The Book of Enoch 25
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.
Echoes & Connections 1 connections
The Fragrant Tree for the Elect
The high mountain whose summit is like the throne of God is where the Eternal King will sit when visiting the earth with goodness.
1nd he said unto me: 'Enoch, why dost thou ask me regarding the fragrance of the tree, and why dost thou wish to learn the truth?'
2 Then I answered him saying: 'I wish to know about everything, but especially about this tree.'
3 And he answered saying: 'This high mountain which thou hast seen, whose summit is like the throne of God, is His throne, where the Holy Great One, the Lord of Glory, the Eternal King, will sit, when He shall come down to visit the earth with goodness.
4 And as for this fragrant tree no mortal is permitted to touch it till the great judgement, when He shall take vengeance on all and bring (everything) to its consummation for ever. It shall then be given to the righteous and holy.
5 Its fruit shall be for food to the elect: it shall be transplanted to the holy place, to the temple of the Lord, the Eternal King.
6 Then shall they rejoice with joy and be glad, And into the holy place shall they enter; And its fragrance shall be in their bones, And they shall live a long life on earth, Such as thy fathers lived: And in their days shall no sorrow or plague Or torment or calamity touch them.'
7 Then blessed I the God of Glory, the Eternal King, who hath prepared such things for the righteous, and hath created them and promised to give to them.
Did You Know?
The high mountain whose summit is like the throne of God is where the Eternal King will sit when visiting the earth with goodness.
No mortal is permitted to touch the fragrant tree till the great judgement when He takes vengeance on all and brings everything to consummation forever.
The fragrant tree shall then be given to the righteous and holy and transplanted to the temple of the Eternal King.
Its fruit shall be for food to the elect and its fragrance shall be in their bones as they live long lives free from sorrow or plague.
Enoch blessed the God of Glory the Eternal King who hath prepared such things for the righteous and promised to give them.
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Commentary
In brief
The angel tells Enoch that a fragrant tree atop the mountain which is God's throne cannot be touched by mortals until the great judgment, when it will be given to the righteous for food in the temple and bring them long life without sorrow or calamity.