Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets: And Other Old Testament Characters from Various SourcesBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Religion
Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets: And Other Old Testament Characters from Various Sources
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Bible. Old Testament -- Legends
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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