fuenmayorr568

· 08 Jun 2021

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The book of Enoj

#spirituality
It is an ancient but not sacred work that probably dates back to the Second Temple period.. The book is attributed to Enoj (Janoch) a direct descendant of the great-grandfather of Adam and Noah.

Several fragments have been found in Aramaic among the Dead Sea Scrolls. (It is not known whether the book was originally written in Hebrew or in Aramaic the common language of the time). However, it was not incorporated into the Tanach and is not considered Siuna sacred work. As far as I know is not mentioned in any classical Jewish text.

In fact, the Book of Enoch was more or less a lost work for the Jews shortly after that time.. It was translated into Greek and possibly from there (or Latin) into ge'ez an ancient Ethiopian language and the liturgical language of some Ethiopian Christians today. Only the Ethiopians kept the Book of Enoch over the centuries and worship it today.

As for its content, the Book of Enoch covers many topics. Although some parts are parallel to passages of the Jewish Midrash much of it is foreign and speaks of notions incompatible with our beliefs. He speaks extensively about the fallen angels who fathered a race of giants known as the Nephilim (Genesis 6:4). Although a minority opinion in Jewish literature understands that the “children of God” of Genesis 6:2 refer to fallen angels they are not understood as “rebellious” angels only as fallen angels. See here for a more extensive discussion of this topic.

Other parts of Enoj describe the history of the world from ancient times to the end of days. Here too parts of it resemble traditional Judaism but many parts diverge drastically somehow perhaps more resemble Christian eschatology. It also describes a Jewish solar calendar that also disagrees with the lunar months of the Jewish calendar of the Mishnah.

I must add that the inhabitants of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found were not from the mainstream of Jews of the time (the “” Pharisees””). They belonged to one of several separatist groups known as the Essenes many of whom practiced laws as divergent celibacy, poverty and community life. They also believed that the end of the world was near so they retired to the desert. It is therefore known that the Book of Enoch as well as several of the works found in the caves differ considerably from rabbinic Judaism.”