Enoch and the Giants: The Book of Enoch and the Book of Giants with Explanatory Notes in Plain English

By Victor Lindsay Hill

Enoch and the Giants by Victor Hill is a book that operates on several levels. For sure this will be of great interest to academics of the subject but Victor Hills’ books is also a read which acts as a modern parable, functioning on a simpler level with a message for us all.
Enoch and the Giants is a modern day epic with commentary on heaven and earth of truly biblical proportions which will have as much appeal on a secular level as it will to disciples of the Bible.
Translated directly from the original, the author is meticulous with his footnotes and referencing which act in tandem to provide commentary on and insight to the text. It is a revelation and almost a poetic story with a rhythm and meter all its own. A truly epic read.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Feb 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9781528951746

Book preview

Enoch and the Giants

The Book of Enoch and the Book

of Giants with Explanatory

Notes in Plain English

Victor Lindsay Hill

Austin Macauley Publishers

Enoch and the Giants

About the Author

Dedication

Copyright Information ©

The Book’s Necessity

The Book’s Outline

Preface Overview

Pamphlet 1 The Fallen Watchers (1–36)

Introduction—The Fates (1)

The Natural Order of Things (2‒5)

Nature Disordered (6‒8) The Angels Fall (6)

Archangels Arrive (9‒11)

Generational Blessing (11)

First Vision (12–16) The Fallen Angels Remorse (12)

The Fallen Watchers Petition (13)

The Fallen Watchers Rebuked (14)

Fate of the Fallen Angels (15:1‒7)

Fate of the Giants (15:8‒16:2a)

Fate of the Fallen Watchers (16:2b‒4)

Enoch’s Treks (17–36) First Trek East (17–19)

Trek to the Netherworld (21–36) Fallen Angels Imprisoned (21)

First Trek West (23)

Second Trek East (28–33)

Trek North (34)

Second Trek West (35)

Trek South and Third Trek East (36)

Pamphlet 2 The Parables or Similitudes (37–71)

Second Vision Introduced (37)

First Parable (38–44) The Coming Judgment of Sinners (38)

Third Vision Introduced (39:2‒14)

Four Archangels (40–41:2)

Heavenly Wonders (43-44)

Second Parable (45–57) The Apostates’ Fate and the New Creation (45)

Third Parable (58–70) Blessed Saints (58)

Enoch’s Early Visions (71) First Early Vision (71:1‒4)

Pamphlet 3 The Astronomical Lights (72–82)

The Sun (72)

The Solar Calendar (72:6‒32)

Seasonal Sunlight (72:33‒35a)

The Sun’s Nature (72:35b‒37)

The Moon (73)

The Lunar Calendar (74)

The Twelve Winds (76)

The Earth’s Four Quarters (77:1‒3)

The Seven Mountains, Rivers and Lands (77:4‒8)

The Sun and Moon (78:1‒5)

The Moon’s Phases (78:6‒16)

Natural Laws Reviewed (79–80:1)

Sky Calendar (82:1‒8)

Pamphlet 4: Enoch’s Visions (83–90)

First Vision—the Great Flood (83–84)

Second Vision—the Animal Apocalypse (85–90) From Adam to Seth (85)

Angels and Humanity Fall (86)

Archangels Arrive (87)

The Archangels Punish the Fallen Angels (88)

Noah and the Great Flood (89:1–9)

From the Repopulation to the Exodus (89:10–27)

From the Wilderness to Canaan (89:28–40)

From Canaan’s Settlement to the First Temple (89:41–50)

From the First Temple to the Babylonian Exile (89:51–67)

The 70 Shepherds (89:68‒90:12)

Last Things (90:13‒42)

Pamphlet 5 The Letter of Enoch (91–104)

First Statement (91:1‒11, 18, 19)

Second Statement (93:1–10; 91:12‒17)

Third Statement (92:1‒5; 94:1‒11)

Sinners Woes and Moral People Blessed (95‒105) Enoch’s Grief and More Sinners’ Woes (95)

The Hopeful Moral People and the Sinners’ Woes (96)

