Sectarian Literature Portions
Jackson Snyder Bible
The book(s) of
Enoch were denounced, banned, cursed, no doubt burned and shredded–and last but not least, lost (and conveniently forgotten) for a
thousand years. But with an uncanny persistence, the Book
of Enoch found its way back into circulation two centuries ago.
In 1773, rumors of a surviving copy of
the book drew Scottish explorer James Bruce to distant Ethiopia. True to
hearsay, the Book of Enoch had been preserved
by the Ethiopic church, which put it right alongside the other books of the
Bible.
Bruce secured not one, but three
Ethiopic copies of the book and brought them back to Europe and Britain. When
in 1821 Dr. Richard Laurence, a Hebrew professor at Oxford, produced the first
English translation of the work, the modern world gained its first glimpse of
the forbidden mysteries of Enoch.
Most scholars say that the present
form of the story in the Book of Enoch was penned
sometime during the second century B.C. and was popular for at least five
hundred years. Recent discoveries of
copies of the book among the Dead Sea Scrolls prove that the book was in
existence before the time of Jesus. But the date of
the original writing upon which the second century B.C. Qumran copies were
based is shrouded in obscurity. It is, in a word, old.
Despite its unknown origins,
Christians once accepted the words of this Book of Enoch as authentic
scripture, especially the part about the fallen angels and their prophesied
judgment. In fact, many of the key concepts used by Jesus Christ himself seem
directly connected to terms and ideas in the Book of Enoch. (Enoch is directly quoted
four times in the earliest complete New Testament – the Sinaiticus.)
Thus, it is hard to avoid the
conclusion that Jesus had not only studied the book, but also respected it
highly enough to adopt and elaborate on its specific descriptions of the coming
kingdom and its theme of inevitable judgment descending upon "the wicked"–the
term most often used in the Old Testament to describe the Watchers.
There is abundant proof that Christ
approved of the Book of Enoch. Over a hundred phrases in the New
Testament find precedents in the Book of Enoch. Another remarkable bit of evidence for the
early Christians' acceptance of the Book of Enoch was for many years
buried under the King James Bible's mistranslation of Luke 9:35, describing the
transfiguration of Christ: "And there came a voice out of the cloud,
saying, 'This is my beloved Son: hear him." Apparently
the translator here wished to make this verse agree with a similar verse in
Matthew and Mark. But Luke's verse in the original
Greek reads: "This is my Son, the Elect One." The "Elect One" is a most
significant term (found fourteen times) in the Book of Enoch. If the book was indeed known to the apostles of Christ, with its
abundant descriptions of the Elect One who should "sit upon the throne of
glory" and the Elect One who should "dwell in the midst of
them," then the great scriptural authenticity is accorded to the Book
of Enoch when the "voice out of the cloud" tells the apostles,
"This is my Son, the Elect One" – the one promised in the Book
of Enoch.
The Book of Jude tells
us in vs. 14 that "Enoch, the seventh from Adam,
prophesied…" Jude also, in vs. 15, makes a direct reference to the Book
of Enoch (2:1), where he writes, "to execute
judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly…" The time difference
between Enoch and Jude is approximately 3400 years. Therefore, Jude's reference
to the Enochian prophecies strongly leans toward the
conclusion that these written prophecies were available to him at that time.
Fragments of ten Enoch
manuscripts were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The famous scrolls actually comprise only one part of the total findings at
Qumran. Much of the rest was Enochian
literature, copies of the Book of Enoch, and other apocryphal works in
the Enochian tradition, like the Book of Jubilees.
With so many copies around, the Essenes could well
have used the Enochian writings as a community prayer
book or teacher's manual and study text.
1 Enoch 1 1The
word of the blessing of Enoch, how he blessed the elect and the righteous, who
were to exist in the time of trouble; rejecting all the wicked and ungodly.
Enoch, a righteous man, who was with Elohim,
answered and spoke, while his eyes were open, and while he saw a holy vision in the heavens. This
the angels showed me. 2From them I heard all things, and understood
what I saw; that which will not take place in this generation, but in a
generation which is to succeed at a distant period, on account of the
elect. 3Upon
their account I spoke and conversed with him, who will go forth from his
habitation, the Holy and Mighty One, the Elohim of
the world: 4Who
will hereafter tread upon Mount Sinai; appear with his hosts; and be manifested
in the strength of his power from heaven.
