I. Book of Enoch

Comte de Gabalis [1913], at sacred-texts.com

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BOOK OF ENOCH.

I"Enoch the great grandfather of Noah, who had that surname (Edris) from his great knowledge, for he was favoured with no less than thirty books of divine revelations, and was the first who wrote with a pen, and studied the sciences of astronomy and arithmetic." This quotation is an approved Muhammedan commentary upon the following references to Enoch in the Koran. "And remember Edris in the same book; for he was a just person and a prophet, and we exalted him to a high place." SURA 19, MARY.

"The History which follows is taken from Dr. Grabe's Spicilegium Patrum, and supposed by him to be the Genuine Work of Enoch the Patriarch, whose Name it bears. Many of the first Fathers of the Church were of this Opinion, who often produce Citations out of it, and allow it to be of the best Authority. Tertullian, speaking of the Habit of. Women, uses this Expression The same Angels who introduc'd Gold and Silver, and the mixture of Colours, which advance the Lustre of Female Beauty, are now condemn'd by God, as Enoch informs us. Clemens Alexandrinus discoursing upon the disobedient Angels, agrees to the Testimony of Enoch, and says, That the Rebellious Spirits were the Inventors of Astronomy and Divination, as Enoch delivers the Account. And St. Jude (who cites a Prophecy out of the Writings of Enoch in the fourteenth and fifteenth Verses of his

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[paragraph continues] Epistle) may be supposed to have recourse to this Fragment before us, when he records in the Sixth Verse, That the Angels who kept not their first Estate, but left their own Habitation, are reserv'd in Everlasting Chains under Darkness, unto the Judgment of the Great Day."

THE HISTORY OF THE WATCHMEN,

(Or the Angels).

WRITTEN BY ENOCH THE PATRIARCH.

And it came to pass, when the Sons of Men were increas'd, that very Beautiful Daughters were born to them: With these the Watchmen were in Love, and burnt with Desire toward them, which drew them into many Sins and Follies. They communed with themselves: "Let us, say they, choose us Wives out of the Daughters of Men upon the Earth." Semiazas, their Prince, made Answer: "I fear, says he, you will not execute your Resolution; and so I shall derive upon myself alone the Guilt of this Impiety." They all reply'd, and said; "We will bind ourselves with an Oath to perform our Purpose, and invoke dreadful Imprecations upon our Heads, if we depart from our Enterprize before it be accomplished." So they oblig’d themselves with an Oath; and implored an Arrest of Vengeance upon one another.

They were two Hundred, who in the Days of Jared came down upon the Top of Mount Hermon. The Mountain receiv’d that Name from the Oath by which

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they bound themselves, and the Imprecations they wilfully submitted themselves under. The Names of their Princes were these: 1. Semiazas, the Chief of them. 2. Atarcuph. 3. Araciel. 4. Chobabiel. 5. Horammame. 6. Ramiel.7. Sampsich. 8. Zaciel. 9. Balciel. 10. Azalzel. 11. Pharmarus. 12. Amariel. 13. Anagemas. 14. Thausael. 15. Samiel. 16. Sarinas. 17. Eumiel. 18. Tyriel. 19. Jumiel. 20. Sariel. These, and all the rest of them, took to themselves Wives, in the Year of the World One Thousand one Hundred and Seventy, and were infiam'd with Lust toward them till the Floud. The Offspring of these Women were of three sorts: The first race were Giants, or Tall Men: They begat the Naphelims, and from them came the Eliudæans; and their Number increased, according to the Proportion of their Bodies. They instructed their Wives and Children in Sorcery and Inchantments. Azalzel, the Tenth in the Order of the Princes, was the first In ventor of Swords and Breastplates, and all Military Appointments: He taught his Posterity the Art of extracting Metals out of the Earth, and the Curiosity of working in Gold and Silver, to make Ornaments and Female Decorations: He diredted and shew'd them to polish, and give a Lustre to choice Stones, and to Colours: The Sons of Men soon furnish'd themselves and their Daughters with these Vanities; and breaking through the Commands of God, they drove the Pious and Just into Miscarriages; insomuch that a monstrous

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[paragraph continues] Appearance of Impiety stalk’d over the Face of the whole Earth. Semiazas, their Prince, discover'd the Art of Hatred, to reserve Envy in the Mind, and to infuse Misfortunes upon others by the Roots of Herbs. Pharmarus, the Eleventh Prince, found out Witchcraft, Charms, and Inchantments. The Ninth revealed the Course of the Stars. The Fourth the Science of Astrology. The Eighth the Inspection of the Air. The Third of the Earth. The Seventh of the Sun. The Twentieth explain'd the Signs of the Moon. All of them display’d these Secrets of Knowledge to their Wives and Sons. The Giants soon after began to feed upon Human Flesh, which made the number of Men to decrease, and sensibly to decay.

Those who were left being harass'd with so many Instances of Wickedness, raised their Voice to Heaven, and implor'd, That their Memory might be preserv'd in the Sight of God.

The Four Great Archangels, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel, being affected with their Cries, look’d down upon Earth from the Holiness of Heaven; and beholding a general Effusion of Blood, and a Spirit of Universal Impiety, had this Communication among themselves: "The Spirits and Souls of Men implore our Aid, in Agonies of Sorrow; Introduce (they cry) our Prayers to the Highest." Then the Four Archangels calling upon God, deliver'd themselves thus: "Thou art God of Gods and Lord of Lords, King of

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[paragraph continues] Kings, and God of Men: The Throne of thy Glory endures to all Ages, and thy Name is Holy and Blessed for evermore; for Thou art the Creator of all things; Thy Power is over all things; all things are open and manifest before Thee, nor can anything be conceal’d from Thee. Thou seest the Actions of Azalzel; the Misfortunes he has occasioned; the Wickedness and abominable Practices he has taught upon the Earth; how he has corrupted it with Fraud and Villainy. He has divulg’d the great Arcana of Heaven; and the Sons of Men are led, by his Example, to inspeél the Celestial Mysteries: Semiazas Thou hast ordained to be the Prince of those who are about I him; but they have all turned themselves to the Daughters of the Men of the Earth, and polluting themselves with Women have discovered to them all the Methods of Impiety, and instructed them to perpetrate all degrees of Abomination: And now, behold, the Daughters of Men have born a Gigantic Offspring to them; a foul Blemish of Corruption has infected the whole Earth, and the World is full of Injustice. Lo, the Spirits of the Souls of Men who have been dead, attend thee: Their Groans have arriv’d as far as the Gates of Heaven, and they cannot depart, by reason of the exceeding Impiety that is committed upon the Earth: Yet Thou knewest these things before they were effected: Dost Thou see them, and say nothing? What must be done upon this Occasion?"

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The Highest made answer, and the Holy Great One reply’d; and sent Uriel to the Son of Lamech, saying: "Go to Noe, and acquaint him in My Name, Hide thyself: And inform him, that the End approaches, for the whole Earth shall perish. And tell him, a Deluge shall overspread the whole Earth, and all Things shall be destroy'd upon the Face of it. Instruct the Just Son of Lamech what he shall do, and he shall preserve his Soul unto Life; and he shall be safe in his Generation: From him shall a new Race be deriv'd and established, and shall continue to all Ages." THE HISTORY OF THE ANGELS, AND THEIR GALLANTRY WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF MEN. WRITTEN BY ENOCH THE PATRIARCH. PUBLISH'D IN GREEK BY DR. GRABE. MADE ENGLISH, LONDON, MDCCXV. ENOCH'S PROPHECY OF WORLD PEACE, COMMENTARY CONCLUDED.