Second Book of Enoch
Encyclopedia
The Second Book of Enoch
(usually abbreviated 2 Enoch, and otherwise variously known as Slavonic Enoch or The Secrets of Enoch) is a pseudepigraphic (a text whose claimed authorship is unfounded) of the Old Testament
. It is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature
. Late 1st century CE is the dating often preferred. The text has been preserved in full only in Slavonic
, but in 2009 it was announced that Coptic
fragments of the book had been identified. Greek
is indicated as the language behind the Slavonic version. It is not regarded as scripture by Jews
or any Christian
group. It was rediscovered and published at the end of 19th century.
Most scholars consider 2 Enoch to be composed by an unknown Jewish
sectarian group, while some authors think it is a 1st century Christian
text. A very few scholars consider it a later Christian
work.
This article discusses 2 Enoch. It is distinct from the Book of Enoch
, known as 1 Enoch. There is also an unrelated 3 Enoch
. The numbering of these texts has been applied by scholars to distinguish the texts from one another.
manuscripts and fragments dated from 14th to 18th centuries AD. These Slavonic materials did not circulate independently but were included into collections that often rearranged, abbreviated, or expanded them. Typically, Jewish pseudepigraphical texts in Slavic milieux were transmitted as part of larger historiographical, moral, and liturgical codexes and compendiums where ideologically marginal and mainstream materials were mixed with each other.
2 Enoch exists in longer and shorter recensions. The first editors considered original the longer version, while since 1921 Schmidt and many authors challenged this theory considering more ancient the shorter recension. Vaillant in 1952 showed that the additional parts found only in the longer version use more recent Slavonic terms. Other scholars suggest that both of them preserve original material and the existence of three or even four recensions.
Two different ways to numbering verses and chapters are used for 2 Enoch: the more widely accepted is Popov's one in 73 chapters, while De Santos Otero proposed a division in 24 chapters.
The best family of manuscripts are copies of the compilation of rearranged materials from chs. 40–65 from a 14th century judicial codex "The Just Balance" ("Merilo Pravednoe"). The main manuscripts of the longer version are R, J and P. The main manuscripts of the shorter version are U, B, V, N. See also references.
Most scholars believe that the Slavonic version was translated from one or more Greek
lost versions, since the text attests to some traditions that make sense only in the Greek language, for example a tradition found in 2 Enoch 30 that derives Adam’s name from the Greek designations of the four corners of the earth. The Semitisms, such as the words Ophanim, Raqia Arabot, and others found in various parts of the text, point to the possibility of the Semitic Vorlage behind the Greek version.
In 2009, four fragments from chapters 36-42 in Coptic
have been identified. They follow the short recension and are related to manuscript U.
's De Principis i, 3:3). Composition shall be later than the Book of the Watchers in 1 Enoch (about 3rd century BCE). The crucial arguments for the early dating of the text have very largely been linked to the themes of the Temple in Jerusalem
and its ongoing practices and customs. Scholarly efforts have been in this respect mostly directed toward finding hints that the Sanctuary was still standing when the original text was composed. Scholars noted that the text gives no indication that the destruction of the Temple had already occurred at the time of the book's composition. Critical readers of the pseudepigraphic would have some difficulties finding any explicit expression of feelings of sadness or mourning about the loss of the sanctuary.
Affirmations of the value of animal sacrifice
and Enoch's halakhic instructions found in 2 Enoch 59 also appear to be fashioned not in the "preservationist," mishnaic-like mode but rather as if they reflected sacrificial practices that still existed when the author was writing his book. The author tries legitimize the central place of worship, which through the reference to the place Ahuzan, which is a cryptic name for a Jewish
Temple.
Scholars have also previously noted in the text some indications of the ongoing practice of pilgrimage
to the central place of worship. These indications could be expected in a text written in the Alexandrian Diaspora. Thus in his instructions to the children, Enoch repeatedly encourages them to bring the gifts before the face of God for the remission of sins, a practice which appears to recall well-known sacrificial customs widespread in the Second Temple period. Further, the Slavonic apocalypse also contains a direct command to visit the Temple three times a day, an inconsistency if the sanctuary had been already destroyed.
