This post contains more notes on 1 (Ethiopic) Enoch from Dr. Orlov’s class, plus more interesting passages from the text. I will also look at the role of the angel Asa’el (or Azazel) in the Israelite atonement ritual and his possible connection to the Old Testament scapegoat.
Random Notes on the Enochic Tradition
Dr. Andrei Orlov suggests that 1 Enoch should be seen as being in the transitional stage of a tradition, not the original penning of it. It likely comes from an older tradition. Just as 2 Enoch, and especially 3 Enoch come much later along the trajectory of this tradition, 1 Enoch was certainly not the first Book of Enoch–although we do not have any earlier examples. 1 Enoch itself is a collection of different Enochic texts (Book of Watchers, Astronomical writings, Parables, Similitudes, Book of Dreams, etc.) that were written at different times.
The Enochic tradition was very influential among early Christians. It fell into disfavor with Augustine, Hilary, and Jerome, although it was quoted from by earlier Fathers.
It contains many beliefs/doctrines important to Christianity. For example, the immortality of the soul is prominent in Enoch, but not so much in canonical OT literature. Also, the concept of the existence of a Mediator between worlds, interacting/interceding both ways–between earth and heaven–is central to the Enochic literature.
Orlov asks: Is this Enochic tradition determining the content of prophets–are they using same tradition? Many of the prophets seem to use the same imagery as the Enoch texts–more so than the later priestly writings. My note: On this subject, Margaret Barker once told me the following:
The Enoch tradition was known to Isaiah before 700BCE. I argued in my litttle Isaiah commentary in the Eerdmans’ Bible Commentary that Enoch was the best explanation of the imagery and allusions in Isaiah. Maybe not Enoch as we know it now- but something in that tradition from 7 centuries earlier.
So the Enochic tradition is likely a very ancient trend in Israelite religious belief. Some have concluded that the Jews must have picked it up in Babylon, due to its similarities with Mesopotamian traditions. However, if we take Barker’s theory seriously, we need not look outside Israel itself for the origins of the tradition. However, as Barker noted, and as I suggested in my last post on 1 Enoch, the stories found in 1 Enoch have probably been redacted to serve as a polemic against the exclusionary Zadokite priests of the Second Temple. Dr. Orlov clearly stated this idea in class, explaining: This is polemical against the Jerusalem priesthood because of their exogamy (marriage outside the covenant).
YOM KIPPUR and the Legend of Azazel
Going back to the text of 1 Enoch, we looked at ch. 10, starting with vs. 4:
And again the Lord said to Raphael: ‘Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening 5 in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may 6,7 not see light. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish…And the whole earth has been corrupted 9 through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.’
Dr. Orlov argued that this was the myth behind the sacrificial ritual performed on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. We compared the Enochic story with the directions found for the atonement ritual in Leviticus 16:
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
20 ¶ And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Now these verses are speaking of the scapegoat, upon which the high priest would lay his hands, transferring the sins/guilt to it, and then send it out into the wilderness. However, there were actually two goats used in the ritual, which were supposed to be identical. The first goat was sacrificed (before the part with the second, the scapegoat) and its blood was carried into the Holy of Holies by the high priest. With the blood of the goat, the high priest symbolically ”bore” the sins of the people. When the high priest emerged from the holy place, he carried new life for Israel (and all of creation). He then put his hands on the scapegoat and transferred the sins, for which he had made atonement, to it.
According to several ancient texts, it is the LORD (Jehovah) himself who performs the Atonement. In the Israelite ritual, the high priest wears the name of the LORD on his forehead, thus representing Jehovah.
The tradition was that of the two goats, one was “for Azazel” and the other was “for the LORD”. However, as Margaret Barker notes in The Great Angel (p. 45), the preposition l’ in Hebrew can mean both “for” and also “as”. So she interprets the two goats as representing Azazel and Jehovah, respectively.
