Our search for deeper understanding often leads beyond the Bible itself. Even in our attempt to fully understand the Bible we must go beyond the book. As we encounter references to social conditions, cultural practices, and even other writings mentioned within the scriptures we are called to investigate and expand our knowledge in order to fully appreciate the context, knowledge base, and cultural significance of what is being taught. Thus, to fully understand the Bible, we are necessarily drawn to sources outside the Bible. These sources add to the historical, social, or theological understanding of Biblical times. As our view becomes more macrocosmic, we see the panoramic setting and further understand the full truth within the scriptures. Yet, in the case of Enoch, we are not going beyond THE Bible. We are simply going beyond OUR bible. The Book of Enoch is contained in the Bible of the Ethiopic Christian Church. Popular texts among early Christians To lead us to sources of information outside of our Protestant and Catholic Bibles we must know which books were popular and important at the time the Bible was being written. There are several books mentioned in the Bible which are not included in our Bible. They are not spiritual canon, either because they were not available at the time the canon was originally adopted, or at the time they were not considered “inspired.” In cases when inspiration was questioned, one could argue that any book quoted or mentioned by a prophet or an apostle should be considered as spiritual canon; unfortunately this position would prove too simplistic. Books and writings can fall under various categories such as civil records and laws, historical documents, or spiritual writings. A city or state census is not inspired, but it could add insight into certain areas of life. Spiritual writings which are directly quoted in the Bible serve as insights into the beliefs of the writer or what was considered acceptable by society at the time. As with any new discovery, invention, or belief, the new is interpreted based upon the structure of what came before. This was the way in the first century Christian church, as beliefs were based upon the old Jewish understanding. However, one should realize pagan beliefs were also added to the church as non-Jewish populations were converted, bringing with them the foundations of their beliefs on which they interpreted Christianity. In the case of Jude, James, Paul, and others, the Jewish past was giving way to the Christian present, but their understanding and doctrine were still being influenced by what they had learned and experienced previously. It becomes obvious that to understand the Bible one should endeavor to investigate the books and doctrines that most influenced the writers of the Bible. The Dead Sea Scrolls, found in the caves of Qumran, are of great interest in the venture of clarifying the history and doctrine in existence between biblical times and the fixing of canon. The scrolls were penned in the second century B.C. and were in use at least until the destruction of the second temple in 70 A.D. Similar scrolls to those found in Cave 4 within the 11 caves of Qumran were also found at the Masada stronghold which fell in 73 A.D. Fragments of every book of the Old Testament except Esther were found in the caves of Qumran, but so were many other books. Some of these books are considered to have been of equal importance and influence to the people of Qumran and to the writers and scholars of the time. Some of those studying the scrolls found in Qumran were the writers of the New Testament. Knowing this, one might ask which of the dozens of non-canonical books most influenced the writers of the New Testament. It is possible to ascertain the existence of certain influences within the Bible context by using the Bible itself. The Bible can direct us to other works in three ways. The work can be mentioned by name, as is the Book of Jasher. The work can be quoted within the Bible text, as is the case with the Book of Enoch. The existence of the work can be alluded to, as is the case of the missing letter from the apostle Paul to the Corinthians. Books mentioned in the Holy Bible In the case of those books named in the Bible, one can set a list as the titles are named. The list is lengthier than one might at first suspect. Most of these works have not been found. Some have been unearthed but their authenticity is questioned. Others have been found and the link between scripture and scroll is generally accepted. Following is a list of books mentioned in the Holy Bible: 1. The Book of Jasher: “Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the Book of Jasher.” (2 Samuel 1:18) “Is it not written in the Book of Jasher? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.” (Joshua 10:13) 2. The Book of Wars of the Lord: Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the Lord. (Num. 21:14) 3. The Annals of Jehu: Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first to last, behold, they are written in the annals of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is recorded in the Book of the Kings of Israel. (2 Chronicles 20:34) 4. The Book of the Kings: As to his sons and the many oracles against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written in the treatise of the Book of the Kings. Then Amaziah his son became king in his place. (2 Chronicles 24:27) 5. The Book of Records, Book of the Chronicles of Ahasuerus: Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence. ... During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. (Esther 2:23, 6:1) 6. The Acts of Solomon: Now the rest of the acts of Solomon and whatever he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the Acts of Solomon? (1 Kings 11:41) 7. The Sayings of Hozai: His prayer also and how God was entreated by him, and all his sin, his unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are written in the records of the Hozai. (2 Chronicles 33:19) 8. The Chronicles of King David: Joab the son of Zeruiah had begun to count them, but did not finish; and because of this, wrath came upon Israel, and the number was not included in the account of the Chronicles of King David. (1 Chronicles 27:24) 9. The Chronicles of Samuel, Nathan, Gad: Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the Chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer. (1 Chronicles 29:29) 10. Samuel’s book: Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and placed it before the Lord. (1 Samuel 10:25) 11. The Records of Nathan the Prophet: Now the rest of the Acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, and in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (2 Chronicles 9:29) 12. The Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite: Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first to last, are they not written in the Records of Nathan the Prophet, and in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (2 Chronicles 9:29) 13. The Treatise of the Prophet Iddo: Now the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways and his words