3 Enoch 18
3 Enoch 18
Section: Metatron’s Rank and Cosmic Form
Translated by Hugo Odeberg (1928)
CHAPTER XVIII
The order of ranks of the angels and the homage received by the higher ranks from the lower ones
R. Ishmael said: Metatron, the Angel, the Prince of the Presence, the glory of all heaven, said to me:
(1) THE ANGELS OF THE FIRST HEAVEN, when(ever) they see their prince, they dismount from their horses and fall on their faces.
And THE PRINCE OF THE FIRST HEAVEN, when he sees the prince of the second heaven, he dismounts, removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
Ch. xvii. Angelological system A 3 (see Introduction, section 13 (1 C)).
This chapter (extant in D and A only) introduces an independent exposition of the angelic hierarchy. The point of connection with the preceding chapter is the mention of the princes of the seven heavens. In ch. xvii, however, these ‘ princes of the seven heavens’ are regarded as constituting the highest rank of angels. That this is so is clear from the facts that the princes of the seventh and sixth heavens are identified with Mikael and Gabriel resp. and that they occur at the head of a classification which is arranged in an order beginning from the highest. In the present chapter, on the contrary, the princes of the heavens form the lowest class of angels in an enumeration from the lowest to the highest.
A peculiarity of this chapter which separates it in character from both ch. xvii and the rest of the angelological section is the monotonous repetition of the words
- when X see(s) .X he (they) remove(s) the crown. . .from his (their) head and fall(s) etc.’ the technical means by which the inferiority of one rank of angels or one angel- prince to the subsequently mentioned is indicated.
Another characteristic feature of this chapter are the abstruse forms of the names of most of the angels as compared with those of the other parts of the book, where the names are formed from the functions assigned to the angels. Here the deriva- tions are obscure. It is noteworthy that most of the names are found in Hek. R., to which this chapter even otherwise seems to be related—e.g. by the conception of ‘the watchers of the doors of the Halls’ (vs. 3), the common derivation of ‘ANAPHIEL (vs. 19) etc. Though several of these angel-names are not registered by Schwab, VA, and a couple of them are awa£Xeyoueva as far as printed books are concerned, they are preserved in many prayers, magical formulas, etc., extant in Mss. References are given below at each name.
(1) The angels of the first heaven. . .the prince of the first heaven. . .second heaven etc. On the seven heavens see note on ch. xvii. 3. The princes, sdrim, of the several heavens are pictured as having each one his suite of angels. They are mounted on horses (cf. Mass. Hek. iv and Hek. R. xvii seqq.) and pay homage one to the other when meeting. Unlike ch. xvii the present chapter mentions no names of these princes. That is to say, that the tradition embodied here probably knows no names of the ‘princes of the heavens’. Consequently, in the view of this tradition, the heavens and their rulers form a comparatively low and unimportant part of the heavenly splendours, whereas the author of ch. xvii presumably sees all the glory of the Divine Court contained within the seven heavens.
Crown of glory is the mark of distinction common to all the angels and princes in this chapter with the exception of the seventy-two princes of kingdoms (vs. 3) and the two highest princes acc. to vs. 25, to whom is assigned the ‘crown of royalty’. Crowns are in the Talmudic-Midrashic literature as well as in the Apocalyptic
CH. XVIII] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (A3) 53
And THE PRINCE OF THE SECOND HEAVEN, when he sees the prince of the third heaven, he removes the crown of glory from his head
and falls on his face. And THE PRINCE OF THE THIRD HEAVEN, when he sees the prince
of the fourth heaven, he removes the crown of glory from his head
and falls on his face. And THE PRINCE OF THE FOURTH HEAVEN, when he sees the prince
of the fifth heaven, he removes the crown of glory from his head and
falls on his face. 1 And THE PRINCE OF THE FIFTH HEAVEN, when he sees the prince of
the sixth heaven, he removes the crown of glory from his head and
falls on his face. And THE PRINCE OF THE SIXTH HEAVEN, when he sees the prince of
the seventh heaven, he removes the crown of glory from his head
and falls on his face.! (2) And THE PRINCE OF THE SEVENTH HEAVEN, when he sees THE
SEVENTY-TWO PRINCES OF KINGDOMS, he removes the crown of glory
from his head and falls on his face. 2 (3) And the seventy-two princes of kingdoms, when they see THE DOOR KEEPERS OF THE FIRST HALL IN THE ‘ARABOTH RAQIA‘ in the
I-1 D: ’ And the prince of the fifth heaven from before the prince of the sixth and the prince of the sixth heaven before the prince of the seventh heaven’ 2D inserts as title: ‘The Order of the Halls’
attributed to (a) God himself: TB. Chag.13 b, Ber.7 a, Ex. R. xxi; (b) the righteous in the world to come: TB. Ber. 17 a, b, Lev. R. xx, Test. Benj. iv. 2, Asc. Is. vn. 22, viii. 26, ix. ro; (c) angels: chh. xvi. 2, xl. Cf. ch. xii. 3. For the removing of the crown(s) as token of homage cf. Rev. iv. 4, 10. An exact parallel of expression is found in Alph. R. ‘Agiba, rec. B, BH, iii. p. 61.
(2) The seventy-two princes of kingdoms. They are the representatives in heaven of the different kingdoms on earth, but are also connected with the planets and constellations. Concerning them cf. notes on chh. xvii. 8 and xxx. 1, 2. In ch. xxx they are supplemented by a leader, ‘the Prince of the World’ (cf. TB. Yeb. 16b, Chull. 60 a, Sanh. 94a). Their number varies between seventy and seventy-two : I En. Ixxxix. 59, P. R. ’ El. xxiv, TB. Sukka, 29a. It is possible that the number seventy-two originated from the addition to the seventy princes of Mikael and Sammael (or Mikael and Gabriel) as their rulers. Mikael is the representative of Israel and Sammael of Rome and thereby the chief of all the Gentile nations. More probable is, however, that the number seventy-two is arrived at from astrological considerations. See note on ch. xvii. 8. Peculiar to this chapter is their position between the prince of the seventh heaven and the door-keepers of the Halls, their abode being usually near the Throne of Glory (ch. xxx, Pesigtha, xxvii, TB. Sukka, 29 a). In ch. xvii, again, they have their place in the second heaven (Raqia*) and are in rank under not only the princes of the heavens but also the princes of the sun, moon and constellations. (Cf. however note on ch. xvii. 8.)
