Christian Commentary on 1Enoch

Ralph Lee, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies

Introduction

• 1Enoch̯ a controversial book , poorly understood place in the canon
• Its function is also poorly understood
• Apocalypse of Weeks is by far the most commented on section
• (see Chapter 12 The Reception and Function of 1 Enoch in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tradition in Rediscovering Enoch? The Antediluvian Past from the Fifteenth to Nineteenth Centuries)
• Once comestablished in the 'canon’ 1Enoch is quoted in theological texts, and commentary on the text begins to emerge with 13 manuscripts identified that make significant reference.
• Abb 80 (15^th C) with the Rǝtuʿa Haymanot homilies (containing the Giant’s story)
• Abb 178 (17^th c)
• BL Orient 13830 (18^th c)
• EMML 1835 (15^th c)
• EMML 2461 (19^th c)
• EMML 8971 (16^th c)
• EMML 8260 (Tana 3, 16^th c)
• Gunda Gunde 111/112 with a summary commentary on 1Enoch
• The Book of Mysteries of Heaven and Earth
• The Book of Mysteries (15^th c)
• Darsana Afnin (15^th c)
• The Book of the Nativity (15^th c)
• Ethiopien 64 (16^th c)

The scope of commentary and quotations

• There are significant gaps in the portions of the text quoted and commented on in the manuscript tradition.
• Difficult to explain – they are simply not mentioned
• The Gunda Gunde commentary is a commentary on the ‘whole’ book and it only mentions roughly the same range of text
• The 1Enoch manuscript tradition makes it clear that the complete text was know
• Commentary restricts itself to passages that perhaps fit what is very much a symbolic interpretation of the passage
• In the Gunda Gunde commentary the framework Apocalypse of Weeks appears dominant

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The Apocalypse of Weeks summarised (from GG mss)

1. Adam to Enoch
2. The deluge until Abraham
3. Abraham, the plant of righteousness, until the giving of the Law
4. The giving of the Law, the precepts, until the age of Solomon
5. The age of Solomon, the building of the ‘house of glory’
6. The captivity, in which the ‘house’ is burned
7. From the captivity until the birth of Christ
8. The age of the birth of Christ and the establishment of the Church
9. The age of the 318
10. The day of Judgement

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• Many weeks, the never-ending Kingdom of Heaven, in which sin no longer exists and is not mentioned

The Gunda Gunde Commentary

The book is divided into four sections, ‘visions’ or ‘parables’ or just ‘of Enoch’

• The first section, referred to at its end as ዘሄኖክ ቅዳሚ, ‘the first of Enoch’ covers 1Enoch 1:3-11:2, corresponding to parts of Book of Watchers.
• The second section, entitled ራእይ ካልእ ዘሄኖክ, ‘the second vision of Enoch’ covers 1Enoch 39:3-53:3, corresponding to parts of Book of Parables.
• The third, ምሳሌ ሣልስ ዘሄኖክ, ‘the third parable of Enoch’ 70:1-70:3, a short section from Book of Parables.
• The fourth section, ራብዕ ዘሄኖክ ‘the fourth of Enoch’, covers from 82:4-91:16 from Astronomical Book and the Book of Dreams, including Apocalypse of Weeks, and a brief section from The Epistle.

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• Overall, each section seems to match well with the framework of Apocalypse of Weeks

The First Vision �(1Enoch 1:3-11:2) (Book of Watchers)

• Broadly corresponds to week 8 – the age of the birth of Christ and the establishment of the Church
• The broad account of the fallen angels does not feature in this commentary
• The symbolic interpretations also fit broadly into the EOTC’s symbolic framework connected to the incarnation
• Unclear what is meant by ‘angels of death’
• Intriguing interpretation of the number of trees that do not wither
• Withering or stripping: discontinuity between Old and New Testaments.
• Withered trees represent the abandoned sacrificial system
• Those that do not wither indicate continuity, and are carefully identified:
• the 10 commandments;
• the covenant made with Noah not to destroy mankind again;
• Melchizedek’s priesthood, which is understood to be eternal in the book of Hebrews;
• Abraham’s circumcision, which must be taken to be the circumcision that comes through faith;
• and the baptism of John. These total 14.
• Seemingly, also, the Patriarchs and Prophets have a role, and then the teaching of the Apostles, with their teaching having relevance for two to three seasons, symbolised by the verdure of trees, in contrast to those that wither.

The Second vision�(1Enoch 39:3-53:3) (Book of Parables)

• Again, broadly fits into Week 8
• The interpretation is straightforward
• Nicklesburg notes that there is no reason given in the broader text of 1Enoch for why Wisdom found no home,
• The GG commentary interpreting ‘wisdom’ as the divine Son, who is accepted by some (that is the Apostles initially) and rejected by others (Israel).
• ‘That day’ (45.4) also takes on special significance as the time of the Incarnation.
• The ‘dry ground’ is unfruitful humanity, that becomes a dwelling place for God, and so is transformed.
• The ‘Head of Days’ expression is the eternal Father,
• the ‘other in his likeness’ is the Son
• Indeed such associations make 1Enoch an attractive book onto which to map New Testament interpretations).

The Third Vision�(1Enoch 70:1-70:3) (Book of Parables)

• Again the focus is on events in Week 8
• The trinitarian interpretation relies on a particular version of the text
• (70.3) He placed me between two spirits ((ነፍስ not ነፋስ)
• The two spirits are ‘the spirit of prophecy of the prophets and spirit of priesthood of the apostles’

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The Fourth Parable�(1Enoch 82:4-91:16) (Astronomical Book, Book of Dreams (Apocalypse of Weeks) The Epistle)

• This much longer section nevertheless covers all of the Weeks that are also summarised in this section.
• Sun, moon and starts in Astronomical Book –
• the moon, a lesser light, refers to the Law
• The sun, a greater light, refers to the Gospel
• The stars, the martyrs (perhaps Phil 2:15 is in mind)
• There is more intriguing use of numbers
• 1000 leaders
• 12 Apostles, 72 disciples, 81 Books of the Law, their 500 companions and the 318 orthodox in faith and the 7 governors 10 Commandments
• In week 1 – the elephants and camels are the Giants, perhaps because of their size?
• Week 2, the animals are communities hostile to Israel, the Zämän/Zaml/Zamal and Kärawyan are not yet identified.
• Week 8 illustrates well how the Christian interpretation displaces what Nicklesburg suggested was in Jewish minds – so ideas Nicklesburg connects with Judas Maccadeus are replaces with the Incarnation and the Church
• Week 19 – Nicklesburg’s ‘wild animal’ is no longer the nations of the world, but the False Messaih

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Summary comments

• The commentary appears to be ‘an interpretation looking for a text’
• Several correlations in this commentary with other earlier texts,
• The Book of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth including
• The 14 trees
• The animals of Animal Apocalypse
• The Amharic Andemta commentary needs translating, but it seems that a number of these interpretations survive into that period (after 1690) but the Amharic material represents a significant development, including commenting on the whole text of the book

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