are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo. (2 Chronicles 13:22) There are several books which have come to us entitled, “Book of Jasher.” One is an ethical treatise from the Middle Ages. It begins with a section on the Mystery of the Creation of the World: It is clearly unrelated to the Biblical Book of Jasher. Another was published in 1829, supposedly translated by Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus. It opens with the chapter 1, verse 1 reading, While it was the beginning, darkness overspread the face of nature. It is now considered a fake. The third and most important is by Midrash, first translated into English in 1840. It opens with chapter 1, verse 1 reading, And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and God created man in his own image. A comparison of Joshua 10:13 with Jasher 88:63-64 and 2 Samuel 1:18 with Jasher 56:9 makes it clear that this Book of Jasher at least follows close enough with the Bible to be the Book of Jasher mentioned in the Bible. Missing Epistles The existence of a lost book can be inferred even if no text is available. This is clearly seen with several missing epistles. Paul’s letter to the Church at Laodicea appears to be missing, according to some scholars. Colossians 4:16 states, When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part, read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. Since three earlier manuscripts do not contain the words at Ephesus in Ephesians 1:1, some have speculated that the letter coming from Laodicea was in fact the letter of Ephesians. Apostolic fathers also debated this possibility. In Paul’s first letter to Corinth, he predated that letter by saying: I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people (1 Corinthians 5:9) This could merely be a reference to the present letter of 1 Corinthians. Book of Enoch may be most influencial Of all the books quoted, paraphrased, or referred to in the Bible, the Book of Enoch has influenced the writers of the Bible as few others have. Even more extensively than in the Old Testament, the writers of the New Testament were frequently influenced by other writings, including the Book of Enoch. It is not the purpose of this work to make judgments as to the validity or worth of the Book of Enoch, but rather to simply put forth a meaningful question: Is not the non-canonical book that most influenced the thought and theology of the writers of the New Testament worth further research and contemplation? Before we continue in our study of the Book of Enoch there are several questions we must keep in mind. If a book is mentioned or quoted in the Bible, is it not worthy of further study? If it is worth investigating, is this the book of which the Bible speaks? What knowledge or insight does it add to our understanding of the Bible or the men who wrote it? The Book of Enoch was once cherished by Jews and Christians alike. It is read in certain Coptic Christian Churches in Ethiopia. Three versions of the Book of Enoch exist today. Book of Enoch: Discovering it; dating it Most scholars date the Book of Enoch to sometime during the second century B.C. We do not know what earlier oral tradition, if any, the book contains. Enoch was considered inspired and authentic by certain Jewish sects of the first century B.C. and remained popular for at least 500 years. The earliest Ethiopian text was apparently derived from a Greek manuscript of the Book of Enoch, which itself was a copy of an earlier text. The original was apparently written in the Semitic language, now thought to be Aramaic. The Book of Enoch was discovered in the 18th century. It was assumed to have been penned after the beginning of the Christian era. This theory was based on the fact that it had quotes and paraphrases as well as concepts found in the New Testament. Thus, it was assumed that it was heavily influenced by writers such as Jude and Peter. However, recent discoveries of copies of the book among the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran prove the book was in existence before the time of Jesus Christ. These scrolls forced a closer look and reconsideration. It became obvious that the New Testament did not influence the Book of Enoch; on the contrary, the Book of Enoch influenced the New Testament. The date of the original writing upon which the second century B.C. Qumran copies were based is shrouded in obscurity. Likewise lost are the sources of the oral traditions that came to be the Book of Enoch. Slowly, over the past 60 years, we have unraveled some of the mystery. Inspired, authentic or fake? It has been largely the opinion of historians that the book does not really contain the authentic words of the ancient Enoch, since he would have lived several thousand years earlier than the first known appearance of the book attributed to him. However, the first century Christians accepted the Book of Enoch as inspired, if not authentic. They relied on it to understand the origin and purpose of many things, from angels to wind, sun, and stars. In fact, many of the key concepts used by Jesus Christ himself seem directly connected to terms and ideas in the Book of Enoch. The theories regarding the authenticity of Enoch vary widely. Some believe Enoch is Midrash; that is an elaboration on a biblical story. In this case it is suggested that Enoch expands Genesis chapter 6. Parallels between Enoch and the Holy Scriptures Another more controversial theory has Enoch predating the Genesis story. Like the Book of Enoch, Genesis seems to have several authors with stories intertwined. One of these authors is known simply as “P,” owing to the fact he was thought to be a priest. If we compare the “P” contribution of Genesis to the Book of Enoch, parallels leap out. Enoch P Corrupt earth Human way corrupt on the earth (Gen 6) eating animals eating animals (Gen 9) bloodshed bloodshed (Gen 9) 364-day year (12 months x 30 + 4) 30-day months (Gen 7) 365-day year (Gen 5) Enoch goes to heaven Enoch goes to heaven (Gen 5) There are other connections. The name “Azazel” appears in Leviticus. The scapegoat is sent into the wilderness “to Azazel,” and through the ceremony of laying on of hands by the priest and people, the goat is sent away, bearing the sins of the people. This reference only makes sense if the writer believed that Azazel was responsible for all human sins and would bear the punishment for it, as the Book of Enoch declares. In Genesis, it is Cain who bears sins into the wilderness. However, we will see that there are connections between the fallen angels and the descendants of Cain. The problem with such a connection between Enoch and Genesis is that it does not point to the direction of the transmission. We now can be reasonably sure that Enoch and Genesis are connected, but we cannot be certain which was recorded first. The best evidence we have for the undisputed authenticity of Enoch is not the connection to Genesis, but the faith Jesus and the Apostles had in the Book of Enoch, demonstrated by various references and quotes...
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 13:25:50 +0000
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