The Book of Enoch 18
Book I The Book of the Watchers Chapters 1–36 · 3rd century BCE
The oldest core of 1 Enoch: the descent of the two hundred Watchers, the birth of the giants, Enoch's intercession, and his guided journeys through the cosmos and the places of judgment.
Dating & manuscripts. Among the oldest apocalyptic writings in existence. Aramaic copies were found at Qumran (4QEnoch a-c), confirming its pre-Maccabean date - older than the Book of Daniel.
Chapters 6-11 preserve an older Semjaza/Shemihazah myth cycle later woven together with the Azazel/Asael tradition; scholars read them as composite, with a Noah fragment embedded. Angel names vary by manuscript (Semjaza/Shemihazah, Azazel/Asael).
In later tradition. This section's imagery echoes through later scripture and tradition: the Epistle of Jude (verses 14-15) quotes 1 Enoch 1:9 by name, and the Watchers legend shaped 2 Peter, the Book of Revelation, and the theology of the Qumran community and early Christianity.
The Book of Giants. A sixth Enochic work that expands the Watchers story from the giants' point of view - their violence, their prophetic dreams, and their doom. Known from Aramaic fragments at Qumran and, centuries later, adopted into Manichaean scripture. It is not part of the Ethiopic 1 Enoch preserved here.
1 Enoch is an anthology of five distinct works, composed over roughly three centuries.
The Prison of the Stars
Enoch saw the four winds which bear the earth and the firmament of the heaven along with the earth's corner-stone.
1 saw the treasuries of all the winds: I saw how He had furnished with them the whole creation and the firm foundations of the earth.
2 And I saw the corner-stone of the earth: I saw the four winds which bear the earth and the firmament of the heaven.
3 And I saw how the winds stretch out the vaults of heaven, and have their station between heaven and earth: these are the pillars of the heaven.
4 I saw the winds of heaven which turn and bring the circumference of the sun and all the stars to their setting.
5 I saw the winds on the earth carrying the clouds: I saw the paths of the angels. I saw at the end of the earth the firmament of the heaven above.
6 And I proceeded and saw a place which burns day and night, where there are seven mountains of magnificent stones, three towards the east, and three towards the south.
7 And as for those towards the east, was of coloured stone, and one of pearl, and one of jacinth, and those towards the south of red stone.
8 But the middle one reached to heaven like the throne of God, of alabaster, and the summit of the throne was of sapphire.
9 And I saw a flaming fire.
10 And beyond these mountains Is a region the end of the great earth: there the heavens were completed.
11 And I saw a deep abyss, with columns of heavenly fire, and among them I saw columns of fire fall, which were beyond measure alike towards the height and towards the depth.
12 And beyond that abyss I saw a place which had no firmament of the heaven above, and no firmly founded earth beneath it: there was no water upon it, and no birds, but it was a waste and horrible place.
13 I saw there seven stars like great burning mountains, and to me, when I inquired regarding them,
14 The angel said: 'This place is the end of heaven and earth: this has become a prison for the stars and the host of heaven.
15 And the stars which roll over the fire are they which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord in the beginning of their rising, because they did not come forth at their appointed times.
16 And He was wroth with them, and bound them till the time when their guilt should be consummated (even) for ten thousand years.'
Did You Know?
Enoch saw the four winds which bear the earth and the firmament of the heaven along with the earth's corner-stone.
Winds stretch out the vaults of heaven and have their station between heaven and earth serving as the pillars of heaven.
Enoch viewed seven mountains of magnificent stones where the middle one of alabaster reached to heaven like the throne of God with a sapphire summit.
Beyond the mountains lies a deep abyss with columns of heavenly fire that fall beyond measure both in height and depth.
Seven stars like great burning mountains are bound in a prison at the end of heaven and earth for ten thousand years after missing their appointed rising times.
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Commentary
In brief
Enoch sees the winds that bear the earth and heaven as pillars, the paths of angels, seven mountains of precious stones including one like a throne of alabaster and sapphire, then a fiery abyss and a desolate prison for seven stars that failed to rise on time and are bound for ten thousand years.