So, looking at the ritual this way, the goat representing the LORD is killed, and then the high priest (also representing the LORD) takes what would symbolize his own blood into the Holy of Holies (which represent the presence of God), and makes atonement by sprinkling/smearing the blood before the throne of God. The LORD (high priest) then emerges and places the burden upon the goat representing Azazel (the leader of the rebellious angels) and then casts it out into a certain place in the desert. In the Targums, this place is called Hororo or Haduda (probably from the same root as 1 Enoch’s “Dudael”).
The “myth” of Azazel being bound and thrown into a pit in the desert, and that all sin should be ascribed to him, appears to be the background story behind the ritual of atonement performed on Yom Kippur. Also enlightening is the idea that after being bound in the pit, Azazel would later be thrown into the fire at the last judgment. This is very important for Christians as well, as they believed that Christ the High Priest, who was Jehovah, was slain as a sacrifice for our sins and that he himself presented his holy blood in the heavenly Holy of Holies (see Heb 9:11-15). Christ, having conquered Satan, will cast him, bound, into the pit, where he will remain until he is cast into the fires of Hell at Judgment Day.
For more on this most interesting topic, have a look at Margaret Barker’s article here.
More Interesting Passages from The Book of the Watchers
I just wanted to share with you a few more passages from the first section of 1 Enoch, called The Book of the Watchers.
On the Son of Man, the Anointed One:
[Chapter 48]
1 And in that place I saw the fountain of righteousness
Which was inexhaustible:
And around it were many fountains of wisdom:
And all the thirsty drank of them,
And were filled with wisdom,
And their dwellings were with the righteous and holy and elect.
2 And at that hour that Son of Man was named In the presence of the Lord of Spirits,
And his name before the Head of Days.
3 Yea, before the sun and the signs were created,
Before the stars of the heaven were made,
His name was named before the Lord of Spirits.
4 He shall be a staff to the righteous whereon to stay themselves and not fall,
And he shall be the light of the Gentiles,
And the hope of those who are troubled of heart.
5 All who dwell on earth shall fall down and worship before him,
And will praise and bless and celebrate with song the Lord of Spirits.
6 And for this reason hath he been chosen and hidden before Him,
Before the creation of the world and for evermore.
7 And the wisdom of the Lord of Spirits hath revealed him to the holy and righteous;
For he hath preserved the lot of the righteous,
Because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness,
And have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits:
For in his name they are saved,
And according to his good pleasure hath it been in regard to their life.
8 In these days downcast in countenance shall the kings of the earth have become,
And the strong who possess the land because of the works of their hands,
For on the day of their anguish and affliction they shall not (be able to) save themselves.
And I will give them over into the hands of Mine elect:
As straw in the fire so shall they burn before the face of the holy:
As lead in the water shall they sink before the face of the righteous,
And no trace of them shall any more be found.
10 And on the day of their affliction there shall be rest on the earth,
And before them they shall fall and not rise again:
And there shall be no one to take them with his hands and raise them:
For they have denied the Lord of Spirits and His Anointed.
The name of the Lord of Spirits be blessed.
The Elect One and the Millenial Day:
[Chapter 51]
1 And in those days shall the earth also give back that which has been entrusted to it,
And Sheol also shall give back that which it has received,
And hell shall give back that which it owes.
5a For in those days the Elect One shall arise,
2 And he shall choose the righteous and holy from among them:
For the day has drawn nigh that they should be saved.
3 And the Elect One shall in those days sit on My throne,
And his mouth shall pour forth all the secrets of wisdom and counsel:
For the Lord of Spirits hath given (them) to him and hath glorified him.
4 And in those days shall the mountains leap like rams,
And the hills also shall skip like lambs satisfied with milk,
And the faces of [all] the angels in heaven shall be lighted up with joy.
5b And the earth shall rejoice,
c And the righteous shall dwell upon it,
d And the elect shall walk thereon.
