The Enoch Corpus
The Enoch corpus collects three pseudepigraphal books attributed to Enoch (son of Jared, Gen 5:24) plus the Ethiopian Kebra Nagast. Together they span centuries of Jewish apocalyptic and mystical tradition: angelic cosmology, the Son of Man, the ten heavens, Metatron, and the Merkavah throne.
Editions
- 1 Enoch (Charles 1917) - R.H. Charles translation, Project Gutenberg
- Charles 1896) - W.R. Morfill translation, Internet Archive
- 3 Enoch (Odeberg 1928) - Hugo Odeberg translation, Internet Archive
- Kebra Nagast (Budge 1922) - Ethiopian royal epic
1 Enoch (Ethiopian Apocalypse)
1 Enoch survives complete only in Ethiopic (Ge’ez). Five sections, circa 300 BCE - 100 CE. The Parables (ch 37-71) contain the most developed pre-Christian Son of Man theology.
“And there I saw One, who had a head of days, and His head was white like wool, and with Him was another being whose countenance had the appearance of a man…” — 1 Enoch 46:1-2
| Chapters | Section |
|---|---|
| 1-36 | Book of Watchers (Fall of Angels, Enoch’s Journeys) |
| 37-71 | Book of Parables / Similitudes (Son of Man) |
| 72-82 | Book of Heavenly Luminaries (Astronomical) |
| 83-90 | Book of Dreams (Animal Apocalypse) |
| 91-108 | Epistle of Enoch (Apocalypse of Weeks) |
Key passages: Ch 46 (Son of Man) · Ch 48 (Pre-existent) · Ch 62 (Judgment) · Ch 93 (Weeks)
2 Enoch (Slavonic Enoch / Book of the Secrets)
2 Enoch survives only in Old Slavonic. Enoch ascends through ten heavens, receives cosmic secrets, and delivers ethical teachings to his sons. Contains a unique eight-day creation account and the primordial principles Adoil and Arkhas.
| Chapters | Section |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Introduction |
| 3-37 | Heavenly Journey (Ten Heavens) |
| 38-67 | Instructions to Sons |
| 68-73 | Methosalach Narrative |
Key chapters: Ch 8 (Paradise) · Ch 30 (Eight-day creation, Adam) · Ch 42 (Adoil/Arkhas) · Ch 65 (Blessed is the peacemaker)
3 Enoch (Hebrew Enoch / Sefer Hekhalot)
3 Enoch is a foundational Merkavah mysticism text. R. Ishmael ben Elisha ascends to heaven and is instructed by Metatron, the supreme archangel who reveals himself as the transformed Enoch. Contains the Pargod (divine curtain), the seven palaces, and the cosmic hierarchy.
| Chapters | Section |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | R. Ishmael’s Ascent |
| 4-16 | Metatron Revealed (Enoch Transformed) |
| 17-40 | Metatron’s Rank and Cosmic Form |
| 41-48 | Cosmic Visions (Gehenna, Eden, Souls) |
Key chapters: Ch 4 (Enoch = Metatron) · Ch 16 (Aher and the two powers) · Ch 22 (Shekinah/Pargod) · Ch 48 (Cosmic secrets)
Cross-Tradition Parallels
- Torah: Enoch (Torah) - taken without dying (Gen 5:24)
- Tipitaka: DN 26 - Metteyya as pre-existent cosmic figure
- Avesta: Yasna 29 - Saoshyant chosen before creation