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1 Enoch: The Hermeneia Translation
Often described as "the lost book" of the Bible, The Book of Enoch seems to have been written in Palestine by several different authors in the first and second centuries B.C. For hundreds of years it was accepted by the early church fathers, but it was rejected by the council of Laodicea in A.D. 364. Today, it remains a written remnant of the Apocalypse — an ardent testament to hope and the triumph of good over evil in the dawning of a world to come. Rife with concepts of original sin, fallen angels, demonology, resurrection, and the last judgment, it is a vital document to the origins of Christianity.
The Book of Enoch is comprised of various monumental works: The Book of Enoch, The Parables, The Book of the Courses of the Heavenly Luminaries, The Dream Visions, The Concluding Section, and The Noah Fragments.
Created in conjunction with an exhaustive critical commentary, this is an English translation of '1 Enoch' taking into consideration all of the textual data now available the Ethiopic version, the Greek texts and the Dead Sea Aramaic fragments.
The Book of Enoch is comprised of various monumental works: The Book of Enoch, The Parables, The Book of the Courses of the Heavenly Luminaries, The Dream Visions, The Concluding Section, and The Noah Fragments.
Created in conjunction with an exhaustive critical commentary, this is an English translation of '1 Enoch' taking into consideration all of the textual data now available the Ethiopic version, the Greek texts and the Dead Sea Aramaic fragments.
169 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 8, 2025
Possibly the most important non-canonical text I’ve ever read.
I assuredly will get pushback for such a statement but I will hold to it until the text proves otherwise. Time to reread it.
I assuredly will get pushback for such a statement but I will hold to it until the text proves otherwise. Time to reread it.
October 28, 2022
This is overall a great edition of 1 Enoch the introductory notes are not exhaustive, but effective overall. The translation is readable and easy to follow. A great resource in understanding Jewish apocalyptic literature.
March 9, 2023
Most scholars believe 1 Enoch was written some time in the late 4th century BC. It clearly was not written by the biblical Enoch of Genesis. The book itself doesn’t claim Enochian authorship until late in the manuscript as ‘Enoch’ writes to his son. However it strikes me as almost impossible that an oral tradition could live so long as to produce a real account of the life of the patriarch written - not hundreds of years - but (at least) thousands of years after his lifetime reported in Genesis. I realize however, that the book of Job (which I do believe is a factual account) could suffer under the same scrutiny. (Something to look into further in the future.)
1 Enoch. Such an incredibly strange ancient text. Almost a religious type of modern day fantasy - the Star Wars of ancient Judaism - if you will. The story of Enoch has the makings of a great epic. However it is so bizarre! It also hits uncomfortably close to the biblical narrative for me. I’m unsure whether the 1st century Jews considered this tale as fact, or whether it was more like an epic fiction, such as Christians take Milton’s work today - and even may quote from it in serious religious dialogue on occasion to get a point across. It seems clear that they did not consider it scripture at the very least. Questions about how the New Testament biblical author Jude took this text, and how he meant his quotation of it to be understood circled in my mind as I read the work. The text is apocalyptic in nature, which would lend itself well to a more figurative interpretation by 1st century Jews - even if they did believe it was a factual account.
1 Enoch is the most bizarre apocryphal book I’ve read to date. It is an account of angels being attracted to human women, and taking wives of them, then having giant children through them, hence the biblical giants. The angels teach the humans many things, war being among them, resulting in much evil on the earth. The angels and their giant offspring are then judged by God in the flood of Noah.
It is interesting that there are parts of Genesis 6 that can be legitimately read in this way depending on ones interpretation. Genesis 6 details the evil of ‘the sons of God.’ Scholars are divided about whether this refers to humans or angels. The sons of God (violently) take wives for themselves - seeming to imply kidnapping and rape. The women then give birth to ‘Nephilim.’ It seems to me that the word Nephilim is the key translation issue in Genesis 6. Does it mean literal ‘giants,’ or does it mean ‘giant’ in a more figurative way, such as ‘renown figures’ or ‘giants of evil?’ Perhaps the ancient word means something else entirely. Scholars are divided.