(3) The door keepers of the first Hall in the ‘Araboth Ragia‘. The seven Halls or Palaces are situated in the highest of the seven heavens, the ‘Araboth Ragia‘, and are pictured as arranged in concentric circles, ‘one within the other’ (ch. i. 1). The conception of the seven Halls which plays so conspicuous a róle in
4 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [cH. xvi
highest, they remove the royal crown from their head and fall on their faces.
? And THE DOOR KEEPERS OF THE FIRST HALL, when they see the door keepers of the second Hall, they remove the crown of glory from their head and fall on their faces. |
And THE DOOR KEEPERS OF THE SECOND HALL, when they see the door keepers of the third Hall, they remove the crown of glory from their head and fall on their faces.
And THE DOOR KEEPERS OF THE THIRD HALL, when they see the door keepers of the fourth Hall, they remove the crown of glory from their head and fall on their faces.
And THE DOOR KEEPERS OF THE FOURTH HALL, when they see the door keepers of the fifth Hall, they remove the crown of glory from their head and fall on their faces.
And THE DOOR KEEPERS OF THE FIFTH HALL, when they see the door keepers of the sixth Hall, they remove the crown of glory from their head and fall on their faces.
And THE DOOR KEEPERS OF THE SIXTH HALL, when they see the DOOR KEEPERS OF THE SEVENTH HALL, they remove the crown of glory from their head and fall on their faces.
(4) And the door keepers of the seventh Hall, when they see THE FOUR GREAT PRINCES, the honoured ones, WHO ARE APPOINTED OVER
3-3 D simplifies: ‘And the door keepers of the first Hall before the door keepers of the second Hall, and the door keepers of the second Hall before (those of) the third, and the door keepers of the third Hall before those of the fourth etc.’
Hek. R. is in the present book quite outside the centre of interest. Cf. chh. i. 1, X. 2, XVi. I, XXXVii. 1, xxxviii. 1, xlviii c 8. The door keepers of the Halls are in this chapter without names and definite number. In these respects it differs from Hek. R. xv, where each Hall is said to be guarded by eight angels, of which the names are given (chh. xv, xvii et seq.). Of these names—which comprise the door keepers of the first six Halls—two, viz. GeBURATIEL and ‘ANaPHIEL, recur later in the present chapter (vss. x4 and 19) as names of higher angels.
Mass. Hek. iv, agreeing with Hek. R., gives the number of the door keepers of each Hall as eight.
Names of the chiefs of the door keepers of the Halls are found in Pirge R. ‘Ishm. xx (Bodl. MiCH. 175, foll. 20 a-26 a), although different from those of Hek. R. As chief of the guardians of the fourth Hall occurs SaGNeSaGIEL of vs. 11 here. Cf. Zohar, i. 41 a and ii. 245 a-268 b.
The functions of the door keepers of the Halls are the guarding of the entrance to the Halls generally and especially the control of the admittance of the aspirants to the vision of the Merkaba, so that nobody may enter who is not ‘worthy’ (‘rad ity’) acc. to Hek. R. (cf. ch. xvii ea.). This is probably implied also in ch. i. 3, where R. Ishmael begs God to protect him against the zeal of Qaspiel (or Qafsiel), an angel-prince who in this connection, no doubt, is to be considered as (one of) the guardian(s) of the door of the seventh Hall (cf. 2b. vs. 2; Zohar, ti. 248 b).
(6) The four great princes…who are appointed over the four camps of
CH. XVIII] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (A3) | 5
THE FOUR CAMPS OF SHEKINA, they remove the crown(s) of glory from their head and fall on their faces.
(5) And the four great princes, when they see Tac‘as, ®the prince, great and honoured? with song (and) praise, at the head of all the
5-5 in aramaic.
Shekina. In ch. xxxvii the four camps of Shekina are mentioned together with ‘the four chariots of Shekina’. In ch. xxxv all the myriads of camps of angels are said to be arranged in four rows, at the head of each row there being ‘a prince of the army’. Probably ‘the four great princes’ here are to be understood as identical with the princes of the army in ch. xxxv. 3. In this case the camps of Shekina are the four companies of ministering angels arranged by the Throne of Glory, especially in their aspect as performers of Oédushsha.
In other writings ‘the four camps of Shekina’ is not an infrequent term and in later cabbalistic traditions a considerable amount of speculation centres round this conception. (Cf. here esp. Zohar, iii. 50 a: 19 ^9)
Now one generally finds that the ‘ princes of the camps of Shekina’ are named as Mikael, Gabriel, Uriel (more seldom: Nuriel) and Raphael. Cf. Mass. Hek. vi: “four companies of ministering angels praise before the Lord; the first camp under Mikael to the right, the second camp under Gabriel to the left, the third under Uriel before Him and the fourth under Raphael from behind”, and it is added
- the Shekina is in the middle”.
Acc, to Ma‘ase Merkaba (Add. 26922) ‘the princes of the four camps of Shekina’ are: Mikael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael, standing to the right, to the left, in front of and behind the Throne of Glory resp.
In P. R. ’ El. iv the four angels Mikael, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael stand by the Throne of Glory as leaders of four camps of angels glorifying the Most High. A similar picture is drawn by the Widduy Yaphe (Add. 15299, fol. 113 b).
The ‘three men’ visiting Abraham, Gen. xviii. 2 seqq. are in Szuni ad loc. once identified with the angels Mikael, Gabriel and Raphael, and again with Raphael, Uriel and Gabriel, “who are the camp of Shehina”.