Sinners and the Immoral Wealthy Will Suffer (97)

Self-Indulgent Sinners’ Woes (98)

The Impious and Lawbreakers’ Woes (99)

Only Moral People Respect God (101)

Judgment Day Terrors (102)

Humanity’s Destiny (103)

Moral People Assured but Sinners Rebuked (104)

God, Messiah and Saints (105)

Appendix 1 Methuselah’s Scroll—Noah’s Birth (106‒107)

Appendix 2 Enoch’s Second Scroll—The Fates (108)

The Book of Giants also called Ohyah the Giant

The Angels Fall

Abusive

Disrespectful

Corruption Increases

Their Preservation Strategy

Mahway’s Dreamed Vision— The First Tablet

The Giants Converse

Ohyah’s First Vision

Another Vision

Ohyah’s Second Vision

Mahway Visits Enoch

The Second Tablet

Archangels Arrive

Angel Hierarchies

Chronology

Final Thoughts Apocalyptic Assumptions

Bibliography

About the Author

Victor Lindsay Hill served in logistics for the air force, he is a diploma graduate in ministry of the Commonwealth Bible College, and served many years in administration for law enforcement. His theological knowledge and date analysis of information has enabled him to bring forth a unique set of skills necessary to produce this book.

Dedication

In memory of Herbert and Aili

Copyright Information ©

Victor Lindsay Hill 2024

The right of Victor Lindsay Hill to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781786120212 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528951746 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

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Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

The Book’s Necessity

Currently there are various views regarding The Book of Enoch ranging from one extreme, that it should be accepted as canonical, to the other, that it is to be rejected as heresy. This translation, by using a mildly dynamic but essentially literal translation of the Ge’ez Ethiopic and Greek manuscripts and the Dead Sea Scrolls, with back reference to its Aramaic and Hebrew roots, seeks to redress the misconceptions regarding the text and its context. In this regard, numerous footnotes (annotations) are used to clarify and explain the contents of the work in order to make its meaning clear to the general reader.

The Book of Enoch gives us a valuable window into the 3rd Century BC beliefs in the late pre-Christian Hebrew time period, thus supplying a historical and anthropological perspective regarding the inhabitants of Qumran, of the Dead Sea Scrolls fame, and Enochian Judaism, that differed in belief and perspective from the better-known philosophies of the Pharisees and Sadducees. It is a valuable window opening out onto another world and time, with parallels to New Testament thinking.

The Book’s Outline

The Book of Enoch is a pseudepigraphal work, this means that it is a book not in the Apocrypha but one of those writings outside the standard Apocrypha, in essence the Apocrypha to the Apocrypha if you will. Therefore it is a book twice removed from excepted canonical Scripture, except in the case of the Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox churches who accept it as Scripture.

Broadly speaking, the Book of Enoch consists essentially of five books or pamphlets (a kind of Pentateuch if you will) that have been put together to form a corporate whole with two additional appendices, thus concerning itself with:

The origin of demons and the fall of the angels and humanity;

Illustrative parables based on the preceding section;

Astronomical details for determining the calendar year based on the sun rather than the moon;

A series of dreamed visions concerning the nature of the universe and paradise including details about the purpose and duties of various angels;

Methuselah’s letter regarding the birth of Noah;

The different fates of the upright godly and the immoral sinner; and

A summary of the first part of the book and the overall theme of the book, in other words, the big picture with regard to humanity throughout time and their final fate.

I have also included the Book of Giants, a work believed by some to have originally been the second book or pamphlet in the Book of Enoch before it was replaced by the Similitudes/Parables.

Preface

Overview

The Book of Enoch, also called the First or Ethiopic Book of Enoch, was birthed in the upheavals of ancient Israel. Its purpose was to reassure the faithful that the sinful would ultimately get their just desserts despite current appearances to the contrary; in that sense it bears some similarity to the book of Habakkuk.¹ The imminent arrival (advent) of the Messiah (King and Priest) to save them was always foremost in the Hebrew mind, especially in times of trial and hardship, such as during the Roman occupation of Israel.

