Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sourcesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
Legends of Old Testament characters, from the Talmud and other sources
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends
The Book of Enoch consists of five divisions, or books, together with a
Prolegomena and an Epilegomena.
After the introduction (caps. 1-5), which describes the work as the
revelation of the seer Enoch concerning the future judgment and its
consequences, with warnings to the elect as to the signs; the _First_
part (caps. 6-16) opens with an account of the fall of the Angels, their
union with the daughters of men, and the generation of the Giants.
Connected with this, and divided from it by no superscription or sign of
change of subject, is an account of a journey made by Enoch, in the
company of the angels, over the earth and through the lower circles of
heaven, during which he is instructed in various mysteries hidden from
the knowledge of men, and a great deal of this wondrous information is
communicated to the reader.
This description of a journey, which is itself divided into two parts,
unquestionably belongs to the original book, and the historical portion,
narrating the procreation of the Giants, is an interpolation.
The _Second_ portion of the book (caps. 37-71), with its own special
superscription and introduction, is called “The Second History of
Wisdom.” It continues the history of the voyage. The first portion
contained the description of the mysterious places and things in the
earth and in the lower heaven; the second portion contains an account of
the mysteries of the highest heaven, the angel-world, the founding of
the kingdom of the Messias, and the signs of His coming.
The close of this portion contains prophecies of Noah’s Flood, and
accounts of the fall of the Angels, their evil life and their
punishment. The whole account of the Flood, which comes in without rhyme
or reason, is also a manifest interpolation.
The _Third_ portion (caps. 72-82), also under its own heading, is on
“The Revolution of the Lights of Heaven,” and describes the motions of
the planets, the duration of the seasons, and the number of the days of
the months, and the great winds of heaven. With this part the voyage of
Enoch closes.
The _Fourth_ part (caps. 83-91), which has no superscription, but which
is generally designated as “The Book of the Dream History,” contains the
visions shown Enoch in his youth, which, in a series of pictures, gives
the history of the world till the end of time. This part closes with
some words of advice from Enoch to his sons.
The _Fifth_ and last part (caps. 92-105) is “The Book of Exhortation,”
addressed by Enoch to his family against sin in all its forms, under all
its disguises, and concludes with an account of certain presages which
should announce the birth of Noah.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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