Dover Book

Text Box with description of Book

    The Book of Enoch, one of the "lost books of the Bible" is actually a collection of books by several authors, at least four, written over an extended period of time. This is obvious because the styles of writing vary considerably. The earliest section dates from about 200-150 B.C., according to Canon R. H. Charles, who translated and prepared this edition, first printed in 1893. Rev. W. O. E. Oesterley, D.D., wrote the introduction, which gives us interesting background information. Though Charles has been disputed on the dates assigned to the different books, it is agreed that the entire work pre-dates Christianity. The earliest part was probably written by a Jew in Palestine. It is also noted that some of the chapters are fragments that appear to be out of place. The original writings no longer exist, which may have been in Aramaic or Hebrew. The extant copy is Ethiopian but fragments exist in other languages, notably Greek.
    However, according to Wikipedia, much more up-to-date, the books date from 330 B.C. to 100 B.C.. Enoch was the great-grandfather of Noah, and the seventh generation from Adam (Genesis Chapter 5).
    According to Charles, all the books were written by Chassidim, (Saints or Pious Ones), but there is debate as to whether they were Pharisees or Sadducees. Another scholar, Leszynsky, points out that it originated from the Sadducees because they supported the solar year calendar, and Enoch lived 365 years, corresponding to the number of days in a solar year, while the Pharisees supported the 360 day lunar year. In the chapter, The Sun, the author clearly supports the adoption of the solar year.
    One point, however, is not disputable, which is that these are Apocalyptic writings, foretelling the punishment of sinners. According to Oesterley, the era of Apocalyptic Literature was from about 200 B.C. to A.D. 100. The writers weren't necessarily seeing ahead to our century, they were writing about theirs. Much of it can be applied what is happening today, yet the same was happening then. He writes:

Hope is, indeed, the main underlying motive-power which prompted the writers of the Apocalypses. And this hope is the more intensive and ardent in that it shines forth from a background which is dark with despair; for the Apocalyptists despaired of the world in which they lived, a world in which the godly were of no account, while the wicked seemed too often triumphant and prosperous. With evil everywhere around, the Apocalyptists saw no hope for the world as it was; for such a world there was no remedy, only destruction; if the good were ever to triumph it must be in a new world. Despairing, therefore, of the world around them, the Apocalyptists centred their hope upon a world to come, where the righteous would come to their own and evil would find no place.

    Ok, so maybe they were referring to us. Sounds familiar to me. Anyways, here are my own thoughts about these writings. Please note—I am discussing them in the order they appear in the book; (I am not including chapter numbers, however). It is pointed out in the Introduction that this order is not chronological or correct.

The Book of Enoch
Parable of Enoch on the Future Lot of the Wicked and the Righteous
    In this book which appears first, Enoch tells how, when the appointed time came (for he believed God had set a specific time for everything in the world to happen according to his plans), the wicked would be eternally punished and the righteous would be rewarded. He believes nothing happens that it not carefully controlled by God, and speaks of everything in nature—the seasons, the shedding of the trees' foliage, the bearing of fruit, and so on as ordered by God.