Although the Book of Enoch concerns itself with other worldly matters, it is still very much grounded in making this world a better place, namely the Kingdom of God on Earth.² It is a story about the big picture, the broad canvas of life:

where the natural and the supernatural meet;

where conflict occurs on Earth as well as in heaven;

where corrupting evil is finally defeated by pure morality;

where crime is circumvented by justice;

where oppression is replaced by liberty; and

where current, ignoble defeat is replaced by future, glorious victory.

The present strife during the Maccabean period is compared to past Enochian events in the lives of the early Genesis patriarchs and prophets. It is a warning to the godly and moral not to copy or envy the ungodly and immoral. It encourages believers to maintain their faith regardless of current negative circumstances.

Inter-Testament Beliefs

In the period chiefly between the Old and New Testaments, but not exclusively so, there are two bodies of non-canonical writings known as the Apocrypha - its writings are not generally accepted - and the Pseudepigrapha, its writings have falsely ascribed authorship. Perhaps the Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal writings should be better understood as exegetical, commentarial and traditional, speculative reflections on the Scriptures by their authors and editors. However it must be acknowledged that some books of the Apocrypha are included in the deuterocanonical (or second canon) scriptural lists of the Old Testament in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles.

The Pseudepigraphal writing called The First Book of Enoch (1 Enoch), was written in about 150 bc, and helps us to understand Hebrew thought just before Jesus of Nazareth walked on Earth (born c 6 bc ‒ died c ad 30). The inter-testament period is said to have lasted about 400 years, the so called Silent Years.

This writing gives us insights into the Jewish mind-set of this historic period with regard to:

the function and origin of supernatural beings, how they started out, what they do now and their ultimate fate;

the nature of the heavens, both physically (sky) and spiritually (paradise);

the measuring of time using the solar rather than the lunar calendar;

the arrival of the Messiah, when and what he does both then and thereafter;

the circumstances of the End Times, what happens and why;

the resurrection of the body, for whom and when; and

the destiny of human souls immediately at death and their final abodes.

Authorship

Those people who believe that the Book of Enoch was written by Enoch the son of Jared have a problem right from the beginning, because it is clear from reading it that there are obvious inserts in it from the books of Noah and Methuselah. According to the best biblical scholars, the authorship of the Book of Enoch was actually by various writers assuming the persona of Enoch as a literary device, a not uncommon practice in the 2nd Century bc. This adoption of a famous name was done so as to ensure a broader readership. These separate elements were then edited together (redacted) into one composite work in about 60 bc. The Book of Enoch was written about the same time as the Genesis Apocryphon and The Book of Jubilees, which is why there are so many similarities between them. It is heavily influenced by the prophetic writings, especial those of Daniel and Jeremiah.

Enoch was the famous pre-flood forefather (antediluvian patriarch) who fellowshipped with God so closely that God took (translated) him up to heaven without him having to undergo death.³ Some see this as a precursor (foreshadowing) to the taking up to heaven (The Rapture) of the true believers (i.e. moral people, righteous ones).

Biblical commentators believed that the Book of Enoch was written originally as a series of pamphlets by Pharisees in Jerusalem in the 2nd Century bc. The book appears to derive from three main sources and five pamphlets which have been edited together with the assistance of bridging pieces of text to form a composite whole in the 1st Century bc. Later on, two appendices were also added to this work.

This work clearly indicates a diverse knowledge of Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek and Hebrew mythologies which are woven together into a complex tapestry. Therefore, there is a common thread running through them all that enriches our understanding of near Eastern antiquity, not that we should follow it blindly.⁴ God expects us to use our brain avoiding both the extremes of scepticism and gullibility.

There has also been a long standing argument regarding whether the Book of Enoch was originally written in Hebrew, Greek or Ethiopic, but it is now commonly accepted by most experts that it was originally written in Aramaic, possibly with some parts in Hebrew (i.e. the Noachian fragments). This view however is not accepted by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church which states that it was originally written in Ge’ez before being translated into other languages.