I personally see the text of Gen. 6 and the story as a whole of Genesis here to make more sense as two lines of humanity: a line of godly people who honored God and lived quiet worshipful lives, as opposed to another line who were more or less violent war tribes who took women by force (6:2) - and that if Nephilim does mean giant - it means it not as a literal giant per se - but rather a giant in terms of violence and evil. In this way the Genesis flood is a judgement for murder, rape, and genocide rather than a judgement on fallen angelic beings and their offspring. Since Genesis up to chapter 6 has absolutely no mention of angelic beings - other than the figurative language of the serpent - it seems to me a large jump to assume ‘sons of God’ means angelic beings rather than a group of humans.
This interpretation makes much more sense to me from the context of Genesis 4 and 5, leading up to murder becoming normative and even celebrated (first Cain, and then his descendant Lamech even proclaiming it as some kind of honor in chap. 5). Violence is then twice mentioned as the reason for God’s judgement in chapter 6 (11; 13). Then finally murder is again mentioned in the prohibition against murder & the legal proceedings for it instituted in Gen. 9 after the flood. The judgement of the Genesis flood is framed between discussions on violence and murder. All these contextual themes of murder and violence confirms the less fantastical reading of the sons of God & Nephilim in chapter 6 for me. The full context of the biblical account seems rather to deal with humanity taking up war, rape and murder to get what they want - and the flood as a major judgement by God on the violent human groups responsible.
Whether you take the flood to be universal or local seems to me to be a matter of interpretation of the passage (whether ‘earth’ is referring to all of God’s created land as a whole, or simply to the ‘earth’ within view of Noah at the time). In fact, Genesis 8:9 says that waters covered the ‘whole earth’ after the raven Noah released had not returned - and apparently had found dry land. Therefore - the Genesis text itself uses ‘whole earth’ to only refer to the land which Noah could view.
The fact that there was some kind of massive flood in Mesopotamia in the ancient past is something confirmed by historians. The the overwhelming abundance of ancient texts (no relation to each other) that speak of an enormous flood in the ancient near east is fairly conclusive (See Susan Wise Bauer’s History of the Ancient World). The Persian Gulf at one point was above sea level. Satellite pictures show the erosion of ancient rivers which are now underneath the watery mass (again see Bauer’s History of the Ancient World).
In the Enoch account, after judgement, the fallen angels request that Enoch be an ambassador for them to appeal to God for mercy, and for mercy on their giant offspring. Their request is denied, and they are forever barred from heaven. Their giant offspring are similarly judged, and after death become evil spirits (some scholars believe that the evil spirits in the New Testament were considered to be the spirits of departed giants of the Old Testament like the book of Enoch describes (see Micheal Heiser), I suspect if this is the case, it would be from an older tradition than the book of Enoch though).
Sadly, 1 Enoch is almost an exhaustive who’s who of wacky stuff found in scripture for atheists to mock. However I think Christians have good reason to read Scripture in ways that differ from the Enochian interpretation of Genesis. Giants do have their appearance later in the scriptural accounts - however archeologists have recently found several ancient near eastern kings who had the disease of gigantism - which in the ancient world would have been seen as some kind of supernatural situation like the book of Enoch presents (the ancient Greeks have their stories of god/human interbreeding as well for that matter), and could explain the giants in scripture very satisfactorily. Scripture itself is silent on the origin of giants, it merely mentions them in a few places (as very large people compared to the much smaller statured people groups in the area at that time). However, with the relatively recent discoveries of several hominid species, those who mock the biblical accounts also must admit that science itself is showing that our ancient past is much more bizarre than we had once thought.
Ok Back to 1 Enoch! After these fantastical meanderings, the book gets a bit apocalyptic, having Enoch travel to various apocalyptic locations with the seven archangels. Locations vary from cosmic ones (what appear to be chaotic lands with dying suns embedded into the land as mountains etc.), to more religious ones (places of judgement, and the mountains of God). There is also a fair amount of messianic prophecy, which is very interesting - considering that it gives a picture of what the Jewish people at the time were expecting of a Messiah. I also found several similar phrases to the book of Revelation in these sections.
The book also has some other peculiarities such as a large smattering of ancient cosmology - which was pretty interesting but also grew very repetitive. Also interesting was how thick the concept of a chosen remnant was - the elect, and the non-elect. It almost sounded like an unapologetic reformed theologian wrote it at times.
However, in all of this I was a little frustrated with the book. It is - after all - based on a misrepresentation of authorship - a lie. It is said to be written by none other than Enoch himself - seventh generation from the first person who ever lived. Textual critics however have dated it to somewhere between the 4th & 2nd centuries BC. Not even a little close to the purported era of authorship.