Noah and Enoch:
[Chapter 65]
1, 2 And in those days Noah saw the earth that it had sunk down and its destruction was nigh. And he arose from thence and went to the ends of the earth, and cried aloud to his grandfather Enoch: 3 and Noah said three times with an embittered voice: Hear me, hear me, hear me.’ And I said unto him: ‘ Tell me what it is that is falling out on the earth that the earth is in such evil plight 4 and shaken, lest perchance I shall perish with it ? ‘ And thereupon there was a great commotion , on the earth, and a voice was heard from heaven, and I fell on my face. And Enoch my grandfather came and stood by me, and said unto me: ‘ Why hast thou cried unto me with a bitter cry and weeping 6 And a command has gone forth from the presence of the Lord concerning those who dwell on the earth that their ruin is accomplished because they have learnt all the secrets of the angels, and all the violence of the Satans, and all their powers -the most secret ones- and all the power of those who practice sorcery, and the power of witchcraft, and the power of those who make molten images 7 for the whole earth: And how silver is produced from the dust of the earth, and how soft metal 8 originates in the earth. For lead and tin are not produced from the earth like the first: it is a fountain 9 that produces them, and an angel stands therein, and that angel is pre-eminent.’ And after that my grandfather Enoch took hold of me by my hand and raised me up, and said unto me: ‘ Go, for I have 10 asked the Lord of Spirits as touching this commotion on the earth. And He said unto me: ” Because of their unrighteousness their judgement has been determined upon and shall not be withheld by Me for ever. Because of the sorceries which they have searched out and learnt, the earth and those 11 who dwell upon it shall be destroyed.” And these-they have no place of repentance for ever, because they have shown them what was hidden, and they are the damned: but as for thee, my son, the Lord of Spirits knows that thou art pure, and guiltless of this reproach concerning the secrets.
12 And He has destined thy name to be among the holy,
And will preserve thee amongst those who dwell on the earth,
And has destined thy righteous seed both for kingship and for great honours,
And from thy seed shall proceed a fountain of the righteous and holy without number for ever.
Another Vision of Heaven:
1 Enoch 71
5 And he translated my spirit into the heaven of heavens,
And I saw there as it were a structure built of crystals,
And between those crystals tongues of living fire.
6 And my spirit saw the girdle which girt that house of fire,
And on its four sides were streams full of living fire,
And they girt that house.
7 And round about were Seraphim, Cherubim, and Ophannim:
And these are they who sleep not
And guard the throne of His glory.
8 And I saw angels who could not be counted,
A thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand,
Encircling that house.
On 1 Enoch and the Rite of Atonement
This post contains more notes on 1 (Ethiopic) Enoch from Dr. Orlov’s class, plus more interesting passages from the text. I will also look at the role of the angel Asa’el (or Azazel) in the Israelite atonement ritual and his possible connection to the Old Testament scapegoat.
Random Notes on the Enochic Tradition
Dr. Andrei Orlov suggests that 1 Enoch should be seen as being in the transitional stage of a tradition, not the original penning of it. It likely comes from an older tradition. Just as 2 Enoch, and especially 3 Enoch come much later along the trajectory of this tradition, 1 Enoch was certainly not the first Book of Enoch–although we do not have any earlier examples. 1 Enoch itself is a collection of different Enochic texts (Book of Watchers, Astronomical writings, Parables, Similitudes, Book of Dreams, etc.) that were written at different times.
The Enochic tradition was very influential among early Christians. It fell into disfavor with Augustine, Hilary, and Jerome, although it was quoted from by earlier Fathers.
It contains many beliefs/doctrines important to Christianity. For example, the immortality of the soul is prominent in Enoch, but not so much in canonical OT literature. Also, the concept of the existence of a Mediator between worlds, interacting/interceding both ways–between earth and heaven–is central to the Enochic literature.
Orlov asks: Is this Enochic tradition determining the content of prophets–are they using same tradition? Many of the prophets seem to use the same imagery as the Enoch texts–more so than the later priestly writings. My note: On this subject, Margaret Barker once told me the following:
So the Enochic tradition is likely a very ancient trend in Israelite religious belief. Some have concluded that the Jews must have picked it up in Babylon, due to its similarities with Mesopotamian traditions. However, if we take Barker’s theory seriously, we need not look outside Israel itself for the origins of the tradition. However, as Barker noted, and as I suggested in my last post on 1 Enoch, the stories found in 1 Enoch have probably been redacted to serve as a polemic against the exclusionary Zadokite priests of the Second Temple. Dr. Orlov clearly stated this idea in class, explaining: This is polemical against the Jerusalem priesthood because of their exogamy (marriage outside the covenant).
