Enoch: Chapter 3 Part 1

From Judaism to Christianity

“Nothing whatever must be rejected by us which pertains to us…”
-Tertullian

 

 

            Around 164 BCE, Judas Maccabeus took action to close the Jewish canon so that it could reach a settled state.  This Maccabean canon became widely accepted among the sects of Judaism.  However, scholars have discovered literature from parts of the Jewish community that presented arguments over this arrangement.  The writings argued that there were books in the Maccabean canon that should not have been canonized due to a variety of reasons.  Although arguments for the exclusion of books from the canon were made, this had no effect on their status.  As time went on and no changes occurred in light of them, these arguments began to lose their steam.  It was not until the efforts of Christianity in the 1^st-3^rd CE centuries, that another group insisted on a change in what was to be regarded as scripture.  The argument was not for the exclusion of certain books but for the inclusion of those texts, which they believed spoke prophetically of Jesus as the Christ.  Out of the massive amounts of ancient Jewish texts, the authoritative canon was widened.  In the midst of developing its own traditions, Christians seemed to be drawing from almost any text that might at least give the appearance of a Christological reference.  As a result, Christianity developed a blurred understanding of the canon established by Judas Maccabeus.[1]  This broadened scope of authoritative literature included 1 Enoch and other Essenic texts, although scholars are unsure as to exactly how the predominantly secret literature of the Essenes became so widely known within Christianity.  What is understood is that there was a progression with regard to 1 Enoch: first, it was mentioned only briefly, then its influence grew to the point where other books were being written in imitation of its style and structure.[2]  After gathering the literature of early Christianity, scholars of early Christianity organized the texts to show the path Enochic literature has taken, especially within the first few centuries of the Common Era.  Here, the early writings of Christian patriarchs and various movements will be discussed as the name “Enoch” was represented in both the Christian canon and other early Church documents.[3]

 

AUTHORITY OF ENOCHIC THEMES

            The following passages are addressed chronologically to show the movement of Enochic themes throughout early Christianity.  The most dominant themes of 1 Enoch used by early Christian writers are in the Book of the Watchers.  It is important to note that almost all of these texts describing the books of 1 Enoch as authoritative do not believe them to be pseudonymous[4].  Although it is unclear whether or not the author(s) of 1 Enoch were intending the text to be deceitful, the texts discussed below reveal that some later readers believed that the Enochic texts were written by Enoch himself.  The chronological order of these early Church writings will show the progression of 1 Enoch from an almost certainly authoritative text, to one about which the vast majority of the Church becomes suspicious.   

  Scripture

 

Jude

            This text, claiming to be authored by the brother of James, is believed to be a Palestinian text written in the second half of the first century.  Within the Christian church, there has been debate about the canonized position of this text.  In “On Illustrious Men”, Jerome writes, “Jude the brother of James left a short epistle which belongs to the seven Catholic Epistles; and because in it he takes a testimony from the book of Enoch, which is apocryphal, it is rejected by many.  Nevertheless, by age and use it has now earned authority and is reckoned among the Holy Scriptures”.[5]  Regardless of this debate, Jude is a part of the canonized Scriptures of Christianity, and within it is a declaration of authority that the writer places on the prophesies in 1 Enoch. 

            VanderKam points out several different items within Jude (v14-15):

            It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied saying, ‘See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (v14-15)[6]

            From these two verses, it is apparent that the author is familiar with the story of the Watchers and is confident that the antediluvian Enoch actually wrote the text.  Jude declares that Enoch had predicted, from his pre-flood vantage point, the eschatological punishment of the ungodly that plagued the New Testament author.  It is obvious that Jude believes in the prophetic authority contained in at least one portion of 1 Enoch.[7] 

1 Peter 3.19-20
           This text, possibly written in Rome, dates somewhere between 60 and 100 CE and claims Peter’s authorship[8].  The author uses the Watcher theme of the imprisoned spirits but places Christ in the story as the one who visited the imprisoned spirits and made proclamation to them.  VanderKam suggests that “the writer puts the theme to creative use by casting the spirits as the audience for Christ’s post-passion proclamation”.[9]  Beckwith suggests that this reference of 1 Enoch is a negative one; insisting that it was Christ who went to proclaim to them.  “But, if this is the case, Peter is only referring to 1 Enoch in order to contradict it”.[10]  Between these two opinions, it is clear that the story is being retold, and perhaps it is being done as aggadah[11], or an exegetical framework.

Epistle of Barnabas

            Written between ca. 70 and 100 CE in Alexandria, this text is another example of pseudonymity.  Attributed to Barnabas, its intended purpose was to point out Old Testament scriptures that the author believed to speak about Christ.  Although the text will not be exhaustively exegeted here, the epistle does reference Enoch.  It is unclear as to exactly what part of Enoch the author is addressing, but the phrase “For Scripture says…” precludes the Enochic material.  For the author, the text of 1 Enoch, or at least some portions, contained data worthy of scriptural authority and would be suitable to aid him in his theological endeavors.[12]

  2 Peter 2.4 
           Possibly originating from Asia Minor at the end of the first century, the author of this text was familiar with Jewish and Greek traditions.  Building from the same inspirational passages that Jude 6 cites, this text documents the theme of the angels’ judgment.  The difference between the two texts is that 2 Peter does not attribute the story of Judgment to Enoch.[13]

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[1] Beckwith, 406.

[2] Beckwith, 407.

[3] For the sections dealing with “The Authority of Enochic Themes” see VanderKam, The Jewish Apocalyptic Heritage in Early Christianity, 35-101.

[4] It could be argued that sections of 1 Enoch would have been believed to be both authoritative and pseudonymous by some that cite the text.  Tertullian described several possibilities of how the text could have survived the flood.  One could have believed Tertullian’s possibility that the “Spirit renewed it (1 Enoch ) through inspiration”, allowing the text to be both scripturally authoritative and pseudonymous.

[5] Beckwith, 401. 

[6] All Biblical references are taken from the Harper-Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version.

[7] VanderKam. 36.

[8] Some scholars suggest it to be a pseudonymous text.

[9] VanderKam, 62.

[10] Beckwith, 403.

[11] Aggadah is a Jewish practice of creating an allegorical interpretation of a text, as opposed to a literal interpretation.

[12] VanderKam, 36-40.

[13] VanderKam, 63.