In an amazing show of irony I couldn’t help but wonder about 1 Enoch itself when I read toward the end of the book:
“Woe to those who write lying words and words of error; they write and lead many astray with their lies when they hear them. You yourselves err. You will have no peace but will quickly perish.” (1 Enoch 98:15-16)
And then this section:
“And I know this mystery, that sinners will alter and copy the words of truth, and pervert many, and lie and invent great fabrications, and write books in their own names.” (1 Enoch 104:10)
Just a bit ironic eh?
Anyhow, it was an interesting and bizarre read. It also did shed some light on the messianic expectation of the Jewish people in the centuries just prior to Jesus birth. Not a great read, but might be worth your time for the contextual information - or maybe if you just want to dive in to something absolutely bizarre..
[The book itself 2 stars; the Concordia translation 5 stars. 3.5 stars total - rounded up.]
1 Enoch. Such an incredibly strange ancient text. Almost a religious type of modern day fantasy - the Star Wars of ancient Judaism - if you will. The story of Enoch has the makings of a great epic. However it is so bizarre! It also hits uncomfortably close to the biblical narrative for me. I’m unsure whether the 1st century Jews considered this tale as fact, or whether it was more like an epic fiction, such as Christians take Milton’s work today - and even may quote from it in serious religious dialogue on occasion to get a point across. It seems clear that they did not consider it scripture at the very least. Questions about how the New Testament biblical author Jude took this text, and how he meant his quotation of it to be understood circled in my mind as I read the work. The text is apocalyptic in nature, which would lend itself well to a more figurative interpretation by 1st century Jews - even if they did believe it was a factual account.
1 Enoch is the most bizarre apocryphal book I’ve read to date. It is an account of angels being attracted to human women, and taking wives of them, then having giant children through them, hence the biblical giants. The angels teach the humans many things, war being among them, resulting in much evil on the earth. The angels and their giant offspring are then judged by God in the flood of Noah.
It is interesting that there are parts of Genesis 6 that can be legitimately read in this way depending on ones interpretation. Genesis 6 details the evil of ‘the sons of God.’ Scholars are divided about whether this refers to humans or angels. The sons of God (violently) take wives for themselves - seeming to imply kidnapping and rape. The women then give birth to ‘Nephilim.’ It seems to me that the word Nephilim is the key translation issue in Genesis 6. Does it mean literal ‘giants,’ or does it mean ‘giant’ in a more figurative way, such as ‘renown figures’ or ‘giants of evil?’ Perhaps the ancient word means something else entirely. Scholars are divided.
I personally see the text of Gen. 6 and the story as a whole of Genesis here to make more sense as two lines of humanity: a line of godly people who honored God and lived quiet worshipful lives, as opposed to another line who were more or less violent war tribes who took women by force (6:2) - and that if Nephilim does mean giant - it means it not as a literal giant per se - but rather a giant in terms of violence and evil. In this way the Genesis flood is a judgement for murder, rape, and genocide rather than a judgement on fallen angelic beings and their offspring. Since Genesis up to chapter 6 has absolutely no mention of angelic beings - other than the figurative language of the serpent - it seems to me a large jump to assume ‘sons of God’ means angelic beings rather than a group of humans.
This interpretation makes much more sense to me from the context of Genesis 4 and 5, leading up to murder becoming normative and even celebrated (first Cain, and then his descendant Lamech even proclaiming it as some kind of honor in chap. 5). Violence is then twice mentioned as the reason for God’s judgement in chapter 6 (11; 13). Then finally murder is again mentioned in the prohibition against murder & the legal proceedings for it instituted in Gen. 9 after the flood. The judgement of the Genesis flood is framed between discussions on violence and murder. All these contextual themes of murder and violence confirms the less fantastical reading of the sons of God & Nephilim in chapter 6 for me. The full context of the biblical account seems rather to deal with humanity taking up war, rape and murder to get what they want - and the flood as a major judgement by God on the violent human groups responsible.
Whether you take the flood to be universal or local seems to me to be a matter of interpretation of the passage (whether ‘earth’ is referring to all of God’s created land as a whole, or simply to the ‘earth’ within view of Noah at the time). In fact, Genesis 8:9 says that waters covered the ‘whole earth’ after the raven Noah released had not returned - and apparently had found dry land. Therefore - the Genesis text itself uses ‘whole earth’ to only refer to the land which Noah could view.