The recent discoveries of Melchisedek 11Q13 text at Qumran
and of a related text at Nag Hammadi, have made possible to have an idea about the Melchisedek controversy, involving also 2EM and the Letter to the Hebrews, that developed in non-mainstream Jewish communities and in early Christians communities from the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE against the traditional Jewish identification of Melchisedek with Shem
.
A growing number of scholars recognize the antiquity of 2 Enoch, including also 2EM, and support a pre-70 CE dating for its original composition. Sacchi suggests that 2EM is actually an addition to the main body of the text (the style is slightly different), but a very early addition by someone of the same sect that wrote 2 Enoch (it uses the same language and same typical names as Ahuzan for Temple), dating 2EM after the 70 CE but before or about the Letter to the Hebrews. The differences between 2EM with Letter to the Hebrews (for Hebrews Melchisedek is primarily a heavenly figure while 2EM depicts him as an earthly one) don't allow to prove the dependence of 2EM from Hebrews.
Apocalyptic literature
of the Second Temple
period. Yet along with appropriations of ancient traditions about the seventh antediluvian hero, the text attempts to reshape them by adding a new mystical dimension to the familiar apocalyptic imagery. The figure of Enoch portrayed in the various sections of 2 Enoch appears more elaborate than in the early Second Temple Enochic treatise of 1 Enoch. Interesting is the anointing of Enoch, after he saw face to face the Lord, that makes him be similar in appearance to a glorious angel and that allows him to sit above other angels on the left of the Lord.
According to Orlov, in this attempt, one may find the origins of another image of Enoch, very different from the early Enochic literature, that was developed much later in rabbinic Merkabah
and Hekhalot mysticism: the image of the supreme angel Metatron
, "the Prince of the Presence", found in the later 3 Enoch
. The titles of the patriarch found in the Slavonic apocalypse appear to be different from those attested in early Enochic writings and demonstrate a close resemblance to the titles of Metatron as they appear in some Hekhalot sources. These developments demonstrate that 2 Enoch represents a bridge between the early apocalyptic Enochic accounts and the later mystical rabbinic and Hekhalot traditions.
Enoch (ancestor of Noah)
Enoch is a figure in the Generations of Adam. Enoch is described as Adam's greatx4 grandson , the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah...
(usually abbreviated 2 Enoch, and otherwise variously known as Slavonic Enoch or The Secrets of Enoch) is a pseudepigraphic (a text whose claimed authorship is unfounded) of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
. It is usually considered to be part of the Apocalyptic literature
Apocalyptic literature
Apocalyptic literature is a genre of prophetical writing that developed in post-Exilic Jewish culture and was popular among millennialist early Christians....
. Late 1st century CE is the dating often preferred. The text has been preserved in full only in Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic
Old Church Slavonic or Old Church Slavic was the first literary Slavic language, first developed by the 9th century Byzantine Greek missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius who were credited with standardizing the language and using it for translating the Bible and other Ancient Greek...
, but in 2009 it was announced that Coptic
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
fragments of the book had been identified. Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
is indicated as the language behind the Slavonic version. It is not regarded as scripture by Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
or any Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
group. It was rediscovered and published at the end of 19th century.
Most scholars consider 2 Enoch to be composed by an unknown Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
sectarian group, while some authors think it is a 1st century Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
text. A very few scholars consider it a later Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
work.
This article discusses 2 Enoch. It is distinct from the Book of Enoch
Book of Enoch
The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work, traditionally ascribed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It is not part of the biblical canon as used by Jews, apart from Beta Israel...
, known as 1 Enoch. There is also an unrelated 3 Enoch
3 Enoch
3 Enoch is an Old Testament Apocryphal book. 3 Enoch purports to have been written in the 2nd century CE, but its origins can only be traced to the 5th century...
. The numbering of these texts has been applied by scholars to distinguish the texts from one another.