The Fall of the Angels: The Demoralization of Mankind: The Intercession of the Angels on behalf of Mankind. The Dooms pronounced by God on the Angels: the Messianic Kingdom (a Noah fragment)
    Ok, now we get into something that could be tied into the Reptilian Invasion, for all you who do not adhere to the God thing.
    Here, Enoch speaks of beautiful earthly women, for whom certain angels lusted. They decided and agreed as a group, to descend to Mount Hermon and each chose a woman to "defile." They taught them charms (sorcery?) and they bore children, who grew into giants. The giants "consumed all the acquisitions of men," then devoured mankind, and animals, then turned to devour each other.
    Hmmm . . . Well. There has been archaeological evidence that giants once walked upon the earth—Mayan ruins, or one of the other Pre-Columbian indigenous peoples, I believe.
    Now, we can put this in another, non-religious context—that we were original beings—gods and goddesses who were gifted at manifesting our reality, and we were subtly invaded by an alien race, (which I believe we were). This would also make sense in that we would have lost our divine power to create, once the interbreeding had taken hold. Our divine power was replaced with "charms" (or perhaps technology, like a simulation software). Hmm?
    I have to make a rather humorous point here—Oesterley says in the Introduction that some of these writings are richly imaginative, strange and repellent. Or maybe some are literal! Ha! It's a good thing he's not reading my interpretations. Because these words seem much more real to me here in what we are experiencing in 2016, than to a Doctor of Divinity in 1912. But as for Enoch, he is saying that it is the fallen angels (or whatever they were), who were responsible for bringing sin onto the planet, and they are the ones who will be punished in the end—they and their offspring.
    Now, that is another interesting point. I have said for many years that we all have Reptilian DNA because of the interbreeding after the Invasion. That's why I have done so much with DNA clearing, though Energy Interference Patterning, of which I am certified, and through my Shamanic work, which is actually more efficient. At this point I feel that most or all of the Reptilian DNA, mostly auric, has been purged from me. However, there are still memories, which means that something remains of the trauma. I think those memories are wreaking a great deal of havoc at the present time. Those of us (quite a few) who are reincarnations of the original Divine Earth Beings are not only dealing with memories, but projecting them into physical manifestation, replaying the horror over and over and over.

Dream Vision of Enoch: his intercession for Azâzêl and the fallen Angels: and his announcement to them of their first and final doom.
    Here, Enoch receives a message to tell the Watchers (fallen angels) that they shall receive eternal punishment. They entreat him to petition to God for their mercy and forgiveness. He has a dream where he goes to God but their damnation has already been determined without alteration. God tells him what to say, not only concerning them, but to the Giants which are their offspring. They are now the evil spirits who will wreak havoc upon the earth.

Evil spirits have proceeded from their bodies; because they are born from men, and from the holy Watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they shall be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits shall they be called. As for the spirits of heaven, in heaven shall be their dwelling, but as for the spirits of the earth which were born upon the earth, on the earth shall be their dwelling. And the spirits of the giants afflict, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and work destruction on the earth, and cause trouble: they take no food, but nevertheless hunger and thirst, and cause offense.

    I find that last line interesting because, as most of us refer to the Reptilians or other evil aliens as parasites, they "take no food" but feed off our energies. I also found the last paragraph interesting, in which Enoch is instructed to tell the Watchers this:

You have been in heaven, but all the mysteries had not yet been revealed to you, and you knew the worthless ones, and these in the hardness of your hearts you have made known to the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on earth.

Enoch's Journeys through the Earth and Sheol.
    Enoch's God was certainly vengeful, unforgiving, and filled with wrath. (I have even heard it said that he himself was Reptilian!) In any case, this section is divided into a number of smaller sections, describing the places Enoch is taken to visit by various angels. They are mostly places of terror where the Watchers will be punished for eternity.
    Eternity is a long time. Evidently a God totally lacking in mercy. He even punishes stars:

The angel said: "This place is the end of heaven and earth: this has become a prison for the stars and the host of heaven. And the stars which roll over the fire are they which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord in the beginning of their rising, because they did not come forth at their appointed times. And he was wroth with them, and bound them till the time when their guilt should be consummated even for ten thousand years."

    Geez, Louise! Now that God is just plain mean! The other thing that is prominent in this section, (and throughout the book), is the number seven: seven mountains, seven stars, and so on. But really I had trouble finding any other material here that was important information. I think many scholars agree on that assessment.
    There are however a few interesting points, and one is the description of a very important Tree of Life:

And amongst them was a tree such as I had never smelt, neither was any amongst them nor were any like it: it had a fragrance beyond all fragrance, and its leaves and blooms and wood wither not for ever: and its fruit is beautiful, and its fruit resembles the dates of a palm.

    It reminded me of Nordic myths, one of whose most important elements is their own Tree of Life, Yggdrasil.

Further Journey to the East
    This is the fifth and final section or chapter of The Book of Enoch, where there are only a couple interesting aspects. One is that he visits the Garden of Righteousness and sees the tree from which his ancestors Adam and Eve ate. Another is a comment concerning God:

And as often as I saw I blessed always the Lord of Glory, and I continued to bless the Lord of Glory who has wrought great and glorious wonders, to show the greatness of His work to the angels and to spirits and to men, that they might praise His work and all His creation: that they might see the work of his Might and praise the great work of His hands and bless Him forever.