5All shall be afraid, and the
Watchers be terrified. 6Great fear and trembling shall seize them, even
to the ends of the earth. The lofty mountains shall be troubled, and the
exalted hills depressed, melting like a honeycomb in the flame. The earth shall
be immerged, and all things which are in it perish; while judgment shall come
upon all, even upon all the righteous: 7But to them shall he give peace: he shall
preserve the elect, and towards them exercise clemency. 8Then
shall all belong to Elohim; be happy and blessed; and
the splendor of the Elohim shall illuminate
them. 9Behold,
he comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon them, and
destroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal for everything which the sinful
and ungodly have done, and committed against him.
1 Enoch 45 1Parable
the second, respecting these who deny the name of the habitation of the holy
ones, and of Yahweh of spirits. 2Heaven they shall not ascend, nor shall they
come on the earth. This shall be the portion of sinners, who deny the name of
Yahweh of spirits, and who are thus reserved for the day of punishment and of
affliction. 3In
that day shall the Elect One sit upon a throne of
glory; and shall choose their conditions and countless habitations, while their
spirits within them shall be strengthened, when they behold my Elect One, for
those who have fled for protection to my holy and glorious name. 4In that
day I will cause my Elect One to dwell in the midst of them; will change the
face of heaven; will bless it, and illuminate it for ever. 5I will
also change the face of the earth, will bless it; and cause those whom I
have elected to dwell upon it. But those who have
committed sin and iniquity shall not inhabit it, for I have marked their
proceedings. My righteous ones will I satisfy with peace, placing them before
me; but the condemnation of sinners shall draw near, that I may destroy them
from the face of the earth.
1 Enoch 46 1There I beheld the Ancient of days, whose head
was like white wool, and with him another, whose countenance resembled that of
man. His countenance was full of grace, like that of one of the holy
angels. Then I inquired of one of the angels, who went with me, and who showed
me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man; who he was; whence he was
and why he accompanied the Ancient of days.
2He answered and said to me, This is the Son of man, to whom righteousness belongs; with
whom righteousness has dwelt; and who will reveal all the treasures of that
which is concealed: for Yahweh of spirits has chosen him; and his portion has
surpassed all before Yahweh of spirits in everlasting uprightness. 3This
Son of man, whom you behold, shall raise up kings and
the mighty from their dwelling places, and the powerful from their thrones;
shall loosen the bridles of the powerful, and break in pieces the teeth of
sinners. 4He
shall hurl kings from their thrones and their dominions; because they will not
exalt and praise him, nor humble themselves before
him, by whom their kingdoms were granted to them. The countenance likewise
of the mighty shall He cast down, filling them with confusion. Darkness shall be their habitation, and worms shall be their bed;
nor from that their bed shall they hope to be again raised,
because they exalted not the name of Yahweh of spirits. 5They
shall condemn the stars of heaven, shall lift up their hands against the Most
High, shall tread upon and inhabit the earth, exhibiting all their acts of
iniquity, even their works of iniquity. Their strength shall be in their
riches, and their faith in the gods whom they have formed with their own hands.
They shall deny the name of Yahweh of spirits, and shall expel him from the
temples, in which they assemble; 6And
with him the faithful, who suffer in the name of Yahweh of spirits.
Enoch 48 1In that place I beheld a fountain of
righteousness, which never failed, encircled by many springs of wisdom. Of
these all the thirsty drank, and were filled with
wisdom, having their habitation with the righteous, the elect, and the
holy. 2In
that hour was this Son of man invoked before Yahweh of spirits, and his name in
the presence of the Ancient of days. 3Before the sun and the signs were created,
before the stars of heaven were formed, his name was invoked in the presence of
Yahweh of spirits. A support shall he be for the righteous and the holy to lean
upon, without falling; and he shall be the light of nations. 4He
shall be the hope of those whose hearts are troubled. All, who dwell on earth,
shall fall down and worship before him; shall bless and glorify him, and sing
praises to the name of Yahweh of spirits.
5Therefore the Elect and the
Concealed One existed in his presence, before the world was
created, and for ever. 6In his presence he existed, and has
revealed to the saints and to the righteous the wisdom of Yahweh of spirits;
for he has preserved the lot of the righteous, because they have hated and
rejected this world of iniquity, and have detested all its works and ways, in
the name of Yahweh of spirits. 7For in his name shall they be preserved; and
his will shall be their life. In those days shall the kings of the earth and
the mighty men, who have gained the world by their achievements, become humble
in countenance. 8For
in the day of their anxiety and trouble their souls shall not
be saved; and they shall be in subjection to those whom I have
chosen. 9I
will cast them like hay into the fire, and like lead into the water. Thus shall they burn in the presence of the righteous, and sink
in the presence of the holy; nor shall a tenth part of them be found. 10But in
the day of their trouble, the world shall obtain tranquility. 11In his
presence shall they fall, and not be raised up again;
nor shall there be any one to take them out of his hands, and to lift them up:
for they have denied Yahweh of spirits, and his Messiah. The name of Yahweh of
spirits shall be blessed.
