The Books of Enoch
Posted: Fri May 17, 2019 5:28 pm
Up until the recovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the book(s) of Enoch mentioned by Church fathers was only available entire in Ethiopic (Ge'ez) translation. A few segments, one rather lengthy, was known in Greek. Although we did not know the original language (Hebrew and Aramaic were proposed for various parts and sections), we thought we had it all figured out.
Then the DSS were found in Aramaic and studied, and we realized that this was the original language. One surprise was that the Ethiopic "book of Parables" (aka Similitudes) was not found among the fragments in the caves, not even a smidge (some still hold out hope for it being among the unidentified fragments, but I doubt it). But the DSS did have a book we only heard about by reputation, the Book of Giants. The Giants were the sons of the Watchers and their human female wives, so it is linked to the story contained in the Enochic Book of Watchers. Whaaa?
If you don't know much about this, then join the club. If you would like to learn more, you might try these resources:
1) download a copy of R H Charles' Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, volume II (Pseudepigrapha) (1913). In Charles' Introduction to 1 (Ethiopic) Enoch, he lists all sorts of possible quotes and allusions in the NT, Judean Apocrypha and Church fathers. His synopsis is a resume of his introduction of his translation of 1 Enoch dated 1893, applying what at that time was cutting-edge historical critical scholarship. I just looked at his list of Christian authors who mention Enoch favorably, and this seems to end in the early 5th century CE.
Since then there is the diplomatic translation by E Isaac in Charlesworth's Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol 1 (1983), but he translated based on a single manuscript of the Ethiopic (Ms. A). There is a section in the introduction about its Historical significance.
If you have time, I'd recommend J T Milik's The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4 (1976). This has a large amount of info about how the 5 or so books (without the Similitudes in the Ethiopic as it was not found at the caves near Qumran, but including the Book of Giants which the Aramaic fragments contained but not in the Ethiopic) influenced other literature. <whew ... puff puff, long sentence, aye?>
Milik's assistant editor Matthew Black, in conjunction with James C. VanderKam, published a translation of the Aramaic Books of Enoch that were recovered from the caves. The Book of Enoch, or, I Enoch: a new English edition: with commentary and textual notes (1985). I once thumbed through a copy in a university library, but could never afford a Brill publication.
There might be something newer out since 1985, I am just not immediately aware of it.
Happy hunting!
Then the DSS were found in Aramaic and studied, and we realized that this was the original language. One surprise was that the Ethiopic "book of Parables" (aka Similitudes) was not found among the fragments in the caves, not even a smidge (some still hold out hope for it being among the unidentified fragments, but I doubt it). But the DSS did have a book we only heard about by reputation, the Book of Giants. The Giants were the sons of the Watchers and their human female wives, so it is linked to the story contained in the Enochic Book of Watchers. Whaaa?
If you don't know much about this, then join the club. If you would like to learn more, you might try these resources:
1) download a copy of R H Charles' Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, volume II (Pseudepigrapha) (1913). In Charles' Introduction to 1 (Ethiopic) Enoch, he lists all sorts of possible quotes and allusions in the NT, Judean Apocrypha and Church fathers. His synopsis is a resume of his introduction of his translation of 1 Enoch dated 1893, applying what at that time was cutting-edge historical critical scholarship. I just looked at his list of Christian authors who mention Enoch favorably, and this seems to end in the early 5th century CE.
Since then there is the diplomatic translation by E Isaac in Charlesworth's Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol 1 (1983), but he translated based on a single manuscript of the Ethiopic (Ms. A). There is a section in the introduction about its Historical significance.
If you have time, I'd recommend J T Milik's The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4 (1976). This has a large amount of info about how the 5 or so books (without the Similitudes in the Ethiopic as it was not found at the caves near Qumran, but including the Book of Giants which the Aramaic fragments contained but not in the Ethiopic) influenced other literature. <whew ... puff puff, long sentence, aye?>
Milik's assistant editor Matthew Black, in conjunction with James C. VanderKam, published a translation of the Aramaic Books of Enoch that were recovered from the caves. The Book of Enoch, or, I Enoch: a new English edition: with commentary and textual notes (1985). I once thumbed through a copy in a university library, but could never afford a Brill publication.
There might be something newer out since 1985, I am just not immediately aware of it.
Happy hunting!