    Passages such as this always make me wonder. What is so great about a "god" that can create all these trees and mountains, blah blah blah, and can't even provide a safe and joyful dwelling for people. And why would a "god" who is so great need our praise and blessings anyways? Sound egotistical and very un"god"-like. The Old Testament is nothing but fear-driven. What does that have to do with love and divinity? Much of this book seems contrived or even juvenile. I really wonder about all those "visions."
    I have read that some people believe the god of the Old Testament and the one of the New Testament are not the same entity. One is angry, selfish, self-absorbed and cruel, while the other is a spirit of love.
    This is probably the only part of the book in which I found interesting or applicable information. The remainder is quite dull, boring and a bit goofy.

The Parables
    We continue with the next major division of the book, or collection of books, The Parables, of which there are three. There is not much of interest here, mostly more about the punishment of sinners and about the (supposed) role and function of stars, lightning, the moon, etc.. The Second Parable perhaps foretells the coming of Jesus:

    Then I will cause Mine elect one to dwell among them.
    And I will transform the heaven and make it an eternal blessing and light,
    And I will transform the earth and make it a blessing:

    He then goes on to discuss the Son of Man who will put down the kings and the wealthy.
    If only . . .
    There is something in many of the books of the Bible that gives them an essence of mystery and depth, allowing for many levels of interpretation and revelation of truths. As stated in the introduction, however, these writings are basically dull. They remind me of something a ten-year old might write for an assignment in English class; very amateur. The Parables are especially so, repeating over and over that the sinful will be punished and the righteous will be rewarded. There is not much skillful creativity here at all.
    One other comment on this division—there are fragments included here from other writings, for instance two paragraphs foretelling the Great Flood. Keep in mind that this Dover edition is a reprint from a 1012 publication. I would guess there are by now more up-to-date versions available.

Book of Noah—a Fragment
    This is the next section in the collection, but apparently it still is part of the Parables, though probably misplaced. It much longer than the two passages found in the Second Parable. The writer once again goes on and on about the punishment of the wicked. He speaks of "two monsters parting," the female named Leviathan to dwell in the ocean, and the male, Behemoth to dwell in the waste wilderness, or desert, I believe. Both of these creatures are also found in Job (not Jonah or Jonas, as Herman Melville claims in Moby-Dick). Leviathan is a whale (or possibly some other sea monster) and Behemoth could refer to any very large animal, even a dinosaur.
    But then he goes on and on about every element and where it dwells, such as the clouds and the lightning and thunder, frost, snow, hail . . .OMG. Yawn.
    Beginning in the section entitled Enoch foretells to Noah the Deluge and his own Preservation, the writing becomes confusing in that it is difficult to tell who is speaking; Enoch, Noah, or God. It hardly matters, though, because it is just more of the same old thing: the righteous will be saved and the sinners punished.
    Things become even stranger in God's Promise to Noah: Places of Punishment of the Angels and of the Kings. Here the speaker has switched again, apparently from Enoch to Noah, and he is talking about mountains of different metals: gold, silver, iron, soft metal and tin; great convulsions and fiery molten metal and the smell of sulphur "connected with those waters, and that valley of the angels who had led astray mankind." He then goes on to say that these waters will serve for the healing of the body. It gets even stranger when he says that after the angels are punished in the waters they will turn cold.
    In the section The Names and Functions of the (fallen Angels and) Satans: the secret Oath, the writer, who I believe is still in Noah's voice, lists the leaders of the angels and what they are accused of doing. I found the "sin" of Pênêmûe amusing:

And he instructed mankind in writing with ink and paper, and thereby many sinned from eternity and until this day. For men were not created for such a purpose, to give confirmation to their good faith with pen and ink.

    Note: The Noah Fragment is inserted in the Third Parable, where it obviously doesn't belong. Again, I don't have a more modern version of this work, but hopefully all these errors have been corrected.
    The section ends with once more Enoch being shown ambiguous "secrets," without a clue as to what those secrets are. There are also more references to the coming of the Son of Man.

