The Book of Enoch 24
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 Seven Mountains in the North-West and the Tree of Life.
From another place of the earth Enoch was shown a mountain range of fire which burnt day and night. Themes: Heavenly Journeys and Revelations
1nd from thence I went to another place of the earth, and he showed me a mountain range of fire which burnt day and night.
2 And I went beyond it and saw seven magnificent mountains all differing each from the other, and the stones (thereof) were magnificent and beautiful, magnificent as a whole, of glorious appearance and fair exterior: three towards the east, one founded on the other, and three towards the south, one upon the other, and deep rough ravines, no one of which joined with any other.
3 And the seventh mountain was in the midst of these, and it excelled them in height, resembling the seat of a throne: and fragrant trees encircled the throne.
4 And amongst them was a tree such as I had never yet smelt, neither was any amongst them nor were others like it: it had a fragrance beyond all fragrance, and its leaves and blooms and wood wither not for ever: and its fruit is beautiful, and its fruit n resembles the dates of a palm.
5 Then I said: 'How beautiful is this tree, and fragrant, and its leaves are fair, and its blooms very delightful in appearance.'
6 Then answered Michael, one of the holy and honoured angels who was with me, and was their leader.
Did You Know?
From another place of the earth Enoch was shown a mountain range of fire which burnt day and night.
Enoch saw seven magnificent mountains all differing each from the other with stones of glorious appearance and fair exterior.
Three towards the east one founded on the other and three towards the south one upon the other with deep rough ravines none joining any other.
The seventh mountain in the midst of these excelled them in height resembling the seat of a throne encircled by fragrant trees.
Among them was a tree such as Enoch had never yet smelt with fragrance beyond all fragrance and fruit resembling the dates of a palm.
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Commentary
In brief
Enoch visits a fiery mountain range and then seven glorious mountains of differing heights and beautiful stones, the central one like a throne ringed by fragrant trees. One tree among them has everlasting fragrance, unfading leaves and blooms, and fruit like palm dates, prompting his praise as Michael the leading angel replies.