Enoch 49 1In those days the saints and the chosen shall
undergo a change. The light of day shall rest upon them; and the splendour and glory of the saints shall
be changed. 2In
the day of trouble evil shall be heaped up upon
sinners; but the righteous shall triumph in the name of Yahweh of spirits. 3Others
shall be made to see, that they must repent, and forsake the works of their
hands; and that glory awaits them not in the presence of Yahweh of spirits; yet
that by his name they may be saved. Yahweh of spirits will
have compassion on them; for great is his mercy; and righteousness is in his
judgment, and in the presence of his glory; nor in his judgment shall iniquity
stand. He who repents not before him shall perish. 4Henceforward
I will not have mercy on them, saith Yahweh of
spirits.
Enoch 50 1In those days shall the earth deliver up from
her womb, and hell deliver up from hers, that which it has received; and
destruction shall restore that which it owes.
2He shall select the righteous and
holy from among them; for the day of their salvation
has approached. 3And
in those days shall the Elect One sit upon his throne,
while every secret of intellectual wisdom shall proceed from his mouth, for
Yahweh of spirits has gifted and glorified him.
4In those days the mountains shall
skip like rams, and the hills shall leap like young
sheep satiated with milk; and all the righteous shall become like
angels in heaven. 5Their
countenance shall be bright with joy; for in those days shall the Elect One be exalted. The earth shall rejoice; the righteous shall
inhabit it, and the elect possess it.
Enoch 68 1After this judgment they shall be astonished and
irritated; for it shall be exhibited to the inhabitants of the earth. 2Behold the names of those angels. These are their names. The first of them is Samyaza; the second,
Arstikapha; the third, Armen;
the fourth, Kakabael; the fifth, Turel;
the sixth, Rumyel; the seventh, Danyal;
the eighth, Kael; the ninth, Barakel; the tenth, Azazel; the eleventh, Armers; the
twelfth, Bataryal; the thirteenth, Basasael; the fourteenth, Ananel;
the fifteenth, Turyal; the sixteenth, Simapiseel; the seventeenth, Yetarel;
the eighteenth, Tumael; the nineteenth, Tarel; the twentieth, Rumel; the
twenty-first, Azazyel. 3These
are the chiefs of their angels, and the names of the leaders of their hundreds,
and the leaders of their fifties, and the leaders of their tens. 4The
name of the first is “The Rebel.” he it was who seduced all the sons of the
holy angels; and causing them to descend on earth, led astray the offspring of
men. 5The
name of the second is Kesabel, who pointed out evil
counsel to the sons of the holy angels, and induced them to corrupt their
bodies by generating mankind. 6The
name of the third is Gadrel: he discovered every
stroke of death to the children of men. 7He seduced Eve; and discovered to the children
of men the instruments of death, the coat of mail, the shield, and the sword
for slaughter; every instrument of death to the children of men. 8From
his hand were these things derived to them who dwell upon earth, from
that period for ever.
9The name of the fourth is Penemue: he discovered to the children of men bitterness
and sweetness; 10And pointed out to them every secret of
their wisdom. 11He
taught men to understand writing, and the use of ink and paper. 12Therefore
numerous have been those who have gone astray from every period of the world,
even to this day. 13For
men were not born for this, thus with pen and with ink to confirm their faith; 14Since
they were not created, except that, like the angels, they might remain
righteous and pure. 15Nor
would death, which destroys everything, have effected them; 16But
by this their knowledge they perish, and by this also its power consumes
them. 17The name of the fifth
is Kasyade: he discovered to the children of men
every wicked stroke of spirits and of demons: 18The
stroke of the embryo in the womb, to diminish it; (69) the
stroke of the spirit by the bite of the serpent, and the stroke which is
given in the mid-day by the offspring of the serpent, the name of
which is Tabaet. 19This
is the number of the Kasbel;
the principal part of the oath which the Most High, dwelling in glory, revealed
to the holy ones. 20Its
name is Beka. He spoke to holy Michael to discover to
them the sacred name, that they might understand that secret name, and thus
remember the oath; and that those who pointed out every secret thing to the
children of men might tremble at that name and oath. 21This
is the power of that oath; for powerful it is, and strong. 22And he
established this oath of Akae by the instrumentality
of the holy Michael. 23These
are the secrets of this oath, and by it were they confirmed. 24Heaven
was suspended by it before the world was made,
forever.
Dead Sea Scrolls Excerpts The Book
of Enoch (the First)
(You may purchase the entire book of Enoch in
paperback for $12.)