The conception of the four princes in charge of the ‘uttering of the Song’ before the Holy One, is traceable as far back as 1 En. chh. xxxix. 12, 13 and xl, Ixxi, ix. 1, where there are mentioned ‘FOUR PRESENCES ON THE FOUR SIDES OF THE LORD OF SPIRITS. ..uttering praises before the Lord of Glory”. Their names are here: Mikael, Raphael, Gabriel and Phanuel. See also 2 En. xviii. 9, and CHARLES, 1 En. note on xl. 2.
Towards the formation of the idea of ‘four princes of the four camps of Shekina’, speculations on the ” four living creatures” of Ezek.1. 5, 10, and the traditions of the four princes Mikael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel have, presumably, combined. In later cabbalistic sources one actually finds that the ‘four camps of Shekina’ are referred to the ‘Eagle-Ox-Lion-Man’ vision, e.g. YR. i. 80 a (Meg. ‘Amuq.).
Instances of other developments of the conception of ‘the camps of Shekina’: the four camps of Shekina are imaged by the arrangement of the “armies of Israel”, Nu. i. 3, acc. to Bachya (ad loc.); they surreund the Shekina or ‘‘the body of Shekina” which is the same as the ’ Greater Metatron”, but are above the Lesser Metatron who stands on the heads of the living creatures, the Chayyoth (YR. i. 57 a); “in the camp of Shekina are Metatron, Sandalphon, Uriel, Raphael, Mikael, Gabriel”? (Shéné Luchoth ha-Berith, cited by Derek ’Emeth on Zohar, i. 149 b).
(5) Tag‘as. (YYAN). Not included in Schwab, VA. The name occurs in the prayer attributed to R. Hamnuna ben Sabha (Or. 6577, fol. 13a, Add. 27187, fol. 67 b, Add. 27199, fol. 299 e.a.), and also in another, anonymous, prayer in Add. 15299, fol. 104 b. In these cases it is a Divine name (really a double temura) always followed by YYY and letters of the Tetragrammaton. ‘The epithet ‘great
56 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH (CH. XVIII
children of heaven, they remove the crown of glory from their head and fall on their faces.
(6) And ‘Tag’as, *the great and honoured prince’, when he sees BARATTIEL®, the great prince of three fingers in the height of ‘Araboth, the highest heaven, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
(7) And Barattiel®, the great prince, when he sees HAMON, the great prince, the fearful and honoured, pleasant and terrible one—who maketh all the children of heaven to tremble, when the time draweth nigh (that is set) for the saying of the ‘(Thrice) Holy’, as it is written (Isa. xxxiii. 3): “ At the noise of the tumult (hamon) the peoples are fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations are scattered “—he re- moves the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
(8) And Hamon, the great prince, when he sees TUTRESIEL’, the great prince, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
5-5 in aramaic. 6 D: ‘‘Ataphiel’ 7 So acc. to the full reading of D. 4: . D adds ’*” after the name.
and honoured prince? (NYP NIN NWY) is the same as that given to Metatron in the beginning of S/u‘ur Qoma (Bodl. opp. 467, fol. 58 a, OPP. 563, fol. 52 b,
S. Raziel). Cf. also in S. Elijahu, beg.:… NIN NW .
This angel is said to be ‘honoured with song and praise’ and to stand ‘at the head of all the children of heaven’. In view of the functions commonly assigned to the ‘princes of the camps of the Shekina’ of the preceding verse (see note above) these expressions are probably to be understood as referring to the performance of the ‘ Thrice Holy’ and to the angels uttering the Qédushsha. The function of the angel may be that of a conductor of the song-uttering angels.
(6) Barattiel () Neither this nor the ‘Ataphiel of D is included in Schwab, VA. Ataphiel is found in Hilk. Mal’akim La, fol.117 b. of three fingers. Cf. Ailk. Mal’akim, ıb.: ‘“‘ Ataphiel lifteth up the ‘Araboth Ragia‘ on his fingers”. Also ch. xxxiii. 3 of the present book (‘the Holy Chayyoth bear the Throne of Glory…each one with three fingers’). Does the attribute ‘of three fingers’ here possibly stand in any connection with the recital of the Thrice Holy?
(7) Hamon, 11551 (‘tumult’). The expression ‘makes the children of heaven to tremble etc.’ probably means ‘announces the arrival of the time appointed for the Qédushsha’, The trembling and fear with which all the heavenly household is seized at the moment before the recital of the Thrice Holy is pictured e.g. in ch. xxxviii. For the attributes ‘fearful, honoured, pleasant and terrible’ cf. the parallels of chh. xx. 1, xxii. 1, xxv. 1, xxvi. 1. This method of heaping epithets after the name of a high angel-prince is frequently employed in Hek. R. The attributes were prob- ably from the beginning intended as marks of distinction, applied according to a certain system to denote the resp. rank assigned to each prince. (Cf.also in Mandaitic.)
(8) Tutresiel. See Schwab, VA, pp. 134,136. The name is of frequent occurrence, although in variant forms. Schwab explains it as ‘OLdropos El’, ‘piercing God’. Here and in Midrash Sar Tora it is the name of an angel. Often it appears as one of the names of the Godhead (Hek. R. xi. 2, xii, xiii, xv) or of Metatron (Sefer ha Chesheq, foll. 4 b, 8 a).
There are many variants of the name, which are enumerated in Hek. R. xii.
CH. XVIII] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (A3) 57
(9) And Tutresiel? H’, the great? prince, when he sees ATRUGIEL®, the great? prince, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
(10) And Atrugiel? the great? prince, when he sees NA’ARIRIEL H’, the great? prince, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
(11) And Na’aririel H’, the great? prince, when he sees SASNIGIEL ^, the great? prince, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
(12) And Sasnigiel H’, when he sees ZAZRIEL H’, the great? prince, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
(13) And Zazriel H’, the prince, when he sees GEBURATIEL H’, the prince, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
7 so acc, to the full reading of D. A: . D adds ‘5’? after the name. 8 D: ‘ATRUGNIEL v? 9 D om. ro D adds ‘iv’ after the name.
