The Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch

A Modern English Translation

of the Ethiopian Book of Enoch

with introduction and notes by

Andy McCracken

Special thanks to Bredren Jason Naphtali

who found this translation (by M. Knibb) of the Ethiopian text in the

S.O.A.S. Library at the University of London.

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The Book of Enoch

CONTENTS

Page No.

Introduction

History of the Book of Enoch

Condition of the text

3

5

7

The Book

(1) THE BLESSING OF ENOCH

11

(2) GOD'S LAWS

12

(3) REBELS AMONGST THE WATCHERS

15

(4) THE MOST HIGH OF THE WATCHERS SPEAKS OUT

19

(5) ENOCH MEETS THE HOLY WATCHERS

23

(6) THE BOOK OF REPROOF

26

(7) ENOCH STAYS FOR A WHILE WITH THE WATCHERS

31

(8) THE ANGELS WHO KEEP WATCH

35

(9) THE FRAGRANT TREES

39

(10) THE BOOK OF METHUSELAH

46

(11) THE BOOK OF NOAH

50

(12) THE BOOK OF PARABLES

55

First

56

Second

64

Third

75

(13) THE STOREHOUSES

87

(14) THE REVOLUTIONS OF THE LIGHTS

93

(15) ENOCH'S LETTER TO METHUSELAH

107

(16) THE LAW OF THE STARS

110

(17) ENOCH'S FIRST VISION

114

(18) PROPHECY OF THE ANIMALS

120

(19) PROPHECY OF THE TEN WEEKS

137

(20) ENOCH'S MESSAGE OF GUIDANCE

143

(21) ENOCH'S CONCLUDING WORDS

157

References and further reading

159

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The Book of Enoch

Introduction

I have based this book on Michael A. Knibb's scholarly translation of the

Ethiopian manuscripts, (The Ethiopic Book of Enoch, Oxford University

Press), which I believe to be the best translation currently available.

I first heard about the Book of Enoch a few years ago, while I was

researching into ¡®End of Days¡¯ prophesies. When I finally managed to get

hold of a copy, I discovered that it was a very strange and unusual book.

The first time I read it I was skeptical and somewhat puzzled; I wondered

who would have written an odd book like this.

I knew that Enoch, (Hanokh in Hebrew), was very favourably mentioned in

Genesis, and I discovered that Enoch¡¯s book describes the Exodus and

Moses very favourably (although not by name).

So my first theory was that it might have been written around the same time

as the Torah, perhaps around 1400 BC. However, after several readings I

could find no plausible theories. The prophecy of the animals is extremely

precisely written and obviously refers to events well after Moses (see my

notes on that chapter). Additionally; who would have dared to produce a

book with people such as Moses described in terms of farm animals?

Michael Knibb, whose translation I have used to produce this book, studied

all available manuscripts and sources, and it is clear that this book was well

known and studied in many countries well before the time of Jesus. The

earliest known surviving fragments and quotations in various languages

show that this is the same book, and that the Ethiopians have preserved it

well.

In the end I was convinced that the book is really Enoch¡¯s true account of

otherwise forgotten events that occurred in early times; events that we have

no other surviving records of.

Enoch left us a book that describes people of an advanced culture; blond3

The Book of Enoch

haired people that Enoch¡¯s people considered to be Angels of God, and it

was written on the angels¡¯ instruction.

The standard academic view seems to be that some slightly demented

religious fanatic wrote the book - not long before the earliest provable

fragments, (200 or 300BC). I think it is impossible to support this view.

Such an author would have to be able to write the entire book from the

point of view of a person who knows nothing of countries with names, or

religions with names. Then he goes on to describe the Angels as blond

men, who ran away from Heaven in order to be promiscuous with women.

I don¡¯t believe this is the sort of world view that would have been well

received or widely accepted anywhere in 200 BC. This plus the all too

accurate prophecies are probably the reasons why it was ¡®lost¡¯ by the

religions that used to regard it as holy.

I concluded that the book is probably what it appears to be; well preserved,

ancient and genuine. Enoch was the great-grandfather of Noah, and father

of Methuselah, and his book gives a unique view of the world before the

flood; which recent research suggests may have occurred as long ago as

17,000 BC.

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The Book of Enoch

The History of the Book of Enoch

The book was thought to have been lost, for over 2,000 years, with many

ancient sources referring to it, and even quoting parts, but no complete

copies were known. Then in 1773, James Bruce brought three copies back

from Ethiopia, having spent some years exploring the country.

Enoch had two main reasons for writing his book. The first was because

the Watchers instructed him to do it, (see section 15 at 81.5 and 81.6). The

second reason; was to save his family from the flood.

Enoch wrote his book, after his grandson Lamech was born, but before

Noah was born. Noah is only named in the section that Methuselah wrote,

(see section 10 at 107.3), and of course in his own section (section 11, The

Book of Noah). So, there may still have been 40 - 80 years left before the

flood, at the time when Enoch wrote his book.

There is a long gap between the time of the flood and the time when Moses

gave praise to Enoch in Genesis. Genesis dates from around 1400 BC, and

forms part of the Torah (the first five books of the bible).

In Genesis, there is Enoch's family; as named by him in this book, and a

quick recap of some of Enoch's story.

It seems likely therefore, that copies of the Book of Enoch survived into

Egyptian times, 3500 BC, and was known to Moses around 2,000 years

later.

Moses presumably took a copy of the book with him when they all left

Egypt, and he was no doubt pleased to see Enoch's prophecy fulfilled.

The book probably existed mainly in Hebrew during the thousand years

after the exodus. No Hebrew copies exist today, however, although there

are some Hebrew passages quoted in some of the Aramaic fragments that

survive from a few centuries BC.

The appearance of the book in Ethiopia, is probably due to events in

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