YOM KIPPUR and the Legend of Azazel
Going back to the text of 1 Enoch, we looked at ch. 10, starting with vs. 4:
And again the Lord said to Raphael: ‘Bind Azazel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening 5 in the desert, which is in Dudael, and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may 6,7 not see light. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish…And the whole earth has been corrupted 9 through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all sin.’
Dr. Orlov argued that this was the myth behind the sacrificial ritual performed on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. We compared the Enochic story with the directions found for the atonement ritual in Leviticus 16:
10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.
20 ¶ And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:
21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
22 And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.
Now these verses are speaking of the scapegoat, upon which the high priest would lay his hands, transferring the sins/guilt to it, and then send it out into the wilderness. However, there were actually two goats used in the ritual, which were supposed to be identical. The first goat was sacrificed (before the part with the second, the scapegoat) and its blood was carried into the Holy of Holies by the high priest. With the blood of the goat, the high priest symbolically ”bore” the sins of the people. When the high priest emerged from the holy place, he carried new life for Israel (and all of creation). He then put his hands on the scapegoat and transferred the sins, for which he had made atonement, to it.
According to several ancient texts, it is the LORD (Jehovah) himself who performs the Atonement. In the Israelite ritual, the high priest wears the name of the LORD on his forehead, thus representing Jehovah.
The tradition was that of the two goats, one was “for Azazel” and the other was “for the LORD”. However, as Margaret Barker notes in The Great Angel (p. 45), the preposition l’ in Hebrew can mean both “for” and also “as”. So she interprets the two goats as representing Azazel and Jehovah, respectively.
So, looking at the ritual this way, the goat representing the LORD is killed, and then the high priest (also representing the LORD) takes what would symbolize his own blood into the Holy of Holies (which represent the presence of God), and makes atonement by sprinkling/smearing the blood before the throne of God. The LORD (high priest) then emerges and places the burden upon the goat representing Azazel (the leader of the rebellious angels) and then casts it out into a certain place in the desert. In the Targums, this place is called Hororo or Haduda (probably from the same root as 1 Enoch’s “Dudael”).
The “myth” of Azazel being bound and thrown into a pit in the desert, and that all sin should be ascribed to him, appears to be the background story behind the ritual of atonement performed on Yom Kippur. Also enlightening is the idea that after being bound in the pit, Azazel would later be thrown into the fire at the last judgment. This is very important for Christians as well, as they believed that Christ the High Priest, who was Jehovah, was slain as a sacrifice for our sins and that he himself presented his holy blood in the heavenly Holy of Holies (see Heb 9:11-15). Christ, having conquered Satan, will cast him, bound, into the pit, where he will remain until he is cast into the fires of Hell at Judgment Day.
For more on this most interesting topic, have a look at Margaret Barker’s article here.
More Interesting Passages from The Book of the Watchers
I just wanted to share with you a few more passages from the first section of 1 Enoch, called The Book of the Watchers.
On the Son of Man, the Anointed One:
[Chapter 48]
1 And in that place I saw the fountain of righteousness
Which was inexhaustible:
And around it were many fountains of wisdom:
And all the thirsty drank of them,
And were filled with wisdom,
And their dwellings were with the righteous and holy and elect.
2 And at that hour that Son of Man was named In the presence of the Lord of Spirits,
And his name before the Head of Days.
3 Yea, before the sun and the signs were created,
Before the stars of the heaven were made,
His name was named before the Lord of Spirits.
4 He shall be a staff to the righteous whereon to stay themselves and not fall,
And he shall be the light of the Gentiles,
And the hope of those who are troubled of heart.
5 All who dwell on earth shall fall down and worship before him,
And will praise and bless and celebrate with song the Lord of Spirits.
6 And for this reason hath he been chosen and hidden before Him,
Before the creation of the world and for evermore.
7 And the wisdom of the Lord of Spirits hath revealed him to the holy and righteous;
For he hath preserved the lot of the righteous,
Because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness,
And have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits:
For in his name they are saved,
And according to his good pleasure hath it been in regard to their life.