See also S. Raziel, 40 a, 43 b. ”he srUTRevaH of Zohar, ii. 245 b, 246 a, is perhaps also a variant (through transposition of the letters) of the same name.
(9 and 10) Atrugiel or Atrugniel (D) not in Schwab, VA. It is to be considered identical with the © Afrigiel’ of Hek. R. xxii. 1 and 3, the name of one of the door keepers of the seventh Hall. The form Tagriel, ib. xv and xvii, is apparently also a variant. Cf. the names ‘Afrigi(a)sh’ (cited from Hek. R. xxx) and Atarniel in Schwab, VA, p. si. Schwab derives the former from rpoyos, he-goat,, goat- buck, the traditional symbol of a demon (cf. sar).
Na‘aririel: i.e. Na‘ar ’El (Na‘ar = Child, Youth, the name of Metatron, ch. iii). Occurs in Hek. R. in the form of Na‘aruriel as the name of one of the door keepers of the seventh Hall (ch. xxii, together with Atrugiel). The ‘HZ’ forming the second part of the name of this and the following princes stands for the Tetragrammaton (like ‘9’ in D). Cf. the expression ‘called by the name of YHWH’, ch. ix. 3 and note, ad locum.
(11) Sasnigiel is one of the variants of ‘Sagnesagiel’ or ‘ Segansagel’, in ch. xlviii. 1, 2 appearing as the last of the names of Metatron, with the epithet ‘the Prince of Wisdom’. Probably derived from Jj (treasure), cf. bon *t33.
In the Apocalyptic Fragment (e.g. BH. v. 167-169) likewise, it is the name of
- the prince of the Presence” who shows R. Ishmael the future.
Other forms are:
SASNIEL: S. Raziel, 24.a, 41 a; ZEGANZEGAEL : 1b. 2 b, called “the Prince of the Tora”; sANSAGGIEL: Schwab, V4, cf. the explanation given there; ZANGEZIEL: Midrash Petirath Moshe; here he is introduced as Moses’ teacher and, together with Mikael and Gabriel, fetching Moses’ soul at the time of his death. He is also called
- Prince of the world” (probably identical with Metatron).
In Pirge R. Ishmael, xx, he is the chieftain of the door keepers of the fourth Hall.
Acc. to Berith Menucha, 37 a, he is one of the Seraphim and is appointed over “the peace”.
(12) Zazriel, probably = ‘theStrengthof God,’ ‘thestrong God.’ Cf.the following names.
(13) Geburatiel = ‘the strength of God’. Cf. the preceding verse. Acc. to Hek. R. xv and xvii, he is one of the door keepers of the fourth Hall. See Schwab, VA,
p. 91.
58 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CH. XVIII
(14) And Geburatiel H’, the prince, when he sees ‘ARAPHIEL™ H’, the prince, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on . his face.
(15) And ‘Araphiel! H’, the prince, when he sees ‘AsHRUYLUP, the prince, who presides in all the sessions of the children of heaven”, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face. |
(16) And Ashruylu H’!2, the prince, when he sees GALLISUR H’, THE PRINCE, WHO REVEALS “ALL THE SECRETS OF THE Law (Tora), he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
rr D:‘Ta‘raphiel’ 12 D:‘Ashruyli iw’ 13-13 D: ‘who is the head [over] all the students on high’ 14-14 D: ‘the secret of the crown of the Law, the crown of Holiness, the crown of Kingship’
(14) ‘Araphiel = ‘the neck of God’ (the neck is the symbol of strength). Acc. to Hek. R. xxi, he is one of the guardians of the second Hall. See Schwab, zb. p. 217.
(15) ’ Ashruylu = ‘who causes to dwell’, ‘who causes to rest’, scil. the disciples of Tora in the heavenly colleges, hence the function here assigned to him: ’ presideth in all the sessions of the children of heaven’. That the colleges on earth have their counterparts in heaven is a common Rabbinic idea. Cf. the somewhat different picture of Metatron’s function in ch. xlviii € 12.
In accordance with the present view is the epithet ‘prince of Tora’ given to this angel in S. Raziel, 45 a. In Hek. R. xu, ‘ Ashruylit’ is one of the twenty names of the Godhead; ib. xxx (Sar Tora) it is the name of an angel-prince. Cf. the inter- pretation, Schwab, VA, p. 77.
(16) Gallisur…who reveals all the secrets of the Law. The name is of com- paratively frequent occurrence. Pesigta R. par. xx, explains it as ‘‘he who reveals the reasons of the Creator” (Sur, Is. xxvi. 4).
The same explanation of the name ’ Gallisur! is repeated, with the addition of some other details, in Ma’yan Chokma, BH. i. 60, in ’Aggadath Shema‘ Israel, BH. v. 165, also in S. Raziel, 41 b, 42 a, 42 b, and P. R. ’ El. iv, further in citations in Siuni, 93 d, and YR. ii. 67 a. Acc. to these sources he is identical with the angel, called ‘ Raziel’ (= ‘the secret(s) of God’); he hears the Divine decrees from behind the ‘Curtain’ (cf. ch. xlv. 1) and reveals them to the world; he stands next to the Chayyoth and spreads his wings, so that the ministering angels shall not be consumed by the fire that goes forth from the breath of the Chayyoth. Acc. to S. Raziel, 42 b, he is one of the Princes of the Law.
In Sefer ha- Yashar (“the book of the righteous”, Add. 15299, fol. 91 a b) it is related, that the book in question “was given to Adam by the hand of Gallisur”. (Note the similar narrative in S. Raziel, 3 a, which is probably another version of S. ha- Yashar, where the name of angel is Raziel.)
In a prayer in the same Ms., fol. 144 a, he is invoked—with the ‘kinnuwyim’ (or supplementary names) of ‘ Yephiphyah’ (cf. ch. xlvii D 4) and Yophiel—to give assistance in the study of the Tora.