Manuscript Tradition
2 Enoch has survived in more than twenty SlavonicSlavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
manuscripts and fragments dated from 14th to 18th centuries AD. These Slavonic materials did not circulate independently but were included into collections that often rearranged, abbreviated, or expanded them. Typically, Jewish pseudepigraphical texts in Slavic milieux were transmitted as part of larger historiographical, moral, and liturgical codexes and compendiums where ideologically marginal and mainstream materials were mixed with each other.
2 Enoch exists in longer and shorter recensions. The first editors considered original the longer version, while since 1921 Schmidt and many authors challenged this theory considering more ancient the shorter recension. Vaillant in 1952 showed that the additional parts found only in the longer version use more recent Slavonic terms. Other scholars suggest that both of them preserve original material and the existence of three or even four recensions.
Two different ways to numbering verses and chapters are used for 2 Enoch: the more widely accepted is Popov's one in 73 chapters, while De Santos Otero proposed a division in 24 chapters.
The best family of manuscripts are copies of the compilation of rearranged materials from chs. 40–65 from a 14th century judicial codex "The Just Balance" ("Merilo Pravednoe"). The main manuscripts of the longer version are R, J and P. The main manuscripts of the shorter version are U, B, V, N. See also references.
Most scholars believe that the Slavonic version was translated from one or more Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
lost versions, since the text attests to some traditions that make sense only in the Greek language, for example a tradition found in 2 Enoch 30 that derives Adam’s name from the Greek designations of the four corners of the earth. The Semitisms, such as the words Ophanim, Raqia Arabot, and others found in various parts of the text, point to the possibility of the Semitic Vorlage behind the Greek version.
In 2009, four fragments from chapters 36-42 in Coptic
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
have been identified. They follow the short recension and are related to manuscript U.
Date
Dates ranging from the 1st century BC to the 10th century CE have been proposed, with the late 1st century CE often preferred. The date of the text can be deduced solely on the basis of the internal evidence since the book has survived only in the medieval manuscripts (even if a reference of 2 Enoch could be found in OrigenOrigen
Origen , or Origen Adamantius, 184/5–253/4, was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Church. As early as the fourth century, his orthodoxy was suspect, in part because he believed in the pre-existence of souls...
's De Principis i, 3:3). Composition shall be later than the Book of the Watchers in 1 Enoch (about 3rd century BCE). The crucial arguments for the early dating of the text have very largely been linked to the themes of the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
and its ongoing practices and customs. Scholarly efforts have been in this respect mostly directed toward finding hints that the Sanctuary was still standing when the original text was composed. Scholars noted that the text gives no indication that the destruction of the Temple had already occurred at the time of the book's composition. Critical readers of the pseudepigraphic would have some difficulties finding any explicit expression of feelings of sadness or mourning about the loss of the sanctuary.
Affirmations of the value of animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice
Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature...
and Enoch's halakhic instructions found in 2 Enoch 59 also appear to be fashioned not in the "preservationist," mishnaic-like mode but rather as if they reflected sacrificial practices that still existed when the author was writing his book. The author tries legitimize the central place of worship, which through the reference to the place Ahuzan, which is a cryptic name for a Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
Temple.
Scholars have also previously noted in the text some indications of the ongoing practice of pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to the central place of worship. These indications could be expected in a text written in the Alexandrian Diaspora. Thus in his instructions to the children, Enoch repeatedly encourages them to bring the gifts before the face of God for the remission of sins, a practice which appears to recall well-known sacrificial customs widespread in the Second Temple period. Further, the Slavonic apocalypse also contains a direct command to visit the Temple three times a day, an inconsistency if the sanctuary had been already destroyed.
Content
The Second Book of Enoch can be divided in four sections:- In the first section (chapters 1-21) EnochEnoch (ancestor of Noah)Enoch is a figure in the Generations of Adam. Enoch is described as Adam's greatx4 grandson , the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah...