8 In these days downcast in countenance shall the kings of the earth have become,
And the strong who possess the land because of the works of their hands,
For on the day of their anguish and affliction they shall not (be able to) save themselves.
And I will give them over into the hands of Mine elect:
As straw in the fire so shall they burn before the face of the holy:
As lead in the water shall they sink before the face of the righteous,
And no trace of them shall any more be found.
10 And on the day of their affliction there shall be rest on the earth,
And before them they shall fall and not rise again:
And there shall be no one to take them with his hands and raise them:
For they have denied the Lord of Spirits and His Anointed.
The name of the Lord of Spirits be blessed.
The Elect One and the Millenial Day:
[Chapter 51]
1 And in those days shall the earth also give back that which has been entrusted to it,
And Sheol also shall give back that which it has received,
And hell shall give back that which it owes.
5a For in those days the Elect One shall arise,
2 And he shall choose the righteous and holy from among them:
For the day has drawn nigh that they should be saved.
3 And the Elect One shall in those days sit on My throne,
And his mouth shall pour forth all the secrets of wisdom and counsel:
For the Lord of Spirits hath given (them) to him and hath glorified him.
4 And in those days shall the mountains leap like rams,
And the hills also shall skip like lambs satisfied with milk,
And the faces of [all] the angels in heaven shall be lighted up with joy.
5b And the earth shall rejoice,
c And the righteous shall dwell upon it,
d And the elect shall walk thereon.
Noah and Enoch:
[Chapter 65]
1, 2 And in those days Noah saw the earth that it had sunk down and its destruction was nigh. And he arose from thence and went to the ends of the earth, and cried aloud to his grandfather Enoch: 3 and Noah said three times with an embittered voice: Hear me, hear me, hear me.’ And I said unto him: ‘ Tell me what it is that is falling out on the earth that the earth is in such evil plight 4 and shaken, lest perchance I shall perish with it ? ‘ And thereupon there was a great commotion , on the earth, and a voice was heard from heaven, and I fell on my face. And Enoch my grandfather came and stood by me, and said unto me: ‘ Why hast thou cried unto me with a bitter cry and weeping 6 And a command has gone forth from the presence of the Lord concerning those who dwell on the earth that their ruin is accomplished because they have learnt all the secrets of the angels, and all the violence of the Satans, and all their powers -the most secret ones- and all the power of those who practice sorcery, and the power of witchcraft, and the power of those who make molten images 7 for the whole earth: And how silver is produced from the dust of the earth, and how soft metal 8 originates in the earth. For lead and tin are not produced from the earth like the first: it is a fountain 9 that produces them, and an angel stands therein, and that angel is pre-eminent.’ And after that my grandfather Enoch took hold of me by my hand and raised me up, and said unto me: ‘ Go, for I have 10 asked the Lord of Spirits as touching this commotion on the earth. And He said unto me: ” Because of their unrighteousness their judgement has been determined upon and shall not be withheld by Me for ever. Because of the sorceries which they have searched out and learnt, the earth and those 11 who dwell upon it shall be destroyed.” And these-they have no place of repentance for ever, because they have shown them what was hidden, and they are the damned: but as for thee, my son, the Lord of Spirits knows that thou art pure, and guiltless of this reproach concerning the secrets.
12 And He has destined thy name to be among the holy,
And will preserve thee amongst those who dwell on the earth,
And has destined thy righteous seed both for kingship and for great honours,
And from thy seed shall proceed a fountain of the righteous and holy without number for ever.
Another Vision of Heaven:
1 Enoch 71
5 And he translated my spirit into the heaven of heavens,
And I saw there as it were a structure built of crystals,
And between those crystals tongues of living fire.
6 And my spirit saw the girdle which girt that house of fire,
And on its four sides were streams full of living fire,
And they girt that house.
7 And round about were Seraphim, Cherubim, and Ophannim:
And these are they who sleep not
And guard the throne of His glory.
8 And I saw angels who could not be counted,
A thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand,
Encircling that house.