The Seventy Shepherds

Illustration of The Seventy Shepherds

The Seventy Shepherds are angelic rulers appointed over the nations in the Animal Apocalypse - given specific quotas of destruction they may inflict on Israel, but judged harshly for exceeding their mandate. In the Animal Apocalypse (1 Enoch 89-90), after Israel is handed over to foreign powers, God appoints seventy angelic shepherds to oversee the nation during its subjugation. These figures are given specific quotas of destruction they may inflict, but repeatedly exceed their mandate, destroying more of the flock than permitted. Their overreach is recorded by a heavenly scribe, and at the final judgment they join the fallen Watchers in condemnation. This symbol provides the Enochic tradition's explanation for the severity of Israel's historical suffering under Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome while maintaining divine sovereignty: God permitted the punishment but holds the executors accountable for exceeding their bounds. The motif reinforces the text's conviction that all earthly authority operates under celestial oversight and faces ultimate judgment.

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Symbolizes
Angelic Rulers of the Nations

Key Chapters

The Book of Enoch 89 Israel from Noah to the Exile (Animal Apocalypse) 16 min read

Key Passages

Appointment of the shepherds

The Book of Enoch 89:59-64

And He called seventy shepherds, and cast those sheep to them that they might pasture them, and He spake to the shepherd...

A59nd He called seventy shepherds, and cast those sheep to them that they might pasture them, and He spake to the shepherds and their companions: ' Let each individual of you pasture the sheep henceforward, and everything that I shall command you that do ye.

60 And I will deliver them over unto you duly numbered, and tell you which of them are to be destroyed-and them destroy ye.' 61 And He gave over unto them those sheep. And He called another and spake unto him: ' Observe and mark everything that the shepherds will do to those sheep; for they will destroy more of them than I have commanded them. 62 And every excess and the destruction which will be wrought through the shepherds, record (namely) how many they destroy according to my command, and how many according to their own caprice: record against every individual shepherd all the destruction he effects. 63 And read out before me by number how many they destroy, and how many they deliver over for destruction, that I may have this as a testimony against them, and know every deed of the shepherds, that I may comprehend and see what they do, whether or not they abide by my command which I have commanded them. 64 But they shall not know it, and thou shalt not declare it to them, nor admonish them, but only record against each individual all the destruction which the shepherds effect each in his time and lay it all before me.'

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Did You Know?

1

The shepherds are judged alongside the fallen Watchers at the end - held to the same standard.

2

A heavenly scribe records every excess kill, proving divine oversight of even delegated authority.

3

Each shepherd is given an exact quota of destruction - divine math governing even delegated violence.

4

A recording angel writes down every excess kill, proving that oversight never lapses.

5

The shepherds are judged more harshly than the sheep they abused - authority increases accountability.