Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

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