The fact that there was some kind of massive flood in Mesopotamia in the ancient past is something confirmed by historians. The the overwhelming abundance of ancient texts (no relation to each other) that speak of an enormous flood in the ancient near east is fairly conclusive (See Susan Wise Bauer’s History of the Ancient World). The Persian Gulf at one point was above sea level. Satellite pictures show the erosion of ancient rivers which are now underneath the watery mass (again see Bauer’s History of the Ancient World).
In the Enoch account, after judgement, the fallen angels request that Enoch be an ambassador for them to appeal to God for mercy, and for mercy on their giant offspring. Their request is denied, and they are forever barred from heaven. Their giant offspring are similarly judged, and after death become evil spirits (some scholars believe that the evil spirits in the New Testament were considered to be the spirits of departed giants of the Old Testament like the book of Enoch describes (see Micheal Heiser), I suspect if this is the case, it would be from an older tradition than the book of Enoch though).
Sadly, 1 Enoch is almost an exhaustive who’s who of wacky stuff found in scripture for atheists to mock. However I think Christians have good reason to read Scripture in ways that differ from the Enochian interpretation of Genesis. Giants do have their appearance later in the scriptural accounts - however archeologists have recently found several ancient near eastern kings who had the disease of gigantism - which in the ancient world would have been seen as some kind of supernatural situation like the book of Enoch presents (the ancient Greeks have their stories of god/human interbreeding as well for that matter), and could explain the giants in scripture very satisfactorily. Scripture itself is silent on the origin of giants, it merely mentions them in a few places (as very large people compared to the much smaller statured people groups in the area at that time). However, with the relatively recent discoveries of several hominid species, those who mock the biblical accounts also must admit that science itself is showing that our ancient past is much more bizarre than we had once thought.
Ok Back to 1 Enoch! After these fantastical meanderings, the book gets a bit apocalyptic, having Enoch travel to various apocalyptic locations with the seven archangels. Locations vary from cosmic ones (what appear to be chaotic lands with dying suns embedded into the land as mountains etc.), to more religious ones (places of judgement, and the mountains of God). There is also a fair amount of messianic prophecy, which is very interesting - considering that it gives a picture of what the Jewish people at the time were expecting of a Messiah. I also found several similar phrases to the book of Revelation in these sections.
The book also has some other peculiarities such as a large smattering of ancient cosmology - which was pretty interesting but also grew very repetitive. Also interesting was how thick the concept of a chosen remnant was - the elect, and the non-elect. It almost sounded like an unapologetic reformed theologian wrote it at times.
However, in all of this I was a little frustrated with the book. It is - after all - based on a misrepresentation of authorship - a lie. It is said to be written by none other than Enoch himself - seventh generation from the first person who ever lived. Textual critics however have dated it to somewhere between the 4th & 2nd centuries BC. Not even a little close to the purported era of authorship.
In an amazing show of irony I couldn’t help but wonder about 1 Enoch itself when I read toward the end of the book:
“Woe to those who write lying words and words of error; they write and lead many astray with their lies when they hear them. You yourselves err. You will have no peace but will quickly perish.” (1 Enoch 98:15-16)
And then this section:
“And I know this mystery, that sinners will alter and copy the words of truth, and pervert many, and lie and invent great fabrications, and write books in their own names.” (1 Enoch 104:10)
Just a bit ironic eh?
Anyhow, it was an interesting and bizarre read. It also did shed some light on the messianic expectation of the Jewish people in the centuries just prior to Jesus birth. Not a great read, but might be worth your time for the contextual information - or maybe if you just want to dive in to something absolutely bizarre..
[The book itself 2 stars; the Concordia translation 5 stars. 3.5 stars total - rounded up.]
February 6, 2017
It's sad that, in the reviews on goodreads, some reviewers only see the value of this important text as a background for Jude. On its own, it's probably the most important non-canonical Jewish text, and is beautiful to read on its own. Certainly, it proves invaluable for biblical studies, but even as a cultural and religious artifact, the book is insightful and full of engaging material. Sure to be surpassed at some point as more manuscripts come to light, but this Nickelsburg/Vanderkam translation, as it stands, is the best available.
April 12, 2019
It's... An interesting read. But it's super weird and I don't understand it.
December 5, 2025
A solid and accessible translation of a beautiful and important Christian text.
