Enoch and the Dead Sea Scrolls

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.
 

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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.

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