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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Evil, God, Satan, & Enoch
  • Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:43:07 -0500

Dear Jack,

Just a note, that the idea * fallen angels * originated
with the Book of Enoch which was very popular in many
circles, both Christian and Judaic, between 200 BCE - 200
AD. There are three different versions of this story in
Enoch. In one version, the leader of the rebellion is an
overly proud angel called Satanel. In another version, the
leader is Azazel(see Lev 16:8-26) who leads the watchers to
earth and knew the daughters of men (Gen 6:1-4). As
punishment, Azazel is cast out of heaven, bound hand and
foot by the angel Rafa-El, and thrown in a hot hole in the
desert (Duda'el). Enoch also is the origin of the idea of
equating the snake in Eden with Satanel who seeks seduce
Adam and Eve to commit sin.
Enoch fell from favor and was removed from official
Christian canon in the 4th century, although parts of it
are quoted in the letters of St. Jude. Enoch was re-
discovered in Ethopia and other copies were later found at
Qumram.

HH: Thanks, a helpful note, except that there was no universal official Christian canon until the 4th century. The Ethiopic Church, according to F.F. Bruce, is the only part of Christendom to have canonized 1 Enoch, which, he suggests, is why it is only fully extant in Ethiopic. Tertullian approved the book but knew he was incompetent to include it in the canon as that was not an individual undertaking. Clement quoted it.

HH: Fragments of Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, but not enough to indicate whether it was part of the canon there. Enoch was not a part of the Septuagint and of course not a part of the later Jewish canon.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard





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