1. The Ethiopic Enoch. — The adjective ' Ethiopic ' has been attached to the title of this work because of another Book of Enoch discovered in a Slavonic version. Outside the canonical Daniel, this is the be-it known of tlie apocalypses, because of the quo- tati Ml iiMiii 11 ill .lude''"-. TertuUian knows it, l"li' \ - , Hi 11 . l:^ iiuineness, and attempts to account fur 11- iiaji-iui-uiii through and survival under the vici>5iLuile5 ui tlie Flood. It appears to have been neglected, however, through the Jliddle Ages, and lost until 1773, when two SiS copies of an Ethiopic version of it were brought from Abyssinia by J. Bruce. A translation of one of these was made bj' Lawrence, and published in 1821. But its full importance and significance came to be realized only with Dillmanu's critical edition of the Ethiopic text in 1851, which was followed in 1853 by a thorough German translation and commentary. A portion of the Greek te.xt was discovered m 18S(>-7, and edited by H. B. Swete.
Contents. — As it stands to-day, the Book of Enoeli can be subdivided into five main i^arts with an introduction and a conclusion, as follows : In- troductory Discourse, in which the author an- nouiu'es his parable, and formally asks attention to the important matters which he is about to divulge (1-5).
(«) The first section is concerned with Anqelology (6-36), beginning with the report of the fall of two hundred angels who were enticed by the beauty of the daughters of men, and left heaven in order to take them for wives. Out of these unions sprang giants 3000 cubits in height. The fallen angels, moreover, taught men all manner of secrets where- by they were Ted into sin. When the giants had consumed all the possessions of men, they turned against the men themselves and smote them until their cry went up to heaven. Ringleaders of the angels are Azazel and Semjiza (6-9). Through the intercession of the four archangels, Michael, Uriel, llaphael, and Gabriel, God is moved to arrest bloodshed upon earth. He sends Uriel to Xoah to tell him that He has determineil to destroy the
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world. He commamls Raphael to bind Azazel and throw him into a pit in the wilderness, where he shall remain until the day of the great judgment, and then be cast into the lire. He commands Gabriel to rouse the giants against each other ; and, finally, he commands Michael to announce to Semjaza the sentence of punishment, which is, that the fallen angels sliall be kept enchained and imprisoned under the hills of the earth, waiting the last judgment, when they shall be cast into the fire (10). After the destruction of all impiety upon earth, the righteous shall Hourish and live long, the earth shall yield abundantly, all people shall pray to God, and all evil shall be banished from the earth (U). The sentence upon the fallen angels is communicated to Enoch (12), and he reveals it to them ; but, at their urgent request, he composes a petition on their behalf, that they might obtain forgiveness ; while rehearsing this, preparatory to presenting it, he falls asleep anrl is informed in a dream that their request for forgive- ness will not be granted, and once more makes known to the angels their impending doom (13-16). Enoch tells of a journey in which he learned of the places where thunders and lightnings originate, and saw the stream of Hades, tne corner-stone and the pillars of the world, the seven mountains of precious stones, and the places of punishment of the disobedient angels, i.e. the stars (17-19). He gives the names and functions of the si.\ (seven) archangels (20). He once more visits the place of punishment of the condemned angels, and the nether world (21), consisting of four parts (22). He travels to the West (23-2.5). From there he returns to the city of Jerusalem, which is the centre of the eartii (26. 27) ; then he travels to the East (28-33), to the North (34. 35), and, lastly, to the South (36).
_ (b) The second section is C'hrist.olor/ical, and con- sists of chs. 37-71, subdivided into three Simili- tudes. A short introductory discourse (37) is fol- lowed by the first Similitude, including chs. 38-44. The appearance of the Messiah, the righteous One, brings an end of sinners upon earth (38). Enoch is carried by storm-clouds to the end of heaven, and there beholds the pre-existing Kingdom of God, the dwellings of the righteous and the elect, and of angels and archangels (39. 40). He then sees the weighing of men's actions in the balance, the rejection of sinners, the places prepared for the righteous, and certain physical mysteries (light- nings, thunders, winds, hail, mist, clouds, sun and moon, 41), also the place of AVisdom in heaven (42), and, finally, some more physical mysteries (43. 44). The second Similitude includes chs. 45-57. It begins with the Messianic Judgment (45). Enoch sees the Son of Man beside the Head of Days (46). An angel explains the vision (47, the Son of Man will overthrow and judge the kings and mighty ones of the ungodly). The task of the pre-existing Son of Man is outlined (48. 49), and the happy con- sequences of the judgment for the pious, together with the punishments of the wicked, and the resur- rection of those who have died in righteousness (50. 51). In a vision of six mountains of metal which pass away, the destruction of the heathen world by the Messiah is portrayed. The heatlien world endeavours through ollerings to propitiate God, but fails. The angels of punishment go forth to do their work. The synagogue service may now be carried on unhindered (52-54"^). An account of the coming Hood and its occasion is inserted (54'- 55-), and is followed by the final assault of the heathen world-power (b??-'^) and the return of the dispersed Jews (57). The third Similitude com- prises chs. ,58-69, to which chs. 70 and 71 are added by way of an appendix. It begins with the picture of the blessedness of the righteous in heaven (58) :