Enoch Rising: Enmeduranki, the Fallen Watchers, and the Key to Unlocking Early Christianity

Few Biblical figures are as intriguing and mysterious as Enoch. He is mentioned only a few times in the canonical Hebrew Bible, but the impact of his story went on to affect the theology of many books written during the Second Temple Era. It also set the foundation for the development of many of the ideas found in the early Christian movement. Enoch’s importance continued beyond the destruction of the Temple and survived in a new form in later rabbinic tradition. Anyone familiar with classical Judaism, the religion of the Bible and the Talmud, who has read the New Testament might experience a disconnect between it and the Hebrew Bible. Something is missing so to speak. Understanding the literature of the Second Temple period is critical to providing the missing links to understanding and appreciating the complex environment of evolving Jewish thought and the emergence of the early Christian movement from its sources. Discover the mystery of Enoch, and the fascinating impact it had on the development of Judaism and Christianity.

Any person with only a rudimentary knowledge of the Hebrew Bible is undoubtedly acquainted with Adam, Abraham, and Moses. The individual with even a superficial familiarity with the New Testament has undoubtedly heard about Jesus, Peter, and Paul. Enoch, on the other hand, is a much less-known biblical figure.

Three people bear the name Enoch in the Hebrew Bible. The Enoch we are interested in appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible or what Christians refer to as the Old Testament. He is referred to three times in the New Testament. Given the lack of references, it would seem natural to believe that his importance would be limited especially when one considers the countless names found in the Bible’s many genealogical lists.

The significance of Enoch goes far beyond these scant references, however. Aside from Abraham, Moses, and Elijah in the Hebrew Bible, and Jesus and Paul in the New Testament, the unlikely figure of Enoch, at least from a literary standpoint, is one of the most significant biblical figures.

Enoch is credited with books which impacted other religious works written during the Second Temple era (515 BCE – 70 CE) and may have even rivaled in importance those books that we now consider to comprise the Hebrew Bible. Whether he really wrote these books or not is not a concern to the historian or the curious individual. What is important is that this material had a tremendous impact on evolving Judaism and later Christianity.

The various books of Enoch may also shed light on the influence of earlier Mesopotamian texts and Greek myths on Biblical history or at the very minimum the awareness of biblical authors of their cultural and religious surroundings. Most importantly, perhaps, the books of Enoch also unlock some of the mysteries which first appear in the Hebrew Bible and then are greatly amplified in the New Testament without any explanation. The Enoch tradition also reveals a link between Jewish apocalypticism of the Second Temple Era and Jewish mysticism of the post-Temple era.

The books of Enoch relate the story of fallen angels, i.e., the Fallen Watchers, the birth of giants, and the origins of demons. Enochic literature relates the story of a man translated into heaven and designated as the messianic Son of Man.The latter term is used extensively in the New Testament by Jesus.

In subsequent Enochic works, Enoch is taken to heaven where he is transformed into an angelic being. Enoch assumed various roles and titles which ultimately include a heavenly scribe, an expert in Secrets, the Prince of the Divine Presence, a heavenly priest and most surprisingly, even as a lesser YHWH, the four-letter name of God.

Such designations are critical to understanding many aspects of the New Testament. They are nevertheless part of the history of polyform Judaism.