The Book of Enoch describes the fall of the Watchers, the angels who fathered the Nephilim. The fallen angels went to Enoch to intercede on their behalf with God after he declared to them their doom. The remainder of the book describes Enoch’s visit to Heaven in the form of a vision, and his revelations. The book consists of five quite distinct major sections: * The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1 36) * The Book of Parables of Enoch (1 Enoch 37 71) (Also called the Similitudes of Enoch) * The Astronomical Book (1 Enoch 72 82) (Also called the Book of the Heavenly Luminaries or Book of Luminaries.) * The Book of Dream Visions (1 Enoch 83 90) (Also called the Book of Dreams) * The Epistle of Enoch (1 Enoch 91 108) The shared view is that these five sections were originally independent works (with different dates of composition), themselves a product of much editorial arrangement, and were only later redacted into what we now call 1 Enoch. This view is now opposed only by a few authors who maintain the literary integrity of the Book of Enoch, one of the most recent (1990) being the Ethiopian Wossenie Yifru. Józef Milik has suggested that the Book of Giants found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls should be part of the collection, appearing after the Book of Watchers in place of the Book of Parables, but for various reasons Milik’s theory has not been widely accepted. The Book of the Watchers This first section of the Book of Enoch describes the fall of the Watchers, the angels who fathered the Nephilim (cf. the bene Elohim, Genesis 6:1-2) and narrates the travels of Enoch in the heavens. This section is said to have been composed in the fourth/third 3rd century BC according to Western scholars. Content of the Book of the Watchers IV. Parable of Enoch on the Future Lot of the Wicked and the Righteous. VI-XI. The Fall of the Angels: the Demoralization of Mankind: the Intercession of the Angels on behalf of Mankind. The Dooms pronounced by God on the Angels of the Messianic Kingdom. XII-XVI. Dream-Vision of Enoch: his Intercession for Azazel and the fallen angels: and his Announcement of their first and final Doom. XVII-XXXVI. Enoch’s Journeys through the Earth and Sheol: * XVII-XIX. The First Journey. * XX. Names and Functions of the Seven Archangels. * XXI. Preliminary and final Place of Punishment of the fallen Angels (stars). * XXII. Sheol or the Underworld. * XXIII. The fire that deals with the Luminaries of Heaven. * XXIV-XXV. The Seven Mountains in the North-West and the Tree of Life. * XXVI. Jerusalem and the Mountains, Ravines, and Streams. * XXVII. The Purpose of the Accursed Valley. * XXVIII-XXXIII. Further Journey to the East. * XXXIV-XXXV. Enoch’s Journey to the North. * XXXVI. The Journey to the South. Ancient of Days www.ancientofdays.net David Flynn www.mt.net

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