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3 Enoch

The document discusses the Third Book of Enoch, a Biblical apocryphal book that purports to have been written in the 2nd century. It describes Enoch being transformed into the angel Metatron and ascending to heaven. The main themes are Enoch's ascension and transformation into Metatron.

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356 views3 pages

3 Enoch

The document discusses the Third Book of Enoch, a Biblical apocryphal book that purports to have been written in the 2nd century. It describes Enoch being transformed into the angel Metatron and ascending to heaven. The main themes are Enoch's ascension and transformation into Metatron.

Uploaded by

Teodoro Castillo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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3 Enoch

The Third Book of Enoch (Hebrew: ‫ספר חנוך לר׳ ישמעאל כ׳׳ג‬, abbreviated as 3 Enoch)[1] is a
Biblical apocryphal book in Hebrew. 3 Enoch purports to have been written in the 2nd century, but its
origins can only be traced to the 5th century.[2] Other names for 3 Enoch include The Book of the
Palaces, The Book of Rabbi Ishmael the High Priest and The Revelation of Metatron.

Most commonly, the Book of Enoch refers to 1 Enoch, which survived completely only in Ge'ez. There is
also a Second Book of Enoch, which has survived only in Old Slavonic,[3][4] although Coptic fragments
were also identified in 2009.[5]

Contents
Content
See also
References
External links

Content
Modern scholars describe this book as pseudepigraphal, as it says it is written by "Rabbi Ishmael" who
became a "high priest" after visions of ascension to Heaven.[2] This has been taken as referring to Rabbi
Ishmael, a 3rd generation Tanna and a leading figure of Merkabah mysticism. However, this Ishmael lived
after the Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE) and the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. He thus could not
have been a High Priest of Israel. An alternative identification would be the earlier Tanna Ishmael ben
Elisha, who lived through the Siege of Jerusalem.

The name Sefer Hekhalot (Hekhalot meaning palaces or temples), along with its proposed author, places
this book as a member of Hekalot or Merkabah mysticism. Its contents suggest that 3 Enoch's contents and
ideas are newer than those shown in other Merkabah texts.[6] The book does not contain Merkabah
hymns,[7] it has a unique layout[8] and adjuration.[9] All these facts make 3 Enoch unique not just among
Merkabah writings, but also within the writings of Enoch.

3 Enoch contains a number of Greek and Latin words. The book appears to have been originally written in
Hebrew. There are a number of indications suggesting that the writers of 3 Enoch had knowledge of, and
most likely read, 1 Enoch.

Some points that appear in 1 Enoch and 3 Enoch are:

Enoch ascends to Heaven in a storm chariot (3 Enoch 6:1; 7:1)


Enoch is transformed into an angel (3 Enoch 9:1–5; 15:1–2)
Enoch as an exalted angel is enthroned in Heaven (3 Enoch 10:1–3; 16:1)
Enoch receives a revelation of cosmological secrets of creation (3 Enoch 13:1–2)
The story about precious metals and how they will not avail their users and those that make
idols from them (3 Enoch 5:7–14)
Hostile angels named 'Uzza, 'Azza, and Azaz'el/Aza'el challenge Enoch before God (3
Enoch 4:6) and are mentioned again in passing (5:9)

The main themes running through 3 Enoch are the ascension of Enoch into Heaven and his transformation
into the angel Metatron.

This Enoch, whose flesh was turned to flame, his veins to fire, his eye-lashes to flashes of
lightning, his eye-balls to flaming torches, and whom God placed on a throne next to the
throne of glory, received after this heavenly transformation the name Metatron.

— Scholem, Gershom G (1961) [1941], Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, p. 67.

See also
Book of Enoch
Second Book of Enoch
Hekhalot literature
Kabbalah: Primary texts

References
1. Hugo Odeberg (ed.), 3 Enoch or The Hebrew Book of Enoch, Cambridge University Press
1928 (edition and translation).
2. Craig A. Evans (1992). Noncanonical Writings and New Testament Interpretation. p. 24.
3. "2 Enoch" (http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/2enoch.html). www.earlyjewishwritings.com.
4. "St. Andrews" (https://web.archive.org/web/20060220071408/http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~
www_sd/enoch.html). Archived from the original (http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_sd/eno
ch.html) on 2006-02-20. Retrieved 2006-03-08.
5. "2 Enoch in Coptic!" (http://antiquitopia.blogspot.com/2009/04/2-enoch-in-coptic.html).
Antiquitopia. 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
6. Swartz, Scholastic Magic, 178ff
7. Alexander, Philip, 3 Enoch, p. 245.
8. Dan, Joseph, The Ancient Jewish Mysticism, p. 110.
9. Schäfer, The Hidden and Manifest God, 144.

External links
Hugo Odeberg (1928). 3 Enoch or The Hebrew Book of Enoch (https://archive.org/details/pdf
y-lFh2SRV-tLJq15wg)
The Etymology of the Name "Metatron" (http://www.marquette.edu/maqom/metatronname.ht
ml)
Hebrew book of 3 Enoch (https://www.scribd.com/doc/2024701/Hebrew-book-of-3-Enoch)
(in English translation)
William Morfill (1896). 2Enoch (https://web.archive.org/web/20160810174446/http://www.filbl
uz.ca/resources/Book-of-Secrets-of-Enoch(slavonic)%2Cby-Morfill-1896.pdf) or The Book of
the Secrets of Enoch
Solomonn Malan (1882). The Conflict of Adam & Eve Against Satan (https://web.archive.org/
web/20160810164134/http://www.filbluz.ca/resources/The_conflict.of.Adam.and.Eve.agains
t.satan_Malan.pdf)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=3_Enoch&oldid=1022558705"

This page was last edited on 11 May 2021, at 05:43 (UTC).

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