What is the Book of Enoch?
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Date: It was likely written between 300 BC to 100 BC, long after the time of the biblical Enoch in Genesis 5:24.
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Language: Originally written in Aramaic or Hebrew, but preserved mostly in Ge’ez (Ethiopic).
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Content: The book contains several sections, including:
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The Book of the Watchers – about fallen angels (the “sons of God” in Genesis 6), giants (Nephilim), and divine judgment.
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The Book of Parables – describing visions of heaven and the coming of a "Son of Man".
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Astronomical Book – a complex calendar system and cosmology.
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Dream Visions – symbolic history of Israel.
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Epistle of Enoch – moral exhortations and end-time judgment.
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Does the Bible Mention the Book of Enoch?
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Jude 14–15 quotes Enoch:
"Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them..."This quote closely resembles a passage from 1 Enoch 1:9. -
However, quoting a source does not mean that the entire book is Scripture. Paul quotes pagan poets (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12), yet that doesn't make those writings inspired.
"For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’ "Acts 17:28 (CSB)
"One of their very own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” Titus 1:12(CSB)
Why It Is Not in the Bible
Most Christian traditions reject 1 Enoch as canonical for the following reasons:
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Not written by the real Enoch.
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The biblical Enoch lived before the flood (Genesis 5), but 1 Enoch was written thousands of years later.
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Not accepted by Jews.
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The Hebrew Bible never included it in its canon, which Jesus and the apostles affirmed (Luke 24:44).
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Not accepted by early Christians.
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While some early church fathers (e.g., Tertullian) appreciated it, the majority rejected it from the biblical canon.
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Contains doctrinal problems.
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Some teachings in 1 Enoch—like its angelology, cosmology, and calendar system—are strange and inconsistent with Scripture.
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Should Christians Read the Book of Enoch?
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As Scripture? No.It is not inspired, not canonical, and not a reliable source of doctrine.
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As historical background? Possibly.It gives insight into Jewish beliefs during the intertestamental period. It helps scholars understand how Second Temple Judaism thought about angels, judgment, and the Messiah.
Caution: Read it the way you might read ancient Jewish writings, like the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Apocrypha—not as Scripture, but as historical and cultural background.
Conclusion
Christians should not accept the Book of Enoch as a reliable or inspired source from God. It is a non-canonical Jewish apocalyptic writing that, while influential in some circles, lacks the authority and consistency of the Bible. It can be studied with discernment to understand Jewish expectations before Christ, but it should never be treated as equal to Scripture.
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