3 Enoch 26 - The Merkavah and the Hayyot
3 Enoch 26
Section: Metatron’s Rank and Cosmic Form
Translated by Hugo Odeberg (1928)
CHAPTER XXVI
SERAPHIEL, the Prince of the Seraphim. Description of the Seraphim
R. Ishmael said: Metatron, the Angel, the Prince of the Presence, said to me:
(1) Above these there is one prince, wonderful, noble, great, honourable, mighty, terrible, a chief and leader ! and a swift scribe!, glorified, Reaoured and beloved:
(2) He is altogether filled with splendour, full of praise and shining: and he is wholly full of brilliance, of light and of beauty; and the whole of him is filled with goodliness? and greatness.
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18 E: ‘(the planet) Jupiter’ 19-19 A: ‘the shining appearance of them (the ‘Ophannim), and of their eyes and before them (=and of their faces?)’. The adopted reading is that of DE.
1-1 DE om. 2 A omitting ‘goodliness’ has here a lacuna.
the most plausible: the unfamiliar word ‘ Bareget’ is explained as derived from
- Baraq’ (€ lightning ’). The reading of E is based on the assumption that the word to be explained is that of an angel: the expression ’ wélámmà niqrá shémó… — why is he called by the name…’ is the regular phrase introducing the explanation of an angel’s name. Hence E presents the reading: “‘ Why is he called by the name of SIDQIEL? Because his splendour is like the splendour of the planet Jupiter (Sédeq)”’.
The reading of E is probably due to an emendation of a copyist. It is, however, difficult to understand why he should have substituted ‘srpQ1EL’ and ’ Sedeq? for “Bareget’ and ‘ Barag’ resp. (it would have been more natural to choose, say, the name ‘BARAQIEL’, cf. ch. xiv. 10), unless one may assume, that he was dependent upon some tradition, according to which SIDQIEL was the Prince of the “Ophannim. Acc. to Zohar and Mass. Asilut, SIDQIEL is the leader of the class of angels, which is called Shin’anim. tents of splendour etc. The tents, like the clouds of ch. XXXIV. 2, serve the purpose of protecting the other angels from the splendour of the ’Ophannim.
(1) a swift scribe. As this attribute is omitted by D and E, and no second statement occurs in the chapter to the effect that SERAPHIEL had the function of a scribe, scarcely any importance can be ascribed to this single expression. It is possible that a copyist, missing a clear reference to the identity of the ‘scribes’ or ‘scribe’ in the present angelological section, there being only an occasional mention of ‘scribes’ in ch. xxvii. 2, concluded that SERAPHIEL, the highest of the princes of the Merkaba-angels held this function. To the ‘scribes’ was assigned a high position near the Throne of God. The conception is mainly connected with that of the Judgement.
CH. xxvi] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (AT) 9I
(3) His countenance is altogether like (that of) angels, but his body is like an eagle’s body.
(4) His splendour is like unto lightnings, his appearance like fire brands, his beauty like unto sparks, his honour like ?fiery coals?, his majesty like chashmals, his radiance like the light of the planet Venus. The image of him 1s like unto the Greater Light. His height is as the seven heavens. The light from his eyebrows is like the sevenfold light.
(5) The sapphire stone upon his head is as great as the whole universe and like unto the splendour of the very heavens in radiance.
(6) His body is full of eyes like the stars of the sky, innumerable and unsearchable. Every eye is like the planet Venus. Yet, there are some of them like the Lesser Light and some of them like unto the Greater Light. From his ankles to his knees (they are) like unto stars of lightning, from his knees to his thighs like unto the planet Venus’, from his thighs to his loins like unto the moon, from his loins to his neck like the sun, from his neck to his skull like unto the Light Imperishable. (Cf. Zeph. iii. 5.)
(7) The crown on his head is like unto the splendour of the Throne of Glory. The measure of the crown is the distance of 502 years’ journey. There is no kind of splendour, no kind of brilliance, no kind of radiance, no kind of light in the universe but is fixed on that crown. -
(8) The name of that prince is SERAPHIEL H’, ‘And the crown on
3-3 so D. A: ‘streams’ 4 E instead of ‘the planet Venus’ reads ‘the shining stars’ 5-5 DE om.
(6) The description of the appearance of the body of SERAPHIEL in this verse seems to indicate that his body was conceived of as having human form, in con- tradiction to the statement made in vs. 3.