February 21, 2023
This was an interesting read. Kind of like Bible supplementary reading. There are lots of really surreal and gruesome parts that pop up between mundane and repetitive sections. Stars are punished for coming out to soon, angels are getting freaky with human women and begetting animals (and those animals begetting different animals), the story of Moses is described using sheep, an albino child is born and stands up saying praises to the Lord, scaring his own father. One of the most interesting parts for me was also the most tedious to read, but it was Enoch describing the length of the days throughout the year, in a very strange and long-winded biblical form of a calendar. I read this aloud with my partner and joked that Enoch should have just drawn a picture. The Book of Enoch is so esoteric that when we looked it up on YouTube, it seemed to be popular with two groups of people. The first being scholars of theology, and the second group being doomsday conspiracy theorists and flat earthers. Not really sure what to make of that!
September 22, 2021
Radically more readable than the (100 year old) R.H. Charles translation. Makes it very readable and as someone interested in the history of religion and of the Jewish apocalyptic literature, I found it very useful.
December 25, 2022
Enoch walked with God and was no more.
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October 17, 2022Read in college but am surprised how I’ve referred back to it in the study of the Bible. It appears that Jude 14-15 quotes 1 Enoch, and the “lamb of God�� imagery is seen in John’s writings and in Enoch 90:6-12.
The thought that truth is found in non-canonical books does not take away from the canon, inerrancy and sufficiency of scripture.
The thought that truth is found in non-canonical books does not take away from the canon, inerrancy and sufficiency of scripture.
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December 20, 2020I guess I'm glad I finally read it, but I'm hard pressed to think of anything important I learned.
July 10, 2013
How on earth such an important text fell out of our bibles is beyond me. 1 Enoch is not only an important text in the context of New Testament theology, but it's a beautiful read on its own. Its imagery is vivid and thought-provoking, inviting us to see the world as its author did--flat, with vents on the horizon instead of stars and supernovas. It's inventive, expanding on pre-existing biblical mythology and going hog wild in telling its apocalyptic story/vision. It is also not only one text, but several which have been jammed together, not all of equal quality, but that can be forgiven.
Hermeneia's translation is rigid and somewhat stiff, but for some reason, this time, I'm willing to forgive it. A book with as complicated a textual history as 1 Enoch requires special care. Whimsy isn't exactly Hermeneia's purpose anyway.
Hermeneia's translation is rigid and somewhat stiff, but for some reason, this time, I'm willing to forgive it. A book with as complicated a textual history as 1 Enoch requires special care. Whimsy isn't exactly Hermeneia's purpose anyway.
July 10, 2019
This is the most up-to-date English translation of 1 Enoch available today. The introduction gives an overview of the book's composition and history, and the translation itself is clear and crisp, with poetical sections printed as poetry and prose sections printed as prose. A major advantage of this version is that footnotes are kept to a minimum; commentary is limited to section titles.
This book provides an accurate and accessible introduction to 1 Enoch for both scholars and the general public. A familiarity with 1 Enoch is essential for readers of the canonical Abrahamic scriptures AND for readers of speculative fiction (both fantasy and science fiction), as many themes in 1 Enoch are prevalent in the speculative fiction genres.
All in all, a great introduction to an extremely valuable piece of ancient sacred literature -- highly recommended!
This book provides an accurate and accessible introduction to 1 Enoch for both scholars and the general public. A familiarity with 1 Enoch is essential for readers of the canonical Abrahamic scriptures AND for readers of speculative fiction (both fantasy and science fiction), as many themes in 1 Enoch are prevalent in the speculative fiction genres.
All in all, a great introduction to an extremely valuable piece of ancient sacred literature -- highly recommended!
July 13, 2021
A set of fascinating 4th BC apocalyptic (revelatory) texts, written from the perspective of Enoch, the grandfather of Noah. Not part of the Bible, nor has it ever been part of the Hebrew Bible. But certainly was well-known in Jesus’ time (the New Testament letters, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, & Jude even seem to reference it).
1 Enoch provides an interesting story about fallen angels, Noah’s flood, and many other things.
The Book of Luminaries, in the middle, was incredibly dry and gave detailed accounts of the Sun, Moon, & stars (although I have no idea how accurate they were).
Can’t say I’d recommend anyone to read it, but overall I enjoyed reading it. I feel like it gave me better insight into what Second Temple Jews may have believed, or thoughts they certainly were familiar with.
