Page 6 - Book Of Enoch

The Book of Enoch

The History of the Book of Enoch

The book was thought to have been lost, for over 2,000 years, with many

ancient sources referring to it, and even quoting parts, but no complete

copies were known. Then in 1773, James Bruce brought three copies back

from Ethiopia, having spent some years exploring the country.

Enoch had two main reasons for writing his book. The first was because

the Watchers instructed him to do it, (see section 15 at 81.5 and 81.6). The

second reason; was to save his family from the flood.

Enoch wrote his book, after his grandson Lamech was born, but before

Noah was born. Noah is only named in the section that Methuselah wrote,

(see section 10 at 107.3), and of course in his own section (section 11, The

Book of Noah). So, there may still have been 40 - 80 years left before the

flood, at the time when Enoch wrote his book.

There is a long gap between the time of the flood and the time when Moses

gave praise to Enoch in Genesis. Genesis dates from around 1400 BC, and

forms part of the Torah (the first five books of the bible).

In Genesis, there is Enoch's family; as named by him in this book, and a

quick recap of some of Enoch's story.

It seems likely therefore, that copies of the Book of Enoch survived into

Egyptian times, 3500 BC, and was known to Moses around 2,000 years

later.

Moses presumably took a copy of the book with him when they all left

Egypt, and he was no doubt pleased to see Enoch's prophecy fulfilled.

The book probably existed mainly in Hebrew during the thousand years

after the exodus. No Hebrew copies exist today, however, although there

are some Hebrew passages quoted in some of the Aramaic fragments that

survive from a few centuries BC.

The appearance of the book in Ethiopia, is probably due to events in

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