. And they began to sin against the birds and beasts and creeping things and the fish, and to devour one another’s flesh. And they drank the blood. Then the earth brought accusation against the lawless ones.
Quite the passage there.
With behavior like that, the earth certainly had every right to bring an accusation.
As I was reading all of what you posted, I couldn’t help but think what a great graphic novel it would make.
…what a great graphic novel it would make.
Mesopotamian mythology is as wild and trippy as anything in the Greeks and Egyptiaans or the Hindus. I think the fact the Bible stories are so familiar occludes the wider mythology behind it. That’s one of the things I’m going to get into as we go. The only person I know who has explored it a bit in popular culture is Darren Aronofsky in his 2014 movie, Noah. He incoporated some elements from Enoch into his script although he played it fast and loose. I thought the frst third of the movie was brilliant. After that the Flood story became a backdrop for a kind of primeval familial psychodrama. I kept thinking, you got me all the way out here just for this? Check it out though if you haven’t seen it.
Since we started a new page and I’m going to be discussing this for a while I repeat the sources here so folks won’t have to scroll back unless they want to. Ever helpful.
Book of the Watchers (1-36)
The Rebellion (6-7)
When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that they were fair, and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. Then the Lord said, “My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh; their days shall be one hundred twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown.
-Genesis 6:1-4 NRSV
When the sons of men had multiplied, in those days, beautiful and comely daughters were born to them. And the watchers, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them. And they said to one another, “Come, let us choose for ourselves wives from the daughters of men, and let us beget children for ourselves.” And Shemihazah, their chief, said to them, “I fear that you will not want to do this deed, and I alone shall be guilty of a great sin.
And they all answered him and said, “Let us all swear an oath, and let us all bind one another with a curse, that none of us turn back from this counsel until we fulfill it and do this deed.” Then they all swore together and bound one another with a curse. And they were, all of them, two hundred, who descended in the days of Jared onto the peak of Mount Hermon. And they called the mountain “Hermon” because they swore and bound one another with a curse on it. And these are the names of their chiefs… [long list of Watchers omitted]
These and all the others with them took for themselves wives from among them such as they chose. And they began to go in to them, and to defile themselves through them, and to teach them sorcery and charms, and to reveal to them the cutting of roots and plants. And they conceived from them and bore to them great giants. And the giants begot Nephilim, and to the Nephilim were born †Elioud†. And they were growing in accordance with their greatness.
They were devouring the labor of all the sons of men, and men were not able to supply them. And the giants began to kill men and to devour them. And they began to sin against the birds and beasts and creeping things and the fish, and to devour one another’s flesh. And they drank the blood. Then the earth brought accusation against the lawless ones.
-1 Enoch 6:1-8, 7:1-5 Nickelsburg
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