2 Enoch

Also called Slavonic Enoch

A separate Enoch book about a journey through heaven, an angel-like transformation and a remarkable birth story about Melchizedek.^{8 sources}8 sources1. (ed.) 1896 2. Orlov 3. Enoch 4. Enoch 5. Enoch 6. Enoch 7. Enoch 8. (ed.) 1896

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R. H. Charles's 1896 edition and translation ↗ · Older English translation; its chapter divisions and appendix differ from the outline used here.

At a glance

Found in: More than twenty Slavonic manuscripts and fragments, dated to the fourteenth through eighteenth centuries (Orlov).^{9 1}
Language: Preserved in Slavonic; scholars Charles and Orlov argue for a Greek source.^{4 sources}4 sources9. Orlov 1. (ed.) 1896 10. (ed.) 1896 11. Orlov
Written: Disputed; scholar Davila allows a span from the Second Temple to the Byzantine period.¹²
Genre: Heavenly revelation and farewell instructions, with a closing priestly story (Orlov).²

Summary

Michael anoints Enoch and clothes him in glory during a journey through heaven. Enoch returns to instruct his sons, and a closing family story tells of Melchizedek's extraordinary birth. These episodes belong to 2 Enoch, a separate work from 1 Enoch. Andrei Orlov describes longer and shorter versions, both preserving original material. The surviving Slavonic manuscripts are medieval and later; the original work's date remains disputed. Joost Hagen identified Coptic fragments with the book, but James Davila later reported Christfried Böttrich's challenge to that identification.^{14 sources}14 sources2. Orlov 3. Enoch 4. Enoch 5. Enoch 6. Enoch 7. Enoch 8. (ed.) 1896 1. (ed.) 1896 9. Orlov 13. (ed.) 1896 12. Davila 2009 14. (announcement 2009 15. (announcement 2009 16. Davila 2014

Enoch travels through heaven
Chapters 1-38 (Orlov's outline)
Angels lead Enoch upward. In Charles's seven-heaven text, he encounters imprisoned angels, Paradise and the Lord's throne. Some manuscripts also describe an eighth, ninth and tenth heaven.^{5 sources}5 sources2. Orlov 17. Enoch 18. Enoch 19. Li.) 1903 13. (ed.) 1896
Instructions on earth
Chapters 39-67 (Orlov's outline)
Enoch addresses his sons after his heavenly journey. Among his ethical instructions is a refusal to swear by heaven or earth.^{5 sources}5 sources2. Orlov 20. Matthew 5:34 21. Matthew 5:37 22. (ed.) 1896 23. Long
Priests and Melchizedek
Chapters 68-73 (Orlov's outline)
The closing story turns to Enoch's family's priests and Melchizedek, whose birth carries a visible sign of priesthood. This final part ends with the Flood.^{5 sources}5 sources2. Orlov 5. Enoch 6. Enoch 7. Enoch 8. (ed.) 1896

Stories

Paradise in the third heaven
The heavenly journey
Charles's edited text places the tree of life in Paradise in the third heaven and the Lord's throne in the seventh. Its scheme should not be imposed on every manuscript.^{4 sources}4 sources17. Enoch 18. Enoch 19. Li.) 1903 13. (ed.) 1896
Enoch is clothed in glory
Chapter 22
At the Lord's command, Michael anoints Enoch and gives him glorious clothing. Enoch describes becoming like the glorious beings around the Lord.^{3 4}
Melchizedek's birth
Chapters 71-72 (modern numbering)
Nir's elderly wife Sopanima conceives without her husband. After she dies, a child emerges with a priestly seal on his breast and receives the name Melchizedek. Charles printed this story as an appendix from a manuscript separate from his main texts.^{4 sources}4 sources5. Enoch 6. Enoch 7. Enoch 8. (ed.) 1896

Connections to the Bible

Echoes and allusions

Matthew 5:34–37 · 2 Enoch 49:1medium confidence
Charles and evangelical scholar Phillip Long compare Enoch's teaching on oaths with Jesus' teaching. Long allows shared ethical tradition or dependence on Matthew.^{4 sources}4 sources20. Matthew 5:34 21. Matthew 5:37 22. (ed.) 1896 23. Long

Background

2 Corinthians 12:2–4 · Paradise in the third heavenmedium confidence
Scholar R. H. Charles compared this placement of Paradise with Paul's account. The comparison does not settle which text came first.^{4 sources}4 sources24. 2 Corinthians 12:2 25. 2 Corinthians 12:4 26. (ed.) 1896 12. Davila 2009
Hebrews 7:1–3 · Melchizedek's birth storylow confidence
Long compares the interest in priesthood outside Aaron's line in 2 Enoch and Hebrews.^{5 sources}5 sources27. Genesis 14:18 28. Psalms 110:4 29. Hebrews 7:3 30. Long 31. Long

Shared figures

Genesis 14:18 · Melchizedek's birth story
Long places the birth story within wider interest in Genesis 14's priest-king Melchizedek.^{5 sources}5 sources27. Genesis 14:18 28. Psalms 110:4 29. Hebrews 7:3 30. Long 31. Long

Preservation and authority

Orlov traces 2 Enoch's survival in larger Slavonic collections, whose compilers rearranged, shortened or expanded it. Such preservation does not by itself establish scriptural authority. McDonald's distinction between authoritative traditions and a fixed canon, reported by Alex Jassen, helps explain the difference.^{9 32}

How it was preserved

Academic (critical)

