The prophet Enoch is first mentioned in the fifth chapter of the book of Genesis, where it is written that Enoch is the son of Jared and the father of Methuselah, making Enoch the seventh from Adam and therefore part of the righteous bloodline of the ten great Antediluvian Patriarchs. Yet excluding his righteous and lofty lineage, the most profound element of Enoch’s life is how he was taken from the earth that he should not see death (Hebrews 11:5). For the Bible informs us that Enoch walked with God, and then was not, for God took him (Genesis 5:24). Though the Bible tells us that Enoch was “taken”, nowhere in all of the 66 books which make up the accepted Biblical Canon explain where exactly Enoch went, neither is much else written about him in both the Old and New Testaments. However, in the Ethiopic Canon do we find many more details concerning Enoch’s life. For in the Ethiopian Bible two whole books (appropriately titled I and II Enoch) are devoted to the events which Enoch experienced after he was translated. And apart from the books of Enoch, another apocryphal source included in the Ethiopian scriptures, provides even more key insight as to Enoch’s current whereabouts and of the special role he plays in God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. And this Apocryphal work which provides an expansion on the life of the prophet Enoch is none other than the Book of Jubilees.
The Book of Jubilees, also known as the Little Genesis, is an ancient religious work of Jewish origin. Comprised of fifty chapters, Jubilees is held canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as well as by the Jews of Ethiopia, but it is not considered canonical among the Jewish communities living outside of Ethiopia. Apart from the Ethiopian Church, the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and the various Protestant Churches, all consider Jubilees to be part of the Pseudepigrapha: a work which is believed to falsely attribute authorship to a religious document. The Book of Jubilees is postured as a revelation given to Moses concerning the history of the division of the days of the law. The chronology presented in Jubilees is based on multiples of seven years, with each period of time lasting of 49 years to be considered a jubilee. The Bible also speaks of these cycles, calling the seven year periods Sabbatical years, and the fiftieth year a jubilee. For according to the book of Leviticus on the year of the jubilee slaves would be freed, financial debts would be forgiven, and the Lord’s mercy would be poured out in great abundance (Leviticus 25:8-13).
Now when it comes to the prophet Enoch in the Book of Jubilees, we see how Enoch is described as the first among men who learned writing. Being filled with knowledge and wisdom, Enoch wrote down the signs of heaven according to the order of their months, in order for mankind to understand the order of the seasons of the years. Enoch also wrote a testimony to the sons of men among the generations of the earth, and recounted the weeks of the jubilees, and made known to them the days of the years, and set in order the months and recounted the Sabbaths of the years. Jubilees also tells us how Enoch had a vision in which he saw what would happen to the children of men throughout their generations until the day of judgment. Enoch saw and understood everything, and wrote his testimony, and placed the testimony on earth for all the children of men and for their generations (Jubilees 4:17-19). Could this book which Enoch wrote concerning the future of mankind and the day of judgment really be the Book of Enoch? For we find in both Jubilees and I Enoch apocalyptic elements which are directly tied to one another. Conversely speaking, it is also highly probable that an ancient scribe concocted these stories, which may be why most Christian denominations do not accept the Book of Jubilees nor the Book of Enoch to be inspired and are thus labeled as Apocryphal.
As fascinating and revealing as these accounts of Enoch are, as found in the Book of Jubilees, yet another amazing detail of Enoch’s life is also presented within it’s Pseudepigraphal pages. And this astounding story is that of Enoch being translated to the Garden of Eden. For as it is written in Jubilees: “And he [Enoch] was taken from amongst the children of men, and we conducted him into the Garden of Eden in majesty and honour, and behold there he writes down the condemnation and judgment of the world, and all the wickedness of the children of men (Jubilees 4:23). Thus the mystery of where Enoch was taken after he walked with God is revealed, or at least it provides a possibility of where Enoch was taken, due to the questionable authority of the Book of Jubilees as an inspired work.
In conclusion, though it is a doctrinal debate which questions the validity of the Book of Jubilees and also that of the Book of Enoch, these Apocryphal books do at least challenge the Bible student to think and may even help the Orthodox believer to better understand the mysteries held in the accepted canon of the Holy Scriptures. So, in the final analysis it is best to take the teachings of these extra-Biblical books with a pinch of salt as they say, and not to accept them as the infallible Word of God. For reading such books could be dangerous, as the teachings or beliefs expressed in them could lead one astray. It could be read after the appreciation of ancient literature, but it could also prove detrimental if someone (Christian or atheist alike) accepted these doubtful books as the absolute truth. The truth indeed sets us free, but if we believe in a lie then we could end up as prisoners. That being said, may we all lean on the accepted canon as our foundation, and may the Spirit of Truth guide us into all truth. Amen.
References:
Burns, R.I. The Book of Enoch: Messianic Prophecy Edition. (San Francisco, CA: SagesWorks Press, 2017).
Brown, R.K. The Book of Enoch. (Nashville, Tennessee: James C. Winston Publishing Company, Inc., 1997).
Holy Bible: Ethiopic Version. (Saderingrad Productions, 2007).
Kush, I.K. Enoch the Ethiopian. (Buffalo, NY: Eworld Inc., 2000).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).