The Book of Enoch 30
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.
Other Fragrant Trees
Enoch went afar to the east and saw another place that was a valley full of water.
1nd beyond these, I went afar to the east, and I saw another place, a valley (full) of water.
2 And therein there was a tree, the colour (?) of fragrant trees such as the mastic.
3 And on the sides of those valleys I saw fragrant cinnamon.
4 And beyond these I proceeded to the east.
Did You Know?
Enoch went afar to the east and saw another place that was a valley full of water.
In the valley of water stood a tree with the color of fragrant trees such as the mastic.
On the sides of those valleys Enoch saw fragrant cinnamon during his eastern journey.
Beyond the valley of water and fragrant cinnamon Enoch proceeded further to the east.
The tree in the eastern valley of water possessed the color of fragrant trees such as the mastic.
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Commentary
In brief
Enoch goes afar to the east and sees a valley full of water containing a tree the color of fragrant trees such as the mastic, with fragrant cinnamon on the sides of those valleys, then proceeds further east.