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1 Enoch

The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch) — the oldest surviving Jewish apocalyptic work, attributed to the seventh patriarch. Preserved complete only in Ge'ez, with Aramaic fragments at Qumran.|||Complete text only in Ge'ez (Ethiopic). Oldest complete Greek fragments: Codex Panopolitanus (Akhmim, 6th c. CE). Aramaic fragments at Qumran (4Q201–4Q212) date to 1st–2nd c. BCE. Latin fragment (Vatican Codex) contains 106:1–18.|||Composite work of five tractates composed over roughly three centuries: Book of the Watchers (c. 300–200 BCE), Book of Parables (c. 100 BCE – 100 CE), Astronomical Book (3rd–2nd c. BCE), Book of Dreams (2nd c. BCE), Epistle of Enoch (2nd–1st c. BCE).|||Canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Maṣḥafa Hēnok). Not canonical in Jewish, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant traditions. Quoted in Jude 14–15.|||Indispensable for understanding angelology and demonology in Second Temple Judaism, the background of New Testament apocalyptic, the development of messianic expectation (" Son of Man," " Chosen One"), textual and calendar debates at Qumran, and the diversity of Jewish theological imagination before the canon closed.|||Nickelsburg, G. W. E., & VanderKam, J. C. 1 Enoch: A New Translation. Fortress Press, 2004.|||Charles, R. H. The Book of Enoch. Oxford, 1912.|||Milik, J. T. The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumrân Cave 4. Oxford, 1976.|||R. H. Charles Translation (1917)|https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe/index.htm|Full public-domain English translation hosted at Sacred Texts.;; Early Jewish Writings — 1 Enoch|https://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/1enoch.html|Indexed translation with parallel texts.;; Wikipedia Overview|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Enoch|Background, scholarship, and manuscript history.|||" And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all." — 1 Enoch 1:9 (echoed in Jude 14–15)

Collection: Enochic Literature Canon: varies

Canon Status

Canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Maṣḥafa Hēnok). Not canonical in Jewish, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Protestant traditions. Quoted in Jude 14–15.

Date & Provenance

Composite work of five tractates composed over roughly three centuries: Book of the Watchers (c. 300–200 BCE), Book of Parables (c. 100 BCE – 100 CE), Astronomical Book (3rd–2nd c. BCE), Book of Dreams (2nd c. BCE), Epistle of Enoch (2nd–1st c. BCE).

Language & Manuscripts

Complete text only in Ge'ez (Ethiopic). Oldest complete Greek fragments: Codex Panopolitanus (Akhmim, 6th c. CE). Aramaic fragments at Qumran (4Q201–4Q212) date to 1st–2nd c. BCE. Latin fragment (Vatican Codex) contains 106:1–18.

Why It Matters for Study

Indispensable for understanding angelology and demonology in Second Temple Judaism, the background of New Testament apocalyptic, the development of messianic expectation (" Son of Man," " Chosen One"), textual and calendar debates at Qumran, and the diversity of Jewish theological imagination before the canon closed.

" And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones to execute judgment upon all." — 1 Enoch 1:9 (echoed in Jude 14–15)

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Nickelsburg, G. W. E., & VanderKam, J. C. 1 Enoch: A New Translation. Fortress Press, 2004.
Charles, R. H. The Book of Enoch. Oxford, 1912.
Milik, J. T. The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumrân Cave 4. Oxford, 1976.