(7) The crown on his head. On the crown as regular accompaniment-feature of descriptions of high angels, cf. ch. xii. 3 note (also ch. xviii. x). The measure of the crown is… Cf. Shi‘ur Qoma, Bodl. opr. 467: the measure of the crown on the head of the manifested Godhead is 500,000 by 500,000 (measures).
(8) Seraphiel H’. See Schwab, VA. p. 260. Among the different passages treating of ‘SERAPHIEL’ that which is nearest akin to the present representation is Zohar, ii. 252 b (Hekaloth), where SERAPHIEL is given as the name of one of the four Seraphim, viz. the first one.
Acc. to S. Raziel, 36.b, he is appointed over one of the gates of the heavenly apartments.
Acc. to Widduy Yaphe (Add. 15299, fol. 133 b) SERAPHIEL is one of the twenty-six angels who carry the Merkaba.
In S. ha Chesheg he is invoked together with other angels by the suppliant, praying for ‘knowledge in purity”.
In Berith Menucha, fol. 47 c, SERAPHIEL is mentioned as one of the company of ‘consuming’ or ‘burning’ angels. The words ‘SERAPHIEL’ and ‘ Seraphim’ are deduced from the verb ‘saraph’ (‘burn’, ‘to burn’). Cf. the explanation of the
02 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CH. XXVI
his head, its name is “the Prince of Peace”.5 And why is he called by the name of sERAPHIEL MH’? Because he is appointed over the Seraphim. And ° the flaming Seraphim are given in his charge. And he presides over them by day and by night and teaches them song, praise, proclamation of beauty, might and majesty; that they may proclaim the beauty of their King in all manner of Praise and Sanctification (Qédushsha).
(9) How many are the Seraphim? Four, corresponding to the four winds of the world. And how many wings have they “each one of them’? Six, corresponding to the six days of Creation. And how many faces have they? “Each one of them? four faces. ?
(10) *The measure of the Seraphim and the height of each one of them correspond to the height of the seven heavens.® The size of each wing is like the measure of all Ragia‘. The size of each face is like that of the face of the East.
5-5 DE om. 6 A ins. ‘the Holy Seraphim and’ 7-7 DE om. 8 DE add: ‘in each direction’ 9-9 E om.
name ‘Seraphim’ in vs. 12 of the present chapter. Hence SERAPHIEL, acc. to ’Amtachat Binyanim, fol. 38 b (cited Schwab, ib.), is invoked in case of fire.
And the crown on his head, its name is “the Prince of Peace.” This state- ment is peculiar to A: itis not found in D and E. Itissomewhat out of keeping with the style of this section, as well as of the whole book, in so far as it is the only instance where a special, artificial, name is given to any part of an angel’s body or adornment. The attribution of special names to the different parts of the body of the Godhead is a marked feature of Shiur Qoma, and even of Hek. Zot. ‘The sentence is no doubt a gloss.
in all manner of Praise and Sanctification. The Seraphim are singing praises to their Creator and especially the Qédushsha or Trisagion. That the Seraphim perform the Qédushsha is definitely stated also in the Testament of Adam (Patrologia Syriaca), in Ma‘yan Chokma, BH. i. 58-64, and in the Qédushsha of the Additional service for Sabbath and Festivals (the Oédushsha le-Musaph). ‘The last mentioned runs: “‘ We will revere and sanctify thee as in the secret whisper of the Holy Seraphim who sanctify Thy name in Holiness, as it is written by the hand of the prophet (Is. vi. 3), “And one cried unto another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, etc. The entire conception of the Qédushsha-singing Seraphim is of course deduced from Is. vi. It is uncertain whether Qédushsha here is really = Trisagion.
The Seraphim are identical with the Chalkadri of 2 En. xii and xv. 1 (according to CHARLES) and, probably, also with the ‘serpents’ of 1 En. xx. 7 (“ Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim”). Cf. 2 En. xix. 6.
In Apoc. Mosis, xxxiii. 3, the Seraphim are connected with the Merkaba as here.
They appear as one of the classes of superior angels in 1 Ez. lxi. xo: ” And He will summon all the host of the heavens, and all the holy ones above, and the host of God, the Kerubin, Seraphin and ‘Ophannin” ; and ib. Ixxi. 7: “ And round about were Seraphin, Cherubin and Ophannin. ..“. Cf. further 2 En. xix. 6, xxix. 3, TB. Chag. 12 b.