1 Enoch provides an interesting story about fallen angels, Noah’s flood, and many other things.
The Book of Luminaries, in the middle, was incredibly dry and gave detailed accounts of the Sun, Moon, & stars (although I have no idea how accurate they were).
Can’t say I’d recommend anyone to read it, but overall I enjoyed reading it. I feel like it gave me better insight into what Second Temple Jews may have believed, or thoughts they certainly were familiar with.
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April 25, 2021not enough people talk about how enoch is constantly falling on his face and having angels help him up
"...I was quaking and trembling, and I fell upon my face."
"...my loins were crushed, and my kidneys were loosened, and I fell on my face."
"...a voice was heard from heaven, and I fell on my face."
"I fell on my face, and all my flesh melted, and my spirit was transformed."
etc
"...I was quaking and trembling, and I fell upon my face."
"...my loins were crushed, and my kidneys were loosened, and I fell on my face."
"...a voice was heard from heaven, and I fell on my face."
"I fell on my face, and all my flesh melted, and my spirit was transformed."
etc
December 24, 2017
The most moving part was definitely the birth of Noah - there was something fascinating about Lamech's reaction to his child. Definitely a must-read for anyone interested in Genesis 6:1-4 or the subsequent deluge, angels, or astrology.
March 26, 2022
Helpful summary and miniature commentary for each chapter contained in the introduction, as well as an explanation of the translation philosophy and challenges faced. Markings throughout to indicate which manuscript a portion of text derives from.
As for the content, readers will find themselves questioning whether the text is really about Enoch/Noah/The Flood, or the coming messiah/judgement. That’s the point. 1 Enoch uses Noah’s day as a typology for the end of days. This typology is endorsed by the New Testament writers Peter and Jude, who paraphrase and directly quote the text. While it’s certainly not authoritative or divinely inspired, 1 Enoch does shed tremendous light on the messianic and apocalyptic expectation of 2nd temple Judaism. It’s incredible to see how Jesus Christ met, corrected, and most of all EXCEEDED their greatest hopes. It’s a superbly valuable cultural window, and can greatly inform our reading of scripture, if used prayerfully and carefully.
As for the content, readers will find themselves questioning whether the text is really about Enoch/Noah/The Flood, or the coming messiah/judgement. That’s the point. 1 Enoch uses Noah’s day as a typology for the end of days. This typology is endorsed by the New Testament writers Peter and Jude, who paraphrase and directly quote the text. While it’s certainly not authoritative or divinely inspired, 1 Enoch does shed tremendous light on the messianic and apocalyptic expectation of 2nd temple Judaism. It’s incredible to see how Jesus Christ met, corrected, and most of all EXCEEDED their greatest hopes. It’s a superbly valuable cultural window, and can greatly inform our reading of scripture, if used prayerfully and carefully.
September 26, 2018
A basic introduction to the book of Enoch (1 Enoch) and a translation of the text.
The authors also wrote Hermeneia commentaries on 1 Enoch; the translation has been partially modified from those commentaries. The introduction provides a standard scholarly take on 1 Enoch, explaining the contents of its various sections, postulating possible dating, and providing a basic explanation of its textual history.
The translation itself is fresh and beneficial, far easier to follow and make sense of than the standard turn of the century translation by R.H. Charles. The translation is full of notes indicating where other textual witnesses diverge and how.
A useful resource to better understand the book of Enoch.
The authors also wrote Hermeneia commentaries on 1 Enoch; the translation has been partially modified from those commentaries. The introduction provides a standard scholarly take on 1 Enoch, explaining the contents of its various sections, postulating possible dating, and providing a basic explanation of its textual history.
The translation itself is fresh and beneficial, far easier to follow and make sense of than the standard turn of the century translation by R.H. Charles. The translation is full of notes indicating where other textual witnesses diverge and how.
A useful resource to better understand the book of Enoch.
October 11, 2024
Really hard to read and, frankly, it's really incomplete and unclear nature doesn't make it easier. But one thing would be clear for me and that is why Jude quotes from it. As a prophetic, apocalyptic book, it's powerfully Messianic. The character of a future Messiah is pretty clearly drawn out, regardless of the identity he assumes in this book. Ideas of God enthroning him, giving him the power to judge at the end of times, the power of the Messiah to change the fallen nature of everyone... All these would have sounded pretty prophetic for a 1st, 2nd century christian.