From these sources it appears that the traditions assigned to him mainly two functions: revealer of the Divine Secrets and Prince of the Law. These two functions are here, rightly, comprised in the one “ revealer of all the secrets of the Law”. The Divine secrets are embodied in the Tora, constituting its inner meaning, the technical term for which is “the secrets of the Law”. (Cf. on chh. ix. 1 and xlviii D
7 et seqq.) As the Prince of the Law he is here probably connected with the Divine Judgement
CH. XVIII] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (A 3) 59
(17) And Gallisur H’, the prince, when he sees ZAKZAKIEL H’, the prince who is appointed to write down the merits of Israel on the Throne of Glory, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face.
(18) And Zakzakiel H’, the great”? prince, when he sees ‘ANAPH(I)EL H’, the prince who keeps the keys of the heavenly Halls, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face. Why is he called by the name of ‘Anaphiel? Because the bough of his honour and majesty and his crown and his splendour and his brilliance covers (overshadows)? all the chambers of ‘Araboth Raqia‘ on high even as the Maker of the World (doth overshadow them). Just as it is written with regard to the Maker of the World (Hab. ii. 3): “His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise”, even so do the honour and majesty of ‘Anaphiel cover all the glories of ‘Araboth the highest.
15 Dom. 16-16 D: ‘he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face. And ‘Anaphiel, the prince, he is appointed to keep the keys of the Halls of ‘Araboth Ragia‘’ 17 so D. A om., probably taking 43} as a verb, thus giving the meaning: ‘Because his honour etc. (overbranch) overshadow all the chambers etc.’
which in its different aspects is represented in nearly all the following angel- names; through the said epithet he is also connected with the aforegoing
- Ashruylu’.
(17) Zakzakiel, ‘ Merit-God’, is the same both with regard to name and function as ‘Zekukiel’ of S. Raziel, 21 b: “‘the Prince of the merits of Israel”.
(18) ‘Anaphiel, ‘the branch of God’. In ch. vi of the Enoch-Metatron piece of the present book he is the angel who removes Enoch to the heavens; zb. ch. xvi (acc. to the reading of BD) he is the angel who gave Metatron sixty strokes with lashes of fire. (Vide Introd. section 8 u, x, y).
Acc. to Hek. R. xv, xvii, he is one of the door keepers of the fourth Hall. Jb. ch. xxii. 4, he is one of the guardians of the seventh Hall. A similar, partly literally identical, explanation of his name as in the second part of the present verse is given there.
‘The expression ‘who keeps the keys of the Halls of ‘Araboth Ragia‘’ is the only trace in this chapter of the connection of the high angel-princes enumerated here with the guardianship of the heavenly Halls, whereas all of them that recur in Hek. R. are there guardians of one or the other of the Halls, mostly the seventh or the fourth. He has here the control of all the Halls.
The said statement “keeps the keys of the Halls of ‘Araböth Ragia‘” together with the following part of the verse attribute a remarkably high position to ‘Anaphiel: he is compared with “the Creator of the world”. In Hek. R. xxii, he is called “the most beloved of all the guardians of the heavenly Halls, the Prince, ‘Ebed (the Servant, Metatron’s name), who is called thus by the name of his Master”. A similarly high position is also implied by the passages in the Enoch-Metatron piece, just referred to. Another instance is the quotation from ‘ Söde Räzä’in YR.i. 5a: “the angel ‘Anaphiel, to him are given in charge the ‘ring’ and the seal of heaven and earth, and all on high kneel down and prostrate themselves before him”.
60 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CH. XVIII
(19) And when he sees SOTHER ’ASHIEL H’, the prince, the great, fearful and honoured one, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face. Why is he called 8Sother Ashiel!8? Be- cause he is appointed !? over the four heads of the fiery river over against the T’hrone of Glory; and every single prince who goes out or enters before the Shekina, goes out or enters only by his per- mission. For the seals of “the fiery river are entrusted to him. And furthermore, his height is 7000 myriads of parasangs. And he stirs up the fire of the river; and he goes out and enters before the Shekina to expound !what is written (recorded) concerning the inhabitants of the world. According as it is written (Dan. vii. 10): “‘the judgement was set, and the books were opened “.
18-18 so D. 4: ‘Sother and Ashiel” 19 Á ins.: ‘from the beginning’ 20-20 so D. A: ‘the four fiery rivers’ (corrupt for ‘the four heads of the fiery river?) 21-21 so D. A om.
(19) Sother ’Ashiel H’ = ‘who stirs up the fire of God’. The explanations of the name as they appear in the present verse are quoted in Hilkot ha Kisse La,
fol. 138 a. A points: AMD (no other names in this ch. pointed).
He is here the angel appointed over the fiery river Nehar di-Nur, the specula- tions on which evolved from the beginning of Dan. vii. 10, the passage quoted in this verse. For the conceptions of the fiery river, see note on ch. xxxiii. 5.
The four heads of the fiery river. Itis difficult to discern from A, whether ‘four’ or ‘seven’ are meant, the characters for ‘daleth’ (= 4) and ‘sain’ (= 7) being, in the current script employed there, almost indistinguishable. In Hil. ha Merkaba (Add. 27199, fol. 126 a) however, the “heads of the fiery river of the Throne of Glory” are definitely stated as four. If ‘seven’ is the correct reading here, the number ‘7000 myriads’ would be explained as derived from ‘the seven heads of the fiery river’. Ch. xxxiii. 4 mentions ‘seven fiery rivers’, an amplification fre- quently met with in the ‘ Sdéd@ Raza’ by Eleazar of Worms (cf. e.g. the quotation from this writing, YR. i. 4 b). The fiery river, usually described as issuing forth “from under the Throne of Glory” or “ from the perspiration of the holy Chayyoth”’ is here simply described as being situated over against the Throne of Glory and is in the present connection probably conceived of as dividing the Throne of Glory with the Skekina from the world of the common angels and angel-princes, through which ‘fiery stream’ they must pass when they wish to enter before the Shekina. On this assumption the expression ‘every prince…does not go out nor enter but by his permission’ would be intelligible: Sother ’Ashiel, who is the guardian of the fiery river, also controls who shall pass through it to the Shekina. The fiery river as a bath of purification and preparation for the angels is a common idea in this and related writings. Cf. note on ch. xxxiii. 5.
he goes out and enters before the Shekina to expound what is written con- cerning the inhabitants of the world (lit. ‘to expound in the writings of’. A per- haps reads: ‘enters to the Curtain of the inhabitants of the world’, i.e. the Curtain, on which everything is recorded acc. to ch. xlv. 1 seqq.). This strange expression obtains its elucidation by the quotation of Dan. vii. 10 with its reference to ‘the Judgement’. The fiery river is also, and foremost, the symbol of the execution of the judgement on man. Hence Sother ’Ashiel is connected with the Divine Judge- ment, as far as he ‘stirs up the fire of the Nehar di-Nur’. He, as it were, regulates the heat of the fire according to the requirements of judgement.