Because there is a diversity of authors in this composite work known as the Book of Enoch, there are differing perspectives presented in various places, such as:

Did Noah and his family build the ark or did angels do it?⁵

Are evil spirits and demons one and the same or different?⁶

Is the sin in the world the fault of humans or fallen angels?⁷ or

All of the preceding.

Version Numbering Systems

Just as the Bible’s Old Testament in Hebrew (Masoretic text) and Greek (Septuagint translation) differ in the numbering of chapters and verses, similarly with the Book of Enoch.

The two commonly used numbering systems are:

Richard Laurence’s version of 105 chapters (ad 1821); and

August Dillmann’s version of 108 chapters (ad 1851).

Dillmann based his numbering system on the 20 divisions of the Ethiopic translation of the Book of Enoch, and this system has become the standard practice of modern translations.⁸

In this version of the Book of Enoch, the Dillmann number system is given first preference while the Laurence number system is given in square brackets after it, but only where it differs (eg 6[7]⁴[⁵] or 11¹[10²⁸]).

Unfortunately if you compare this work with some other versions, you may find various non-conformist number systems, so be aware of this when you are attempting to compare different translations (eg Dillmann 69:23b‒27c = Isaac 69:24‒28 = Laurence 67:33‒39). Other additional verse numbering variations are shown in arrow brackets for quick translation and cross-comparison (e.g. 5<9>).

Most commonly the chapters may be a further number out than expected (i.e. other versions 60 = Laurence 61 = Dillmann 62), while the verses are mostly the same or one number out in places, they can be unexpectedly unique (i.e. Laurence 88:118 = Dillmann 89:76).

The Fate of Human Souls

In the Book of Enoch there are two categories of those who are saved and those who are damned, thus four locations in the Netherworld:

The saved —

The saints go to Paradise immediately,⁹ while

the chosen ones (the elect of God) go to the Sheol/Hades and have to wait until the resurrection to receive their final reward;¹⁰ and

The damned are divided up in Sheol/Hades into —

those who have already undergone some punishment during their lives, and

the rest who are yet to be punished for all their sinful deeds.¹¹

Symbolism

Like the prophetic books of the Bible, there is quite a lot of symbolism used. The purpose of symbolism was both to conceal from outsiders but still reveal to insiders, the secret meanings conveyed, a sort of ‘reading between the lines’ so to speak. It must also be remembered that until quite recently, saying things plainly that was negative towards authorities could get you tortured and killed. Similarly deliberate ambiguity or vagueness was the stock in trade for anyone claiming to foretell the future, and this technique was used by both deceitful charlatans and faithful prophets alike. The standard practice was to use symbolic numbers and typologies, which required some foreknowledge on the part of the reader to understand what was actually meant by its author.

Nothing in apocalyptic literature should be taken at face value; there is usually a hidden meaning behind everything said, but conversely one has to be careful not to read too much into what is being said. Another reason for the vagueness of prophecies is to ensure they come to pass without alteration, thus keeping the time-space continuum inviolate by allowing it to still happen. Therefore, prophecy’s purpose is to inform you of future events without giving too much away. In the Book of Enoch, the use of symbolic language is greatest in the Animal Apocalypse (85‒90), which is considered to be its oldest segment.

Enochic Books

There are several ancient writings by the name of Enoch, but only the first three are commonly known or easily available, they are:

First Enoch, or The (Ethiopic) Book of Enoch, written in the 2nd Century bc, essentially an expansion on Genesis 6;

Second Enoch, or The (Slavonic) Book of the Secrets of Enoch, written in the 1st Century ad with some later 5th Century additions, essentially it is a Jewish commentary (midrash) on First Enoch; and

Third Enoch, or The (Hebrew) Book of Enoch (or Palaces), written in the 5th Century ad (not 2nd Century ad as it claims), it is essentially a series of small other worldly stories strung together on the same theme as Second Enoch.

