The Book of Enoch, usually called 1 Enoch, is an ancient Jewish apocalyptic work attributed to Enoch, the patriarch who "walked with God" in Genesis. Composed in stages between about the third and first centuries BCE, it tells of fallen angels called Watchers, heavenly journeys and final judgment. It survives complete only in Ge'ez and is part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible.
Book of Enoch at a glance
| Also known as | 1 Enoch; Ethiopic Enoch |
|---|---|
| Attributed to | Enoch, seventh patriarch from Adam (Genesis 5) |
| Date | Oldest parts c. 300-200 BCE; Book of Parables probably first century BCE or later |
| Original language | Aramaic (possibly partly Hebrew) |
| Complete text | Ge'ez (classical Ethiopic) |
| Canonical in | Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church; Beta Israel |
| Quoted in | Epistle of Jude, verses 14-15 |
Enoch in the Bible
In the genealogy of Genesis 5, Enoch is the seventh generation from Adam and the father of Methuselah. Unlike the other patriarchs, of whom it is simply said that they died, the text states that "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Genesis 5:24). This mysterious departure encouraged later Jewish writers to imagine Enoch as a man taken into heaven and shown its secrets, a scribe who could reveal knowledge about angels, the cosmos and the end of days.
A body of literature grew up under his name. Scholars distinguish three main works: 1 Enoch, the subject of this entry; 2 Enoch, preserved in Old Church Slavonic and sometimes called Slavonic Enoch; and 3 Enoch, a later Hebrew work of Jewish mysticism in which Enoch is transformed into the angel Metatron. These texts are distinct in date, language and outlook.
Structure and Contents
1 Enoch is a compilation of five originally separate books, usually identified as follows:
- The Book of the Watchers (chapters 1-36): the fall of the angels and Enoch's journeys through heaven and the ends of the earth.
- The Book of Parables or Similitudes (37-71): visions of judgment and of a heavenly figure called the Elect One and the Son of Man.
- The Astronomical Book (72-82): the movements of sun, moon and stars, supporting a 364-day calendar.
- The Book of Dream Visions (83-90): including the "Animal Apocalypse," a history of Israel told through animal symbolism.
- The Epistle of Enoch (91-108): moral exhortation and the "Apocalypse of Weeks."
Dating is debated. Many scholars place the Astronomical Book and the Book of the Watchers in the third century BCE, among the oldest Jewish apocalyptic writings, while the Book of Parables is generally dated later, often around the turn of the era. Older reference works give somewhat later dates for the earliest sections.
The Watchers and the Giants
The best-known story in 1 Enoch expands the brief passage in Genesis 6 about the "sons of God" who took human wives. In the Book of the Watchers, two hundred angels led by Shemihazah descend on Mount Hermon, bind themselves by oath and marry human women. Their children are giants who devour the earth's resources and turn to violence. The Watchers also teach forbidden knowledge: Asael (often identified with Azazel) teaches metalworking, weapons and cosmetics, and others teach spells, root-cutting and the signs of the heavens.
God responds by sending archangels to bind the Watchers until the judgment and by bringing the Flood. Enoch acts as intermediary, carrying the angels' petition to heaven and returning with a message of condemnation. The story offered an explanation for the origin of evil that places much of the blame on angelic rebellion. It influenced later ideas of fallen angels, demons and spirits such as the incubus, and figures like Samael in later Jewish tradition.
Manuscripts, Canon and Rediscovery
The work was widely read in the late Second Temple period. Aramaic fragments of every part except the Book of Parables were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, confirming its antiquity. The Epistle of Jude, in the New Testament, quotes 1 Enoch 1:9 as a prophecy of "Enoch, the seventh from Adam." Some early Christian writers, such as Tertullian, valued the book highly, but it was later excluded from the Jewish canon and from most Christian Bibles, and in the West it was largely lost.
It survived in Ethiopia, where it was translated into Ge'ez and is part of the scriptures of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. In 1773 the Scottish traveler James Bruce brought Ethiopic copies to Europe. Richard Laurence published the first English translation in 1821, and R. H. Charles produced a critical edition and translation in the early twentieth century that long served as the standard scholarly text. Greek portions have also been recovered from manuscripts found in Egypt.
Influence and Esoteric Legacy
1 Enoch is a key source for understanding Jewish thought at the time of Jesus, especially ideas about angels, the afterlife, final judgment and a heavenly redeemer figure. Its themes echo in the New Testament and in early Christian and Gnostic writings, and the figure of Enoch was important in Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah through his identification with Metatron.
In Western esotericism, Enoch's name became attached to angelic knowledge. The Elizabethan scholar John Dee and the scryer Edward Kelley recorded an angelic language and system of magic that later occultists called "Enochian," though Dee had no access to the Ethiopic book. Since its rediscovery, 1 Enoch has fascinated readers interested in fallen angels and lost knowledge. Readers should distinguish the ancient text, studied by historians, from modern speculations built on it.
Related entries
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Book of Enoch not in the Bible?
It was never accepted into the Jewish canon, and most Christian churches later excluded it, despite its popularity in early centuries and a quotation in the Epistle of Jude. Reasons included doubts about its authorship and content. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, however, includes 1 Enoch in its Bible.
Who are the Watchers in the Book of Enoch?
The Watchers are angels who, according to the Book of the Watchers, descended to earth under Shemihazah, married human women and fathered giants. They also taught humans forbidden arts such as metalworking, weapons, cosmetics and spells. God punished them and sent the Flood to cleanse the earth.
How old is the Book of Enoch?
It was written in stages. Many scholars date the oldest parts, the Astronomical Book and the Book of the Watchers, to around 300-200 BCE, while the Book of Parables is usually dated later, often around the first century BCE or first century CE. Aramaic fragments from Qumran confirm its antiquity.
Sources and further reading
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.