, when already at the age of 365, is taken by two angels and made to pass through the seven heavens, one by one. The first heaven is found to be the place where the angels control atmospheric phenomena. In the second heaven he finds the prison for the rebel angels. In the third heaven he finds both paradise (as in 2 CorSecond Epistle to the CorinthiansThe second epistle of Paul the apostle to the Corinthians, often referred to as Second Corinthians , is the eighth book of the New Testament of the Bible...
12:2) and hell for the men. The fourth heaven is the place of movements of the sun and of the moon which are described in detail. In the fifth heaven Enoch finds some GrigoriGrigoriThe Watchers is a term found in the Old Testament Book of Daniel, and later sources, which is connected to angels...
that are grieved and he persuades them to resume their liturgicalLiturgyLiturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
service. In the sixth heaven he finds the angels in charge of governing the cosmos and peoples. - In the second section (chapters 22-37) Enoch, now guided by GabrielGabrielIn Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
, is allowed to enter in the seventh heaven where he sees the Lord face to face. Afterwards he is anointed by MichaelMichael (archangel)Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
and becomes similar in appearance to the angels. The Lord asks the angel Vereviel to dictate to Enoch 360 books containing all that is knowable. Later, the Lord himself tells to Enoch the secrets of the creation up to the flood, which are unknown even to the angels. Enoch is finally sent back on the earth for thirty days. - The third section (chapters 38-68) is a list of doctrinal and ethical instructions given by Enoch to his sons: the main moral principle is the love for all the living beings (similar to the ethics found in the Testaments of the Twelve PatriarchsTestaments of the Twelve PatriarchsThe Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is a constituent of the apocryphal scriptures connected with the Bible. It is a pseudepigraphical work comprising the dying commands of the twelve sons of Jacob. It is part of the Oscan Armenian Orthodox Bible of 1666. Fragments of similar writings were...
), particularly noticeable is the lack of interest for the sin of fornicationFornicationFornication typically refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other. For many people, the term carries a moral or religious association, but the significance of sexual acts to which the term is applied varies between religions, societies and cultures. The...
and not once is the Law of MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
referred to; Enoch teaches the uselessness of intercessions. At the end of the thirty days Enoch is taken into the heaven forever. - The last section (sometimes referred to as the Exaltation of Melchizedek) outlines the priestly succession of Enoch. Enoch's son, MethuselahMethuselahMethuselah is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the 11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 , at the age of 969, seven days before the beginning of the Great Flood...
is asked by the people to act as priest but this solution is seen as temporary. Also temporary is the priesthood of Nir, grandson of MethuselahMethuselahMethuselah is the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Extra-biblical tradition maintains that he died on the 11th of Cheshvan of the year 1656 , at the age of 969, seven days before the beginning of the Great Flood...
. Afterwards is narrated the miraculous birth of Melchizedek and his new priesthood (see Melchizedek in the Second Book of Enoch for a short summary). In manuscript B and in the long versions this section ends with a short narrative of the DelugeNoah's ArkNoah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
.
Exaltation of Melchizedek
Chapters 69-73 of 2 Enoch (sometimes referred as the Exaltation of Melchizedek or 2EM) outline the priestly succession of Enoch. There is not unanimous consensus whether this section belongs to the main body of the text or it is an early addition. Considering the not-fragmentary main manuscripts, 2EM is not included in P V N, it is included partially in J, while it is fully included in R U B, which anyway represent the best traditions of all versions. So we have both shorter and a longer versions of 2EM. Some early authors, as Charles, have not included this section mainly because they based their edition on manuscripts P and N. The lack of this section in recent manuscripts is explained by others because of the scandalous content (the virgin birth of Melchisedek) for Christian copyists. According Vaillant, who edited the first critical edition of 2 Enoch, there is no evidence that 2EM ever existed separately. Modern editions usually include also these chapters.The recent discoveries of Melchisedek 11Q13 text at Qumran
Qumran
Qumran is an archaeological site in the West Bank. It is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, near the Israeli settlement and kibbutz of Kalia...
and of a related text at Nag Hammadi, have made possible to have an idea about the Melchisedek controversy, involving also 2EM and the Letter to the Hebrews, that developed in non-mainstream Jewish communities and in early Christians communities from the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE against the traditional Jewish identification of Melchisedek with Shem
Shem
Shem was one of the sons of Noah in the Hebrew Bible as well as in Islamic literature. He is most popularly regarded as the eldest son, though some traditions regard him as the second son. Genesis 10:21 refers to relative ages of Shem and his brother Japheth, but with sufficient ambiguity in each...