Judaeo-Christian Usage

In ad 1773, the Scottish adventurer James Bruce brought three copies of the Book of Enoch in the Ge’ez language from Ethiopia (then called Abyssinia) but unfortunately these manuscripts were no earlier than the 15th Century. Now this revived an interest in the Book of Enoch which helped to unearth some Greek manuscripts and a Latin fragment as well giving us a fuller understanding of the text. Since 1947, various fragments of the Book of Enoch in Aramaic were discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran, which gives us the current state of our knowledge of the text. It is clear from the Qumran finds that the Book of Enoch was popular reading among members of the Essene religious sect, probably due to its perceived anti-Pharisaic stance. Even today it is read by those interested in Middle Eastern religious antiquity such as Jews, Christians and Muslims, especially historians and theologians interested in the thinking and beliefs of the Hebrews who lived in the Eastern Mediterranean between 200 bc and ad 100.

It should be noted that some of the early church fathers (c ad 100‒400) made use of the writings of the Book of Enoch, either on a par with the Scriptures (marked with an *) or at the very least, a suitable source of quotations,¹² namely:

Justin Martyr*, born c ad 100 ‒ died c 165;

Tatian*, born c ad 110 ‒ died c 180;

Irenaeus of Lyons, born c ad 140 ‒ died c 202;

Clement of Alexandria*, born c ad 150 ‒ died c 215;

Quintus Tertullian*, born c ad 155 ‒ died c 220;

Origen, born c ad 184 ‒ died 254;

Lucius Lactantius, born c ad 250 ‒ died c 320;

Commodianus, lived c ad 250;

Minucius Felix, died c ad 250;

Methodius of Olympus/Philippi, died ad 311; and

Ambrose of Milan, born c ad 340 ‒ died 397.

The popularity of the Book of Enoch among the church fathers was chiefly due to its use in polemics (supportive arguments) with the pagan Greeks and that it gave tentative support for Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah/Christ with the Hebrews.

It is interesting to note that the Ancient Greeks had similar stories, whether these derived from Babylonian or Hebrew influence is uncertain, but the parallels are certainly interesting to note, for example:

Azazel, a demon leader, became Prometheus;

Enoch, the netherworld trekker, became Orpheus;

Giants (Nephilim), the people of renown, became Gigantes (Titans);

Nimrod, the king of Babylon, became Apollo;

Watchers, the fallen angels, became Dactyls; and

Yahweh, the Father God, became Zeus, the father of the gods.

Later, this affinity with Greek mythology and it’s doubtful authenticity would be used to criticise it which led to its later fall from grace within the church and subsequent rejection and obscurity.

The usage of 1 Enoch was opposed by Jewish teachers who believed that the giants were actually famous people such as rulers and judges, and this view was upheld by rabbis:

Simeon ben Yochai, born c ad 100 – died c 160;

Shlomo Yitzchaki, born ad 1040 ‒ died 1105; and

Moshe ben Nachman, born ad 1194 ‒ died c 1270.

The usage of 1 Enoch was opposed by later church fathers who believed that the sons of God were the descendants of Seth (Sethites) and the daughters of men were the descendants of Cain (Cainites) producing mongrel/bastard offspring and corrupted beliefs, an idea that was proposed by Sextus Julius Africanus (born c ad 180 – died c 250), and this view was upheld by:

Hilary of Poitiers, born c ad 300 – died c 368;

Philastrius of Brescia, born c ad 330 – died c 397;

Jerome of Stridonium, born ad 347 – died 420; and

Augustine of Hippo, born ad 354 – died 420.

Now, the Book of Enoch is not found in Protestant, Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox Bibles, neither is it a part of the Apocrypha (secret/reserved) or Deuterocanonical (second canon) writings, although it is in the Pseudepigrapha (falsely ascribed) writings; this is because it was officially rejected as inspired by the Church Council of Laodicea in ad 364. However the Book of Enoch is a part of the canon of the Old Testament of the Eritrean and Ethiopian Orthodox churches of North Eastern Africa. Because of the quotation of the Book of Enoch 1:9 in Jude 14, 15, plus many allusions to it in the New Testament and its apocalyptic visions, it has maintained a fascination amongst many believers to this day.

Many Genres

Although