Orlov's account shows how larger Slavonic collections carried the text forward, even as their compilers shortened, rearranged or expanded it.⁹

Reasons for caution

Academic (critical)

Davila argues that 2 Enoch's exalted picture of Enoch would not sit well with Christian theology. He offers a modern theological judgment, rather than an ancient church ruling.^{12 33}

Academic (critical)

Orlov says dating rests on internal evidence. He reports proposals ranging from an early Jewish setting to a Byzantine Christian author, so an early origin cannot simply be assumed.^{4 sources}4 sources34. Orlov 35. Orlov 36. (ed.) 1896 37. Encyclopedia 1903

Misconceptions

Myth 2 Enoch is just 1 Enoch translated into Slavonic.
Actually: Charles and Morfill's study established that the Slavonic work was a separate book. Shared heavenly journeys do not make it a translation of 1 Enoch.¹

Sources

37 sources from 19 works

R. H. Charles (ed.), W. R. Morfill (tr.), The Book of the Secrets of Enoch (Oxford, Clarendon Press) (1896)
- 1
  Introduction, section 1, p. xi↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d ↩^e
- 8
  Appendix, introductory note, p. 85↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d
- 10
  Introduction, section 4, p. xvi↩
- 13
  Introduction, section 3, p. xv↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
- 22
  Introduction, pp. xxi-xxii↩^a ↩^b
- 26
  Introduction, p. xl↩
- 36
  Introduction, p. xxvi↩
Andrei A. Orlov, “2 (Slavonic) Enoch, introduction (Marquette University, Orlov's 2 Enoch site)”
- 2
  section "Structure"↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d ↩^e ↩^f ↩^g
- 9
  section "Manuscripts and Recensions"↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d ↩^e ↩^f
- 11
  section "Original Language"↩
- 34
  section "Date"↩
- 35
  section "Authorship"↩
2 Enoch, tr. W. R. Morfill, ed. R. H. Charles, The Book of the Secrets of Enoch (1896)
- 3
  2 Enoch 22:8↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
- 4
  2 Enoch 22:10↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
- 17
  2 Enoch 1:4↩^a ↩^b
- 18
  2 Enoch 8:1-3↩^a ↩^b
2 Enoch, tr. W. R. Morfill, ed. R. H. Charles, The Book of the Secrets of Enoch (1896), Appendix (Melchizedekian fragment)
- 5
  Appendix III.1-2↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d
- 6
  Appendix III.17-21↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d
- 7
  Appendix III.21↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d
12
James R. Davila, “PaleoJudaica, "2 Enoch: All your base are belong to us" (report on the fifth Enoch Seminar, Naples)” (2009), June 2009 post↩^a ↩^b ↩^c ↩^d ↩^e ↩^f
Joost L. Hagen (announcement, reproduced on the Antiquitopia blog from PaleoJudaica), “2 Enoch attested in Coptic from Nubia” (2009)
- 14
  blog post "2 Enoch in Coptic!", 10 April 2009↩
- 15
  same post↩
16
James R. Davila, “PaleoJudaica, "Review of van der Vliet and Hagen (ed.)" (update)” (2014), UPDATE paragraph↩
19
Jewish Encyclopedia (article section signed G. E. Li.), Enoch, Books of (Ethiopic and Slavonic), Jewish Encyclopedia vol. 5 (1903), section II, Slavonic Enoch, contents analysis↩^a ↩^b
20
Matthew 5:34↩^a ↩^b
21
Matthew 5:37↩^a ↩^b
23
Phillip J. Long, “2 Enoch and the Sermon on the Mount - 2 Enoch 38-63 (Reading Acts blog)”, paragraph on chapter 49↩^a ↩^b
24
2 Corinthians 12:2↩
25
2 Corinthians 12:4↩
27
Genesis 14:18↩^a ↩^b
28
Psalms 110:4↩^a ↩^b
29
Hebrews 7:3↩^a ↩^b
Phillip J. Long, “Enoch and the Birth of Melchizedek - 2 Enoch 64-73 (Reading Acts blog)”
- 30
  paragraph on Psalm 110 and Hebrews↩^a ↩^b ↩^c
- 31
  same paragraph↩^a ↩^b
- 33
  first paragraph↩^a ↩^b
32
Alex Jassen, “Review of Lee Martin McDonald, The Biblical Canon (2007), Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 8 (2008)” (2008)↩^a ↩^b
37
Jewish Encyclopedia, Enoch, Books of (Ethiopic and Slavonic), Jewish Encyclopedia vol. 5 (1903), section II, "Date and Value"↩

2 Enoch

At a glance

Summary

Contents

Enoch travels through heaven

Instructions on earth

Priests and Melchizedek

Stories

Paradise in the third heaven

Enoch is clothed in glory

Melchizedek's birth

Connections to the Bible

Echoes and allusions

Background

Shared figures

Preservation and authority

How it was preserved

Academic (critical)

Reasons for caution

Academic (critical)

Academic (critical)

Misconceptions

Further reading

Sources

Report a problem

At a glance

Summary

Contents

Enoch travels through heaven

Instructions on earth

Priests and Melchizedek

Stories

Paradise in the third heaven

Enoch is clothed in glory

Melchizedek's birth

Connections to the Bible

Echoes and allusions

Background

Shared figures

Preservation and authority

How it was preserved

Academic (critical)

Reasons for caution

Academic (critical)

Academic (critical)

Misconceptions

Related books

Further reading

Sources

Report a problem