The Book of Enoch

The book consists of five quite distinct major sections (see each section for details): 

• The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1–36)

This first section of the Book of Enoch describes the fall of the Watchers, the angels who fathered the Nephilim (cf. the bene Elohim, Genesis 6:1–4) and narrates the travels of Enoch in the heavens. This section is said to have been composed in the 4th or 3rd century BC according to Western scholars. 

• The Book of Parables of Enoch (1 Enoch 37–71) (also called the Similitudes of Enoch)

Chapters 37–71 of the Book of Enoch are referred to as the “Book of Parables”. The scholarly debate centers on these chapters. The “Book of Parables” appears to be based on the “Book of Watchers” but presents a later development of the idea of final judgement and of eschatology, concerned not only with the destiny of the fallen angels but also that of the evil kings of the earth. The “Book of Parables” uses the expression “Son of Man” for the eschatological protagonist, who is also called “Righteous One”, “Chosen One”, and “Messiah”, and sits on the throne of glory in the final judgment. The first known use of the “Son of Man” as a definite title in Jewish writings is in 1 Enoch.

It has been suggested that the “Book of Parables”, in its entirety, is a later addition. Pointing to similarities with the Sibylline Oracles and other earlier works, in 1976, J.T. Milik dated the “Book of Parables” to the third century. He believed that the events in the parables were linked to historic events dating from 260 to 270 CE. This theory is in line with the beliefs of many scholars of the 19th century, including Lucke (1832), Hofman (1852), Wiesse (1856), and Phillippe (1868). According to this theory, these chapters were written in later Christian times by a Jewish Christian to enhance Christian beliefs with Enoch’s authoritative name. In a 1979 article, Michael Knibb followed Milik’s reasoning and suggested that because no fragments of chapters 37–71 were found at Qumran, a later date was likely. Knibb would continue this line of reasoning in later works.

In addition to being missing from Qumran, Chapters 37–71 are also missing from the Greek translation. Currently, no firm consensus has been reached among scholars as to the date of the writing of the “Book of Parables”. Milik’s date of as late as 270 CE, however, has been rejected by most scholars. Many date the Book of Parables to between 50 BC and 117 AD. 

• The Astronomical Book (1 Enoch 72–82) (also called the Book of the Heavenly Luminaries or Book of Luminaries)

This 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, and it describes a Solar calendar that was later described also in the Book of Jubilees which was used by the Dead Sea sect. The use of this calendar made it impossible to celebrate the festivals simultaneously with the Temple of Jerusalem. 

The year was composed from 364 days, divided in four equal seasons of ninety-one days each. Each season was composed of three equal months of thirty days, plus an extra day at the end of the third month. The whole year was thus composed of exactly fifty-two weeks, and every calendar day occurred always on the same day of the week. Each year and each season started always on Wednesday, which was the fourth day of the creation narrated in Genesis, the day when the lights in the sky, the seasons, the days and the years were created. It is not known how they used to reconcile this calendar with the tropical year of 365.24 days (at least seven suggestions have been made), and it is not even sure if they felt the need to adjust it. 

• The Book of Dream Visions (1 Enoch 83–90) (also called the Book of Dreams)

The “Book of Dream Visions”, containing a vision of a history of Israel all the way down to what the majority have interpreted as the Maccabean Revolt, is dated by most to Maccabean times (about 163–142 BC). According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church it was written before the Genesis flood.

The second dream vision in this section of the Book of Enoch is an allegorical account of the history of Israel, that uses animals to represent human beings and human beings to represent angels. 

• The Epistle of Enoch (1 Enoch 91–108)

This section can be seen as being made up of five subsections. Some scholars propose a date somewhere between 170 BC and the 1st century BC.

“Apocalypse of Weeks” (93:1–10, 91:11–17): this subsection, usually dated to the first half of the 2nd century BC, narrates the history of the world using a structure of ten periods (said “weeks”), of which seven regard the past and three regard future events (the final judgment). The climax is in the seventh part of the tenth week where “new heaven shall appear” and “there will be many weeks without number for ever, and all shall be in goodness and righteousness”.

“Exhortation” (91:1–10, 91:18–19): this short list of exhortations to follow righteousness, said by Enoch to his son Methuselah, looks to be a bridge to the next subsection.

“Epistle” (92:1–5, 93:11–105:2): the first part of the epistle describes the wisdom of the Lord, the final reward of the just and the punishment of the evil, and the two separate paths of righteousness and unrighteousness. Then there are six oracles against the sinners, the witness of the whole creation against them, and the assurance of the fate after death.

“Birth of Noah” (106–107): this part appears in Qumran fragments separated from the previous text by a blank line, thus appearing to be an appendix. It tells of the deluge and of Noah, who is born already with the appearance of an angel.

Most scholars believe that these five sections were originally independent works (with different dates of composition), themselves a product of much editorial arrangement, and were only later redacted into what is now called 1 Enoch.

Is Enoch a source for the Apostles?

Jude 1:6 is said to be a quote from Enoch 12:4. Is it though? It could just as likely be a quote from the actual Enoch! The Jewish people passed down their faith orally until it was written down. Jude doesn’t quote the Book of Enoch. He quotes Enoch! The author of the Book of Enoch could have been quoting an Enochian proverb that was well-known.  

34 of 56 supposed quotes, a full 60% of the quotes, or ideas, said to be found in the NT, comes from a “The Book of Parables”, the part of Enoch that was likely written AFTER the NT. Those who argue that Enoch was influential in the theology of the NT writers leave out this key point when they speak of all the close connections and phrases supposedly borrowed from the text by the writers of the NT. Most others alleged quotes from Enoch in the NT are entirely dubious in their connection, often finding parallel language in the OT, that was likely the NT author’s source, as opposed to Enoch.