CH. XVIL] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (A3) 61
(20) And Sother ’Ashiel the prince, when he sees ?sHOQED CHOZI”, the great prince, the mighty, terrible and honoured one, he removes the crown ?of glory? from his head and falls upon his face. And why is he called Shoged Chozi? Because he weighs “all the merits (of man)? in a balance in the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He.
(21) And when he sees ZEHANPURYU"" z’,the great prince,the mighty and terrible one, honoured, glorified and feared in all the heavenly household, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face. Why is he called Zehanpuryu??? Because he rebukes the fiery river and pushes it back to its place.
(22) And when hesees ‘AzBUGA H^, the great prince, glorified, revered, honoured, adorned, wonderful, exalted, beloved and feared among all
22-22 so D. A om. 23-23 D: ‘Shaqadhozii %’ 24-24 A om, 25-25 D: ‘thus’ 26-26 D om. 27 D: ’ Zehaphtaryi’ 28 D: ‘thus’
(20) Shoqed Chozi, also in the forms ‘Shagad Hozit’, ‘Shegar Chozti’ (the former in the readings of D and Midrash Sar Tora, the latter in Hek. R. and S. Raziel, 45 a). Derivations uncertain (‘ Waking’ or ‘Watching and Seeing’; Schwab, VA, p. 259: ‘False Seer’ [based upon the form ‘Sheqar Chozii’]). Cf. the name ‘ Sheqadyahiel’, Hek. R. xxii and Schwab, 1b.
The explanation given in the present verse rather presupposes a form ‘SHEQAL ZAKI’ (‘weighing merits’) or similar. (Cf. Mandaitic: Abathur, Introd. sect. 13 Ce.)
In S. Raziel, 45 a (where other names of this ch. recur), he is mentioned after , “Ashruylu as one of “‘the Princes of Tora”. In Hek. Zot. (Bodl. micu. 8, foll. 68 b, 69 a) the name recurs twice, in the form of Shegad Chozyah (a) in a hymn to God, (b) as the name in which Metatron is invoked by the scholar who is watching and praying during the night.
For the idea of ’ weighing merits’ cf. Box, Ezra Apocalypse, p. 19, note p; 1 En. xli. x.
(21) Zehanpuryu. Explained by Schwab, VA, thus: “this is the face of fear” (p. 121). More probable, at least in the connection in which the name appears here, is the explanation or reading of S. Raziel, 45 a: ‘Zeh Patar’ = ‘this one exempts’, ‘this one sets free’. In this chapter he represents the attribute of mercy, a con- stituent part of the Judgement, acc. to chh. xxxi and xxxiii et. freq. Such is at least the apparent significance of the words: ‘ pushes the fiery river back’. Contrast the function given to Sother ’Ashiel acc. to vs. x9 of stirring up the Nehar di-Nur, an expression which is there explicitly referred to the Judgement. The fiery river is the means of or symbol of punishment and execution of judgement.
In Hek. R. xvii. 5, he is called “ Prince of the Presence”. Tb. xxi, he is one of the guardians of the seventh Hall. There might be some connection between this name and the ‘PuRIEL’ of Test. Abraham, ch. xii, the name of one of the two high angels who function at the Judgement.
(22) ’Azbuga. Schwab, VA, p. 49, explains it as ‘messenger’. Zunz, GV, p. 148, contains the notice that Hek. Zot. explains the name as denoting ‘strength’ (2b.). It recurs in Midrash Sar Tora and several times in Berith Menucha.
In a prayer in S. ha Chesheq (Add. 27120, fol. 11 b) he is invoked to deliver the suppliant from ”every evil, disease and affliction”. In this writing ’Azbuga is mostly one of the names of the Godhead. It is also the name of a ‘ temurda.’
In S. Raziel, 42 b, it is inscribed on an amulet which also contains the names of
2 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CH. XVIII
the great princes who know the mystery of the Throne of Glory, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face. Why is he called ‘Azbuga? Because in the future he will gird (clothe)?? the righteous and pious of the world with the garments of life and wrap them in the cloak of life, that they may live in them an eternal life.
(23) And when he sees the two great princes, the strong and glori- fied ones who are standing above him, he removes the crown of glory from his head and falls on his face. And these are the names of the two princes?;
SOPHERIEL H’ (WHO) KILLETH, (Sopheriel H’ the Killer), the great prince, the honoured, plorified, blameless, venerable, ancient and mighty one; (and) *‘soPHERIEL H’ (WHO) MAKETH ALIVE (Sopheriel H’ the Lifegiver), the great prince, the honoured, u blameless, ancient and mighty one?!,
29 so Da. A: ‘because he is girded etc.’ 3oso D. A:‘the angels, the princes’ 31-31 in D this is transferred after ‘he writes him in the books of the dead’ vs. 24.
KERUBIEL (ch. xxii), SOPHERIEL (vss. 23 and 24 of the present chapter), YEPHIPHYA (ch. xlviii D 4) and GALLISUR (vs. 16 of this chapter).
the princes who know the mystery (or ‘secrets’ D) of the Throne of Glory. This probably refers to angels, who enjoy the privilege of constant access to the Throne of Glory, and hence know the inner reasons of the Divine decrees. The expression, then, has the same import as the phrase ‘stand inside the Curtain’ applied to some high angels. Cf. further, ch. xlv. 1 and references there.