I think it's an important book for any christian be at least somewhat familiar with and this translation, even though it's academic (which makes it even harder to read), would be the best.
I think it's an important book for any christian be at least somewhat familiar with and this translation, even though it's academic (which makes it even harder to read), would be the best.
August 1, 2022
I want to see an HBO limited series about The Watchers and the Nephelim, but Weiss & Benioff are forced (for their sins) to produce it (in Ireland), with massive fuck off giants just smashing mud huts under the overcast skies.
Adrien Brody playing Enoch as a nebbish would be absolutely chefs-kiss perfection.
'When the sons of mend had multiplied, in those days, beautiful and comely daughters were born to them. And the watchers, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them. And they said to one another, “Come, let us choose for ourselves wives from the daughters of men, and let us beget
children for ourselves."'
Adrien Brody playing Enoch as a nebbish would be absolutely chefs-kiss perfection.
'When the sons of mend had multiplied, in those days, beautiful and comely daughters were born to them. And the watchers, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them. And they said to one another, “Come, let us choose for ourselves wives from the daughters of men, and let us beget
children for ourselves."'
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February 10, 20241 Enoch is a Ethiopic Jewish text composed in different sections by scribes writing under the figure of Enoch (see Genesis 5:21-24). While it is isn’t canon for Christians nor for the majority of Jews, it gives extremely valuable insight into the wide range of Common Judaism in the Second Temple Period.
I haven’t compared this translation to other translations of 1 Enoch, but I thought this translation was very well done! It will definitely be my preferred translation going forward. The introduction was also so wonderful and helpful. 1 Enoch is top-notch! I would highly recommend it if you’ve never read it!
I haven’t compared this translation to other translations of 1 Enoch, but I thought this translation was very well done! It will definitely be my preferred translation going forward. The introduction was also so wonderful and helpful. 1 Enoch is top-notch! I would highly recommend it if you’ve never read it!
November 2, 2021
Intriguing and helpful
The hermeneia series are amazing and very good at critically assessing the sources & manuscripts. Overall I found Enoch to be an enlightening and encouraging read as a Christian. After all, enoch was used in the early church & the new testament quotes or refers to it often.
I'm loathe to refer to it as christian scripture, I believe thats unhelpful but I would classify it as one of these books that are helpful for Christians to muse on and be aware of.
The hermeneia series are amazing and very good at critically assessing the sources & manuscripts. Overall I found Enoch to be an enlightening and encouraging read as a Christian. After all, enoch was used in the early church & the new testament quotes or refers to it often.
I'm loathe to refer to it as christian scripture, I believe thats unhelpful but I would classify it as one of these books that are helpful for Christians to muse on and be aware of.
May 7, 2022
Jesus (in the Gospels), as well as the books of 1 &2 Peter, Jude, and Revelation all directly reference 1 Enoch. This is an essential book to read if you have any serious interest in Biblical Studies and understanding the Second Temple Jewish apocalyptic literature that influenced so much of first-century thought.
April 30, 2019
Excellent translation
Highly recommend this book. Regardless of what a person thinks about the status of the Book of Enoch, this is the premier translation. A must have for any serious minded second Temple period student.
Highly recommend this book. Regardless of what a person thinks about the status of the Book of Enoch, this is the premier translation. A must have for any serious minded second Temple period student.
July 7, 2022
A fascinating reading, with many interesting parallels to biblical texts, particularly to apocalyptic ones.
This translation carries a helpful introduction and technical footnotes about Greek, Aramaic and Ethiopic sources.
This translation carries a helpful introduction and technical footnotes about Greek, Aramaic and Ethiopic sources.
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March 30, 2023Very accurate and historical!
A very good read and very powerful message to everyone . Enoch gives us his visions and what will definitely happen in the very near future. Much of what Enoch wrote has come to pass. A must read so you can miss the torment of hell.
A very good read and very powerful message to everyone . Enoch gives us his visions and what will definitely happen in the very near future. Much of what Enoch wrote has come to pass. A must read so you can miss the torment of hell.
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February 8, 2020I never rate religious text because it feels strange but this was a good edition and translation of the ancient text
November 26, 2020
Maybe the most captivating thing I’ve ever read. The first 60 or so chapters have the vast majority of the interesting parts
May 18, 2021
Clear translation. Easy to understand. Readable. :)
July 10, 2022
A fascinating document. Jude quotes it.
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