The Book of the Courses of the Heavenly Luminaries
    The next division is in a totally different writing style, more "prose" than "verse," and concerns the author's attempt to convince his contemporaries to adopt a solar calendar rather than a lunar one.

The Sun
    Here the author, who is personified again as Enoch speaking to his son Methuselah (grandfather of Noah), goes on and on and on to explain the rising and setting of the sun from the eastern "portal" to the western "portal," and the changes of daylight hours; and explanation of the seasons which illustrates that he may have been a bit more scientifically educated than the other writers. He continues this explanation ad nauseum, for over three pages. The most extreme error he makes is saying that the sun and moon are equal in size, (though not in intensity).
    He then continues with a shorter explanation of the rising and setting of the moon, and the discrepancy of cycles over the long term; (i.e. the full moon doesn't fall on the same days each year). He goes on to talk about the winds, with each of the four directions having three portals, one of which sends forth beneficial winds and two which are destructive. He claims all of these explanations of the laws of the heavenly bodies were given him by the angel Uriel, but it seems to me he is coming from a more scientific point of view, adjusted to appear "spiritual" in order to advance his argument toward adopting a solar calendar. Just a thought. The "sevens," which are prominent in this entire book, kick in again here, with the seven mountains, seven rivers, seven islands. However, there is no other material leading in or following any of these sevens which give a clue as to the significance of that number—again very ambiguous.

Perversion of Nature and the heavenly Bodies owing to the Sin of Men
    Inserted here, back in verse form, are eight verses that speak of a time when the natural order of things will be altered "and not appear at the seasons prescribed to them." This makes me wonder if it isn't describing a time when there was a magnetic pole shift, a phenomenon confirmed by scientists to have happened a number of times throughout history.

The Dream-Visions
    Now these are the silliest of all, and make me wonder if enough thorough research has been done on these writings to certify their authenticity. Because this is how I personally perceive them: Though they are meant to be dreams Enoch had—prophetic visions which foretell such Biblical events as the Great Flood, the Exodus from Egypt, Moses and the parting of the Red Sea . . . I looked up the supposed dates on these events. For instance the Flood is believed to have happened in about 3,000 B.C., and the Exodus from Egypt in around 1446 B.C., yet the earliest parts of the Book of Enoch weren't recorded until 300 B.C.. Obviously I am no Biblical scholar or historian, but this section in particular seemed so contrived. It is as if it had been written long after the events, and made to sound like a prophesy. The author, supposedly recording what Enoch had passed down as his vision, writes about these events using animals as the characters. Wikipedia supplies information on who or what each animal represents, but it is still just plain goofy. Here is a passage in the section entitled From the Time of the Judges till the Building of the Temple:

And the dogs and the foxes and the wild boars began to devour those sheep till the Lord of the sheep raised up [another sheep] a ram from their midst, which led them. And that ram began to butt on either side those dogs, foxes, and wild boars till he had destroyed them all. And that sheep whose eyes were opened saw that ram, which was amongst the sheep, till it forsook its glory and began to butt those sheep, and trampled upon them, and behaved itself unseemly. And the Lord of the sheep sent the lamb to another lamb and raised it to being a ram and leader of the sheep instead of that ram which had forsaken its glory. And it went to it and spake to it alone, and raised it to being a ram, and made it a prince and leader of the sheep; but during all these things those dogs oppressed the sheep. And the first ram pursued that second ram, and that second ram arose and fled before it; and I saw till those dogs pulled down the first ram.

    Aaaaargh. This goes on for TWELVE more pages. I would not be surprised if someday this entire book, or many parts of it, will turn out to be a fraud. Seriously. There is something lacking here that prevents it from being believably authentic. That's just my personal opinion.

The Concluding Section of the Book
    This last part "foretells" the birth of Noah, and again goes on and on and ON about the punishment of sinners and rewarding of the righteous.
    There are many books of the Bible to study, and many lost or alternative books also, that are very intriguing and filled with interesting material that causes one to ponder. This is not one of them. It is dreadful and boring. Please don't waste your time with it.

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