earliest being slightly before the time of the Maccabees, and the latest about 64 B.C. Most of it
professes to relate apocalyptic visions of the patriarch Enoch. It is very important for the side of
Judaism which turned to Christianity. The New Testament writers are familiar with it; Saint Jude
considers it to be actually by Enoch. Early Christian Fathers, for instance Clement of Alexandria
and Tertullian, treated it as canonical, but Jerome and Augustine rejected it. It fell, consequently,
into oblivion, and was lost until, early in the nineteenth century, three manuscripts of it, in
Ethiopic, were found in Abyssinia. Since then, manuscripts of parts of it have been found in Greek
and Latin versions. It appears to have been originally written partly in Hebrew, partly in Aramaic.
Its authors were members of the Hasidim, and their successors the Pharisees. It denounces kings
and princes, meaning the Hasmonean dynasty and the Sadducees. It influenced New Testament
doctrine, particularly as regards the Messiah, Sheol (hell), and demonology.
The book consists mainly of "parables," which are more cosmic than those of the New Testament.
There are visions of heaven and hell, of the Last Judgement, and so on; one is reminded of the
first two Books of Paradise Lost where the literary quality is good, and of Blake Prophetic Books
where it is inferior.
There is an expansion of Genesis VI, 2, 4, which is curious and Promethean. The angels taught
men metallurgy, and were punished for revealing "eternal secrets." They were also cannibals. The
angels that had sinned became pagan gods, and their women became sirens; but at the last, they
were punished with everlasting torments.
There are descriptions of heaven and hell which have considerable literary merit. The Last
Judgement is performed by "the Son of Man, who hath righteousness" and who sits on the throne
of His glory. Some of the gentiles, at the last, will repent and be forgiven; but most gentiles, and
all hellenizing Jews, will suffer eternal damnation, for the righteous will pray for vengeance, and
their prayer will be granted.
There is a section on astronomy, where we learn that the sun and moon have chariots driven by the
wind, that the year consists of 364 days, that human sin causes the heavenly bodies to depart from
their courses, and that only the virtuous can know astronomy. Falling stars are falling angels, and
are punished by the seven archangels.
Next comes sacred history. Up to the Maccabees, this pursues the