As the first (and highest) rank of angels they are represented (as here) in the Coptic Mysteries of St John and the Holy Virgin, fol. 6 b (Budge’s ed.): “I saw all the ranks of the angels. The first rank contained the Seraphim”.
CH. XXVI] ANGELOLOGICAL SECTION (AI) 93
(11) And each one of them gives forth light like unto the splendour of the Throne of Glory: so that not even the Holy Chayyoth, the honoured ’Ophannim, nor the majestic Kerubim are able to behold it. For everyone who beholds it, his eyes are darkened because of its great splendour.
(12) Why are they called Seraphim? Because they burn (saraph) the writing tables of Satan: Every day Satan is sitting, together with SAMMAEL, the Prince of Rome, and with DUBBIEL, the Prince of Persia, and they write the iniquities of Israel on writing tables which they hand over to the Seraphim, in order that they may present them before the Holy One, blessed be He, so that He may destroy Israel from the world. But the Seraphim know “from the secrets” of the Holy One, blessed be He, that he desires not,” that this
ro-ro DE: ‘he writes’ 11-11 E: ‘in a vision from’ 12-12 ins. from D. A om.
Berith Menucha, 38 b, also puts the Seraphim in the highest rank, under the leadership of YeHOEL.
Further on the Seraphim, see the Introduction.
(12) Every day Satan is sitting, together with Sammael etc. Satan is here the Prince of the Accusers, SAMMAEL and DUBBIEL being merely his assistants. This function tends more and more to be transferred to SAMMAEL, who as the repre- sentative of Rome, the head of the Gentile Nations, naturally becomes the chief supraterrestrial enemy of Israel. So, ch. xiv. 2, SAMMAEL is explicitly named ‘the ’ Prince of the Accusers’. Likewise, in the Pirge Mashidch, BH. iii. 68, SAMMAEL appears as the official accuser of Israel. In the earlier Apocrypha he is the angel of death, e.g. Str. xxv. 24; 3 Bar. iv. 8, ix. 7. He is also identified with the serpent of the Genesis narrative of the primordial sin, or at least considered as the angel who led Adam astray acc. to 3 Bar. iv. 8, ix. 7. Traces of his character as angel of death are found even in later writings, e.g. Midrash Petirath Moshe, BHL. i. 125, acc. to which ‘SAMMAEL, the head of the Accusers’ aspires to fetch Moses’ soul at the time of his death. In the same line fall his functions of prince of the Near di-Nur, the fiery river (Zohar, i. 40 a, 11. 243 b), and angel of Gehenna (Midrash Konen, ’Arze Lebanon, 3 b, P. R. ’ El. xxxi, xiii). As Prince of Rome Sammael is mentioned in Gez. R. Ixxvii, in Pzrqe Mashi’ch, ib., in Hek. R. iv, v and freq. As such he obtains a prominent place among ‘the Princes of Kingdoms’, even at times represented as their leader. Cf. notes on chh. xiv. 2 and xvii. 8.
For DUBBIEL as the Prince of Persia cf. TB. Yoma, 77 a. Vide Introd. sect. 7.
For ‘Satan’ and ‘Satans’ as having access to heaven, vide CHARLES, The Book of Enoch, p. 66, on the relation of ‘ The Parables’ of 1 En. to the rest of the book. Acc. to 1 En. xl. 7, the Satans have access to heaven.
that they may present them before the Holy One. This conception of the Seraphim as having the function of handing over documents or petitions to the Holy One, is represented in a somewhat different form in the statement occurring in Lev. R. xxii and Eccl. R. x, that the record of man’s deeds during the past day is during his sleep transmitted by the ‘neshämä’ to a Kerub and by the Kerub to a Seraph, who in his turn presents it before the Holy One, blessed be He. The conception is based on the assumption that the Seraphim are the class of Merkaba- angels who stand next to the Throne.
know from the secrets of the Holy One. It was thought that some of the highest angels enjoyed the privilege of partaking in the knowledge of God’s secrets;
94 THE HEBREW BOOK OF ENOCH [CHH. XXVI, XXVII
people Israel should perish. What do the Seraphim? Every day do they receive (accept) them from the hand of Satan and burn ‘them in the burning fire over against the high and exalted Throne * in order that “they may not come” before the Holy One, blessed be He, at the time when he 1s sitting upon the Throne of Judgement, judging the whole world in truth.