The Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch is an ancient Hebrew apocalyptic religious text attributed by tradition to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. The earliest portions are generally dated to the third or second century BC, with later sections composed around the first century BC.

The book contains passages on the origins of demons and Nephilim, explains why some angels fell from heaven, the Genesis flood as an act of divine judgment, and a prophetic exposition of the thousand-year reign of the Messiah.

It is part of the biblical canon of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches, but is not recognized as canonical by most Jewish or Christian traditions.

The book consists of five rather distinct main sections:

• The Book of the Watchers: It describes the fall of the Watchers, the angels who spawned the Nephilim, and narrates the travels of Enoch in the heavens.
• The Book of Parables of Enoch: It is centered on the idea of doomsday and the end of the world.
• The Astronomical Book: It contains descriptions of the motion of celestial bodies and of the firmament.
• The Book of Dream Visions: It deals with dream visions that contain a symbolic account of Israel's history up to what has been interpreted as the Maccabean revolt around 150 BC.
• The Epistle of Enoch: It speaks of various topics such as the history of the world, the righteousness spoken by Enoch, the wisdom of the Lord, the flood and Noah.

Studies indicate that these five parts were originally independent works and that they were later collected in this work known as The Book of Enoch.

This edition of The Book of Enoch is based on the translation by R. H. Charles.