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Everyday Life • Religion

Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish apocalyptic text traditionally attributed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish apocalyptic work traditionally attributed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It is not part of the biblical canon in most traditions but is considered scripture by the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches.

What it is

The Book of Enoch is a composite text, commonly dated to the third century BCE through the first century CE. It is pseudepigraphal, meaning it was written by multiple authors but attributed to Enoch. The complete version survives in Ge'ez, with fragments found among the Dead Sea Scrolls confirming its pre-Christian Jewish origins.

Key themes

Its major themes include the Watchers, the origin of evil, the punishment of fallen angels, visions of divine judgment, and the fate of the righteous and wicked. It also contains cosmological and calendrical material, and presents a figure called the Son of Man in apocalyptic imagery.

Religious status and influence

Most Jewish and Christian traditions do not include it in their biblical canon. However, the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Churches accept it as scripture. The text is important for studying Second Temple Judaism and early Christian thought, with parallels to New Testament apocalyptic literature.

In short

  • Not canonical in Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or most Christian traditions.
  • Written by multiple authors over several centuries, not by Enoch himself.
  • Influenced apocalyptic concepts in early Christianity.
  • Preserved in Ge'ez by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Canadian angle

The Book of Enoch is relevant to Canadian readers through biblical studies, religious history, and university scholarship on Second Temple Judaism and apocalyptic literature.

Quick questions

What is the Book of Enoch?
It is an ancient Jewish apocalyptic work traditionally attributed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, and usually refers to 1 Enoch.
Is the Book of Enoch in the Bible?
Not in the biblical canon of Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or most Christian churches.
Why is it historically important?
It helps scholars understand Second Temple Jewish thought and the apocalyptic ideas that shaped some early Christian writings.

Sources

  1. GotQuestions.org — https://www.gotquestions.org/book-of-Enoch.html
    Supports: Identifies the Book of Enoch as a pseudepigraphal work, notes 1 Enoch as the common reference, and states its canonical status in Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox traditions.
  2. EBSCO Research Starters — https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/book-enoch
    Supports: Summarizes the text as ancient Jewish religious writings, discusses its themes, authorship, non-canonical status in Judaism and Christianity, and preservation by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
  3. BibleGateway Encyclopedia of the Bible — https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Books-Enoch
    Supports: Describes 1 Enoch as a composite work and provides scholarly dating for its sections.
  4. Sacred Texts — https://sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/index.htm
    Supports: Provides an overview of the Book of Enoch as a non-canonical ancient apocalyptic text and describes its major themes.
  5. New World Encyclopedia — https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Book_of_Enoch
    Supports: Explains that the text is generally dated to the Maccabean period and notes its exclusion from most Christian canons except the Ethiopian tradition.