Garments of life. Cf. 1 En. Ixii. 15, 16: “and the righteous and elect shall have risen from the earth…and they shall have been clothed with garments of glory, and they shall be the garments of life from the Lord of Spirits”. 2 Esdras ii. 45: ‘These be they that have put off the mortal clothing and put on the immortal”. Cf. also 2 En. xxii. 8. For the conceptions expressed by the terms ‘garments of glory’ or ‘garments of life’ cf. note on ch. xii. x. The garments of life are here the means by which eternal life is conferred upon the righteous, possibly according to the literary principle of ‘pars pro toto’. They are the outer appearance of the essentially changed or new body (of the righteous in the future life), constituted of light- substance. Vide CHARLES, 1 En., notes on chh. Ixii. 16 and cviii. 12. ‘Azbuga’ is in the present chapter explained from “IN (= ‘gird’) and )= ‘ garment’).
(23) Sopheriel… The name Sopheriel is not found in Schwab, VA. It occurs in S. Raziel, 21 b, as the name of “the Prince, appointed over the books of life”, thus with the same function as is here assigned to the one of the two princes with that name.
It is obvious that the name here is understood as ‘ Sopheriel’, i.e. ‘the Scribe (of) God’. But the writing or spelling of the name (Sz7-Shin instead of Samek) suggests that the name earlier or originally was referred to the word ‘ Shophar’ (= ‘ trumpet’), meaning the angel who blows the trumpet, scil. at the judgement, perhaps at the time for the opening of the books (for this idea cf. Box, Ezra Apocalypse, ch. vi. 23 and note d, p. 75). Since the angel, if this be correct, already was connected with the judgement, the change to the present interpretation was comparatively easy. In S. Raziel, 42, is found the similar name Shaphriel from ‘ Shefer’ (= ‘ beauty’).
The angels function as scribes. They are differentiated into two, one for ‘life’ and one for ‘death’ in accordance with the noticeable tendency of the book to place
CH. XVIII] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (A3) 63
(24) Why is he called Sopheriel H’ who killeth (Sopheriel H’ the Killer)? Because he is appointed over the books of the dead: [so that] everyone, when the day of his death draws nigh, he writes him in the books of the dead.
Why is he called Sopheriel H’ who maketh alive (Sopheriel H’ the Lifegiver)? Because he is appointed over the books of the living (of life), so that every one whom the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring into life, he writes him in the book of the living (of life), by authority of MAOOM. Thou might perhaps say: ‘‘Since the Holy One, blessed be He, is sitting on a throne, they also are sitting when writing”. (Answer): The Scripture teaches us (1 Kings xxil. 19, 2, Chron. xviii. 18): “‘ And all the host of heaven are standing by him”.
two polar opposites side by side. Cf. also ch. xxxiii. 2 and note (two scribes) and note on ch. xliv. 2.
The attributes ‘H who killeth’ and ‘H who maketh alive’ are in all probability derived from 1 Sam. ii. 6: ‘the Lord (H= vawun) killeth and maketh alive”. This passage is also used TB. Rosh ha Shana, 16 a, as point of support for the views concerning the Judgement which are expressed there.
(24) Books of the dead. . .books of the living. The ‘books of the dead and the books of the living’ are here merely the books recording the moments designed for each individual’s birth and death. The books of the living contain the names of the living, the books of the dead those of the dead. Otherwise ‘the book(s) of life’ regularly refer to the righteous, which are recorded in this book for eternal life, for God’s remembrance, and hence, when mentioned, ‘the book(s) of death or the dead’ are conceived of as containing the names of the wicked, for perdition. Parallel with this conception goes that, according to which ‘the books’ record the deeds of ‘the world’ or of the righteous and the wicked separately. The former idea is represented in the O.T. (Is. iv. 3, Ex. xxxii. 32 seq., Ps. lxix. 29, cxxxix. 16, Mal. iii. 16, Dan. xii. 1), 1n 1. En. xlvii. 3, civ. 1, cviii. 3, Jub. .1 ,22 ,20 . 10( Ap. Elijah, iv. 2, xiv. 5; Rev. iii. 5, xiii. 8, xvii. 8, xx. 12, 15, xxi. 27 ;—tbhe latter in chh. xxx. 2 and xxvii. 2 of the present book, Is. Ixv. 6, Neh. xiii. 14, Dan. vii. 10, ı En. lxxxi. 4, lxxxix. 61 et seqq., xc. 17, 20, xcvii. 6, xcviii. 7 seqq., civ. 7, cviii. 7 seqq., 2 En.. 1, lii. 15, liii. 2 seqq., Ap. Bar. xxiv. 1, Copt. Apoc. El. lii. 13 seqq., xi. 1 seqq., Asc. Ts. ix. 20, 4 Ez. vi. 20, Rev. xx. 12. For references and discourses see BOX, Ezra Apocalypse, p. 74, note y on ch. vi. 20; Dalman, Worte Jesu, i. 171; Zimmern in Keilinschriften des Alten Testaments, 3rd ed., ii. 505; Bousset, Rel. d. Judentums, p. 247, Weber, Fiid. Theol. and ed., pp. 242, 282 et seqq.: further Rosh ha Shana, 15 b e.a., and the discourse on New Year’s Day as day of Judgement in Fiebig, Mischna Traktat Rosch ha-Schana, pp. 41-45. (Note. The ‘3 books’ ib. p- 43, and note on ch. xliv. 1 of the present book.)
Maägöm = ‘place’, one of the technical terms of the Divine Majesty. Cf. the expression ‘the Curtain of Maqom’, e.g. ch. xlv. 1.
