The Book of Enoch 85
Book IV The Book of Dream Visions Chapters 83–90 · c. 165-160 BCE
Two dream visions, including the Animal Apocalypse - a symbolic history of the world from Adam to the end, with peoples shown as animals.
Dating & manuscripts. The Animal Apocalypse (85-90) allegorizes the Maccabean revolt, which dates it precisely to the 160s BCE - the reign of Antiochus IV and Judas Maccabeus.
1 Enoch is an anthology of five distinct works, composed over roughly three centuries.
The Second Dream Vision: The Bulls and Stars
Enoch recounted to his son Methuselah a dream vision he saw on his bed before taking Edna as his wife.
1nd after this I saw another dream, and I will show the whole dream to thee, my son.
2 And Enoch lifted up (his voice) and spake to his son Methuselah: ' To thee, my son, will I speak: hear my words-incline thine ear to the dream-vision of thy father.
3 Before I took thy mother Edna, I saw in a vision on my bed, and behold a bull came forth from the earth, and that bull was white; and after it came forth a heifer, and along with this (latter) came forth two bulls, one of them black and the other red.
4 And that black bull gored the red one and pursued him over the earth, and thereupon I could no longer see that red bull.
5 But that black bull grew and that heifer went with him, and I saw that many oxen proceeded from him which resembled and followed him.
6 And that cow, that first one, went from the presence of that first bull in order to seek that red one, but found him not, and lamented with a great lamentation over him and sought him.
7 And I looked till that first bull came to her and quieted her, and from that time onward she cried no more.
8 And after that she bore another white bull, and after him she bore many bulls and black cows.
9 And I saw in my sleep that white bull likewise grow and become a great white bull, and from Him proceeded many white bulls, and they resembled him. And they began to beget many white bulls, which resembled them, one following the other, (even) many.
Did You Know?
Enoch recounted to his son Methuselah a dream vision he saw on his bed before taking Edna as his wife.
A white bull came forth from the earth and after it a heifer along with two bulls one black and one red.
The black bull gored the red bull and pursued him over the earth until the red bull could no longer be seen.
The first cow left the white bull to seek the red one but found him not and lamented with a great lamentation.
She bore another white bull that grew great and from him proceeded many white bulls which resembled him.
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Commentary
In brief
The chapter recounts Enoch's dream vision to Methuselah of a white bull from the earth, a heifer, and black and red bulls. The black gores the red until it vanishes, the heifer laments until the white bull quiets her, then bears another white bull from whom many white bulls proceed.