Facts about the Book of Enoch:
Introduction
Within The Book Of Enoch, we find the story of Enoch, who was the father of Methuselah (the oldest person in the Bible who lived 969 years).
According to Jewish tradition, Enoch was the great-grandfather of Noah, who walked with God.
”And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” – Genesis 5:24
Enoch was the son of Cain and Ramona, and he led the Nodites. Also, he was the 7th descendant of Adam and Eve in the Bible.
Note – Enoch is not counted as a saint in the Roman Catholic tradition, but he has a saints day, July 26, in the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Book Of Enoch is regarded as canonical by the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church but not by any other Christian groups.
List Of 15 Interesting Facts About The Book Of Enoch:
The 1st Book of Enoch
#1 The 1st Book of Enoch was discovered in Abyssinia in 1773 by a Scottish explorer named James Bruce.
It is an apocryphal book in the Ethiopic Bible which is typically dated between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD.
#2 It was considered sacred by some first followers of Christ; however, it was left out of the Bible and disappeared for centuries until it was rediscovered in 1773.
In 1821, it was translated by Richard Laurence and published in a number of editions.
#3 The 1st book of Enoch has five sections, as follows:
#4 Book of the Watchers (1-36) – the first part of the book is about “The Watchers,” a group of “angels” sent to Earth to watch over humans.
200 of those angels committed transgression by having sex with humans, creating a race called the Nephilim.
”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.’”
#5 It is said that the “Watchers” taught humans writing, weaponry, reading, sorcery, cosmetics, and meteorology.
This was problematic as it robbed humans of the opportunity to discover the arts by themselves.
”Asael taught men to make swords of iron and weapons and shields and breastplates and every instrument of war. He showed them metals of the earth and how they should work gold to fashion it suitably, and concerning silver, to fashion it for bracelets and ornaments for women.
And he showed them concerning antimony and eye paint and all manner of precious stones and dyes. And the sons of men made them for themselves and for their daughters, and they transgressed and led the holy ones astray. And there was much godlessness on the earth, and they made their ways desolate.”
#6 Book of the Similitudes (37-71) – this section of the book appears to be based on the Book of Watchers. However, it presents a later development of the idea of final judgment and eschatology.
#7 The Book of Similitudes uses the expression “Son of Man” for the eschatological protagonist, who is also called Chosen One, Righteous One, and Messiah, and narrates his sitting on the throne of glory in the final judgment.
#8 Book of the Astronomical Writings (72-82) – this section of the book contains descriptions of the movement of heavenly bodies and of the firmament, as a knowledge revealed to Enoch in his trips to Heaven guided by Uriel.
#9 Book of the Dream Visions (83-90) – this section of the book contains a vision of the history of Israel all the way down to what the majority have interpreted as the Maccabean Revolt.
In addition, this section of the book and later near the end describes the appointment by God of the 70 angels to protect the Israelites from enduring too much harm from the ”beasts and birds.”
#10 According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the book was written before the Flood.
ALSO READ: Methodist vs Baptist: Knowing the Difference
#11 Book of the Epistle of Enoch (91-107) – this section of the book contains a text called the “Apocalypse of Weeks” that some historians believe in having been written at about 167 B.C.E.
”And Enoch began to recount from the books and said:
‘I was born the seventh in the first week,
While judgment and righteousness still endured.
And after me, there shall arise in the second week great wickedness,
And deceit shall have sprung up;
And in it, there shall be the first end.
And in it a man shall be saved;
And after it is ended unrighteousness shall grow up,
And a law shall be made for the sinners.
And after that in the third week at its close
A man shall be elected as the plant of righteous judgment,
And his posterity shall become the plant of righteousness for evermore.
And after that, in the fourth week, at its close,
Visions of the holy and righteous shall be seen,
And a law for all generations and an enclosure shall be made for them.
And after that, in the fifth week, at its close,
The house of glory and dominion shall be built forever.
And after that in the sixth week, all who live in it shall be blinded,
And the hearts of all of them shall godlessly forsake wisdom.
And in it a man shall ascend;
And at its close, the house of dominion shall be burnt with fire,
And the whole race of the chosen root shall be dispersed.
And after that in the seventh week shall an apostate generation arise,
And many shall be its deeds,
And all its deeds shall be apostate.
And at its close shall be elected
The elect righteous of the eternal plant of righteousness,
To receive sevenfold instruction concerning all His creation.”
ALSO READ: Hypnos – The Greek God Of Sleep And Dreams
The 2nd Book of Enoch
#12 The 2nd Book of Enoch was once present in the Old Slavonic Bible.
It is not included in either the Christian or the Jewish canon.
#13 It is basically an account of Enoch’s travels through the 7 heavens and includes certain revelations given to Enoch and Enoch’s exhortations to his children.
The 3rd Book of Enoch
#14 The 3rd Book of Enoch is a Rabbinic text originally written in Hebrew and is usually dated to the 5th century CE. Some scholars attributed it to the 2nd century.
It is said to have been written by Rabbi Ishmael and was originally written in Hebrew.
The Flat Earth and The Book of Enoch
#15 Some flat-earthers have appealed to the Book of Enoch to support their argument that the Bible teaches that the earth is flat.
Enoch 18:1–5:
”And I saw the storehouses of all the winds, and I saw how with them He has adorned all creation, and I saw the foundations of the Earth.
And I saw the cornerstone of the Earth. And I saw the four winds which support the Earth and the sky.
And I saw how the winds stretch out the height of Heaven, and how they position themselves between Heaven and Earth; they are the Pillars of Heaven.
And I saw the winds which turn the sky and cause the disc of the Sun and all the stars to set.
And I saw the winds on the Earth which support the clouds, and I saw the paths of the Angels. I saw at the end of the Earth; the firmament of Heaven above.”
Here’s a quick recap of the top 10 facts about The Book Of Enoch:
- It includes references to fallen angels who came down from Heaven to cohabit with humans on Earth before Noah’s Flood;
- It describes how these fallen angels taught humans forbidden knowledge;
- It mentions giants who were born from these unions between humans and fallen angels;
- It talks about how these giants caused destruction on Earth until God destroyed them during Noah’s Flood;
- It also includes descriptions of Heaven, such as its levels or “heavenly mansions”;
- It talks about how God will judge all people on judgment day according to their deeds;
- It describes how there will be rewards for those who follow God’s laws but punishments for those who do not;
- It mentions different types of angels, such as cherubim, seraphim, and archangels;
- It talks about how some angels are responsible for carrying out God’s judgment on sinners while others are responsible for protecting believers from harm;
- Despite its importance to many spiritual traditions today, The Book of Enoch was not included in the Bible.
ALSO READ: Interesting Facts About Hermes
Final Thoughts
The Book Of Enoch contains many interesting facts that you may not have known before reading this article today.
From stories about fallen angels and giants living on Earth during ancient times all way up to descriptions of secret mechanisms only accessible by those initiated into its mysteries – this book certainly offers something for everyone interested in learning more about our history.
Hopefully, this article has provided you with enough information so that you can decide whether or not it’s worth further exploration yourself now.
Image source – https://pixabay.com/photos/landscape-fantasy-fantasy-landscape-4298001/
READ THIS NEXT
Should Christians read The Book of Enoch?
What does the Book of Enoch say about Jesus?
References https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/boe096.htm http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/ethiopian/enoch/epistle/epistle.htm
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Irina is a co-founder and author at AwakeningState.com, an online magazine launched in 2016 that aims to expand consciousness every day. Offering eye-opening articles on a range of topics, Irina strives to provide unique insights into personal growth, covering areas such as spiritual awakening, health, lifestyle, nature, and science.