.
A growing number of scholars recognize the antiquity of 2 Enoch, including also 2EM, and support a pre-70 CE dating for its original composition. Sacchi suggests that 2EM is actually an addition to the main body of the text (the style is slightly different), but a very early addition by someone of the same sect that wrote 2 Enoch (it uses the same language and same typical names as Ahuzan for Temple), dating 2EM after the 70 CE but before or about the Letter to the Hebrews. The differences between 2EM with Letter to the Hebrews (for Hebrews Melchisedek is primarily a heavenly figure while 2EM depicts him as an earthly one) don't allow to prove the dependence of 2EM from Hebrews.
Theology
The theological universe of 2 Enoch is deeply rooted in the Enochic mold of the JewishJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
Apocalyptic literature
Apocalyptic literature
Apocalyptic literature is a genre of prophetical writing that developed in post-Exilic Jewish culture and was popular among millennialist early Christians....
of the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
period. Yet along with appropriations of ancient traditions about the seventh antediluvian hero, the text attempts to reshape them by adding a new mystical dimension to the familiar apocalyptic imagery. The figure of Enoch portrayed in the various sections of 2 Enoch appears more elaborate than in the early Second Temple Enochic treatise of 1 Enoch. Interesting is the anointing of Enoch, after he saw face to face the Lord, that makes him be similar in appearance to a glorious angel and that allows him to sit above other angels on the left of the Lord.
According to Orlov, in this attempt, one may find the origins of another image of Enoch, very different from the early Enochic literature, that was developed much later in rabbinic Merkabah
Merkabah
Merkabah is the throne-chariot of God, the four-wheeled vehicle driven by four "chayot" , each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle...
and Hekhalot mysticism: the image of the supreme angel Metatron
Metatron
Metatron or Mattatron is the name of an angel in Judaism and some branches of Christian mythology. There are no references to him in the Jewish Tanakh or Christian Scriptures...
, "the Prince of the Presence", found in the later 3 Enoch
3 Enoch
3 Enoch is an Old Testament Apocryphal book. 3 Enoch purports to have been written in the 2nd century CE, but its origins can only be traced to the 5th century...
. The titles of the patriarch found in the Slavonic apocalypse appear to be different from those attested in early Enochic writings and demonstrate a close resemblance to the titles of Metatron as they appear in some Hekhalot sources. These developments demonstrate that 2 Enoch represents a bridge between the early apocalyptic Enochic accounts and the later mystical rabbinic and Hekhalot traditions.
See also
- 1 Enoch
- 3 Enoch3 Enoch3 Enoch is an Old Testament Apocryphal book. 3 Enoch purports to have been written in the 2nd century CE, but its origins can only be traced to the 5th century...
- Melchizedek in the Second Book of Enoch
Online English translations
- The Book of the Secrets of Enoch, edited by R. H. Charles (partial preview)
- The Book of the Secrets of Enoch (also referred to as "Slavonic Enoch" or "2 Enoch") - without 2EM
- The Book of the Secrets of Enoch - without 2EM
- Edited by R. H. Charles (1896 edition) with the "Melkizedekian Fragment" as an appendix
- Short version of the Melkizedek ending
About 2 Enoch
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Enoch, Books of (Ethiopic and Slavonic)
- Enoch Literature
- Bibliography on 2 Enoch
- Secrets of Creation in 2 Enoch
- Melchizedek Legend of 2 (Slavonic) Enoch
- Titles of Enoch in 2 Enoch
- Patriarch Noah in 2 Enoch
- On the Polemical Nature of 2 Enoch
- http://www.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/Preprints/P410.PDF