Thou might perhaps say etc. The suggestion that the scribes must be sitting when writing is refuted. “There is no sitting in heaven” cf. Chag. 15 a. The scriptural passage from which this is deduced, 1 Kings xxii. 19, is the one regularly used for the purpose. Acc. to T’B. Chag. 15 a, however, Metatron, in his function as scribe, was at first allowed to ‘sit and write’, and in the Enoch-Metatron piece (chh. iii-xv) Metatron is placed on a Throne. Apart from this there seems to have been a set of traditions which felt no objection against ascribing ‘ yéshiba’ (‘sitting’) to angel-princes or righteous dead. (For references see note on ch. x. x.) To the other prevailing view which was rigorous in this respect, it was probably the case
64 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CH. XVIII
“The host of heaven” * (it is said) in order to show us, that even the Great Princes, none like whom there is in the high heavens, do not fulfil the requests of the Shekina otherwise than standing. But how is 1t (possible that) they (are able to) write, when they are standing? It is like this:
(25) One is standing on the wheels of the tempest and the other is standing on the wheels of the storm-wind.
The one is clad in kingly garments, the other is clad in kingly garments.
The one is wrapped in a mantle of majesty and the other is wrapped in a mantle of majesty.
The one is crowned with a royal crown, and the other is crowned with a royal crown.
32 D ins. ‘is not written here, but “and all the host of heaven”’
of the ‘scribes’ that suggested a deviation from the strict rule; the question was raised as here: ‘how can they write, if they must be standing?’ Cf. further ch. xvi and notes.
The unwillingness to admit any ‘sitting in heaven’, apart from the Throne of God, has arisen from the interest of guarding the Unity of the Godhead: there must not be even the appearance of two Divine Powers (Chag. 15 a, ch. xvi).
With the two princes Sopheriel H’, ‘none like whom there is in the high heavens’, the angelological system of the present chapter is concluded. They are the highest of the angels of the hierarchy, the different ranks of which are here enumerated from the lowest to the highest. From this it 1s clear that ch. xviii is independent of the following chapters xix seqq., which from their present context appear as a continuation of the angelological system here set forth. At the beginning of this chapter it was shown in the notes that this chapter is also independent of its antecedent chapter. In fact, it stands out by itself from all the rest of the book.
‘The reason why it was embodied in the angelological section is apparently its seeming connection with ch. xvii owing to the mention in both chapters of the angels and the princes of the different heavens. Besides, the beginning of ch. xix, ‘above these three angels’, indicates a preceding exposition of high angel-princes, and when the original beginning of the fragment, of which chh. xix seqq. are a con- tinuation was lost, ch. xviii was put in as a substitute, although not a very happy one.
(25) This verse, with its lengthy and extravagant descriptions of the ‘two angels’ constitutes a striking contrast to the concise, summarizing character of the aforegoing part of the chapter. The beginning of the verse is not very lucidly connected with vs. 24. The question ‘how are they writing when standing?’ is not intelligibly answered. It is difficult to understand how it could facilitate the writing to be standing ‘on the wheels of the tempest’. Hence it is probable that vs. 25 is a later addition to the chapter. The end of the verse shows that the angels referred to are scribes like the princes Sopheriel. The addition was probably composed for the preceding verses, not adduced from another context.
The features used in the following description of the two angels are mainly those constantly recurring in descriptions of high angel-princes, Cf. the descriptions of KERUBIEL (ch. xxii. 1—9), OFFANNIEL (ch. xxv. 1—4), SERAPHI’EL (ch. xxvi. 1—7).
standing on wheels Cf. ch. xxii. 7.
clad in kingly garments etc. Cf. chh. xii. 1, xvii. 8.
crowned with a royal crown Cf. ib. and frequently.
CH. XVIII] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (A1) 65
The one’s body is full of eyes, and the other’s body is full of eyes.
The appearance of one is like unto the appearance of lightnings, and the appearance of the other is like unto the appearance of light- nings.
The eyes of the one are like the sun in its might, and the eyes of the other are like the sun in its might.
33 “The one’s height is like the height of the seven heavens, and the other’s height 1s like the height of the seven heavens.
The wings of the one are as (many as) the days of the year, and the wings of the other are as (many as) the days of the year.
The wings of the one extend over the breadth of Ragia‘, and the wings of the other extend over the breadth of Ragqia‘.
The lips of the one, are as the gates of the East, and the lips of the other are as the gates of the East.
The tongue of the one 1s as high as the waves of the sea, and the tongue of the other 1s as high as the waves of the sea.
From the mouth of the one a flame goes forth, and from the mouth of the other a flame goes forth.
From the mouth of the one there go forth lightnings and from the mouth of the other there go forth lightnings.
From the sweat of the one fire 1s kindled, and from the perspiration of the other fire is kindled.
From the one’s tongue a torch is burning, and from the tongue of the other a torch is burning.
On the head of the one there is a sapphire stone, and upon the head of the other there is a sapphire stone.
33 D ins. ‘the one’s splendour is like the splendour of the Throne of Glory and the other’s splendour is like that of the Throne of Glory’
body full of eyes Cf. ch. xxii. 8.
the eyes are like the sun in its might Cf. ch. xxvi. 6. -
their height like the height of the seven heavens Cf. ch. xxv. 4 etc., and esp. ch. xxii. 3.
wings as many as the days of the year, ie. 365; cf. ch. xxv. 2, also ch. xxi. 3.
from the mouth of the one a flame goes forth Cf. e.g. ch. xxii. 4.
from the perspiration of them fire is kindled Cf. the current saying ‘‘ from the perspiration of the Chayyoth a fiery river goes forth”. Gen. R. Ixxviii beg., Lam. R. on ch. iii. 23. Cf. the note on ch. xxxiii. 4.
From the one’s tongue a torch is burning Cf. ch. xxii. 4: ‘his tongue is a consuming fire’.
On the head of the one there is a sapphire stone Cf. ch. xxvi. 5: ‘the sapphire stone upon his head’; also ch. xxii. 13.
OHB 5
66 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CHH. XVIII, XIX
On the shoulders of the one there is a wheel of a swift cherub, and on the shoulders of the other there is a wheel of a swift cherub. One has in his hand a burning scroll, the other has in his hand
a burning scroll. The one has in his hand a flaming style, the other has in his hand
a flaming style.
The length of the scroll is 3000 myriads of parasangs; the size of the style is 843000 myriads of parasangs**; the size of every single letter that they write is 365 parasangs.