Inside the Book of Enoch

The lecture delves into the First Book of Enoch, a topic of interest despite previous discussions, due to its multiple versions and depth. The focus is on the New Testament's Epistle of Jude, which references Enoch, and the authorship attributed to Jude, the brother of James and servant of Jesus Christ. The lecture explores the context of the Book of Enoch, its canonicity, and its deep connections with the Ethiopian church, alongside the Jamesian church's prominence and its views on authority and grace. The Epistle of Jude is considered pseudonymous, likely written in the late 1st or early 2nd century, and it warns against intruders perverting God's grace, possibly alluding to Pauline Christians. The lecture also touches on the use of pseudonymity in biblical texts and the interconnectedness of Jude, James, and 2 Peter.

This paragraph examines the Epistle of Jude's warning against intruders who distort God's grace into debauchery. It discusses the Jamesian church's adherence to Mosaic law and the contrasting views of other Christian communities, particularly the Pauline teachings on grace beyond the law. The paragraph also explores the possibility that Jude's false teachers could be Pauline Christians. It references the prophet Enoch from the seventh generation of Adam, who, according to Jude, prophesied about the coming judgment of ungodly sinners. However, the actual text of Genesis does not contain such a prophecy by Enoch, leading to a discussion about the development of apocalyptic literature and pseudepigraphy in the intertestamental period.

The paragraph discusses the legacy of Enoch, highlighting the different interpretations and expansions of his story in various texts. It explains how the phrase 'God took him' from Genesis led to the idea of Enoch's translation to heaven, a concept that became significant in later Jewish and Christian traditions. The paragraph also explores the development of apocalyptic literature, which often used pseudepigraphy and focused on visions revealed through angels. It contrasts this with earlier prophetic styles and discusses the influence of Persian and Zoroastrian ideas on Jewish thought during the second temple period, including the concept of an ultimate apocalypse and the struggle between good and evil.

This section explores the extensive influence of the Book of Enoch on early Christian and Jewish texts. It details how the book was considered authoritative by some early Christian writers and may have influenced the New Testament texts, including the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the Book of Acts, and several of Paul's letters. The paragraph also discusses the book's impact on other pseudepigraphic literature and its presence among the Dead Sea Scrolls, indicating its importance to sects like the Essenes. The text's survival in Ge'ez, its original composition in Aramaic or Hebrew, and the various translations and fragments found in different languages are also covered.

The paragraph delves into the composition of the Book of Enoch, which is subdivided into five major books, each containing different components and possibly earlier texts. It discusses the Book of the Watchers, which expands on the Genesis story before the flood, the Book of Similitudes with its apocalyptic parables, the Astronomical Book discussing the Enochic calendar, the Book of Dreams and Visions including the Animal Apocalypse, and the Epistle of Enoch. The paragraph also touches on the dating of these sections, with the Book of the Watchers and the Astronomical Book being the oldest, and the Parables of Enoch having a wide dating range due to potential Christian interpolation.

This section focuses on the Book of Watchers, the earliest component of the First Book of Enoch. It narrates the story of the 'sons of God' or angels who descended to Earth, took human wives, and fathered the Nephilim, semi-divine giants. The paragraph details how these angels, led by Samyaza, taught humans various forms of knowledge, including enchantments, metallurgy, and astrology, which led to chaos on Earth. The story includes the archangels' intervention, the punishment of the fallen angels, and the prophecy of a future day of judgment involving hellfire. The paragraph also discusses Enoch's role as a scribe and his journey through the cosmos, witnessing the workings of the universe.

The paragraph discusses the Astronomical Book of Enoch, which provides a detailed account of the movements of the sun, moon, stars, and planets. It describes how Enoch is given a divine understanding of the cosmos, including the exact workings of the heavens and their relation to the calendar. The text presents a solar calendar with a year of 364 days, divided into four equal seasons, each consisting of two months of 30 days and one of 31 days. The calendar is significant as it aligns perfectly with the 7-day week, ensuring that the days of the week always correspond accurately to the dates.

This section explores the complexities of calendar systems, discussing the challenges of aligning days, months, and years. It explains the differences between a solar day, a lunar month, and a solar year, and how they do not fit neatly together. The paragraph discusses the solutions adopted by various calendar systems, such as the Gregorian calendar's use of a leap year to align with the solar year, and the Islamic calendar's alignment with the lunar cycle. It also touches on the Hebrew calendar's compromise between lunar and solar cycles, using leap months to maintain alignment with both.

The paragraph examines the influence of the Book of Enoch on later texts and beliefs, particularly in the realms of angelology and demonology. It discusses how the book's ideas about angels, demons, the end of the world, and the final judgment were transmitted and remembered through writing, influencing early Christian thought. The paragraph also explores the book's impact on the development of apocalyptic themes in second temple Judaism and early Christianity.

This section discusses the Book of Dream Visions, which includes the Animal Apocalypse, an allegorical retelling of biblical and second temple period history using animals as symbols for different groups of people and leaders. The paragraph provides an example of how biblical stories, such as the pursuit of David by King Saul, are represented in this allegory. It also touches on the book's predictions of an imminent apocalypse, the rise of a new world, and the final victory of the righteous.

The paragraph discusses the Epistle of Enoch, a composite text consisting of various sections, including Enoch's exhortations to his children, an apocalypse of weeks, and a fragment from an unrelated book of Noah. It describes how the text serves as a conclusion to the First Book of Enoch, with the redactor providing a final summary of the entire work. The paragraph also highlights the book's influence on the Ethiopian church and its preservation in Ge'ez.

The final part of the script includes a Q&A session where the speaker, John HR, answers questions about the Book of Enoch and related topics. He also introduces himself as the pastor of the Community of Christ Toronto congregation, part of the restoration tradition related to the Latter Day Saints movement. John shares his background in medieval European history and his journey to his current calling. He invites further questions from the audience for an upcoming Q&A session.