Why was the book of enoch sidelined

[Azaziel]

Pre about 300 AD the Book of Enoch was extremely popular, even Jesus loved quoting it, but then something happened.Both Jews and Christians seemingly turned on it, WHY.

The early church fathers had no problem but by about 400/500 AD that had changed and the Jews seemed to go cold around 250 AD.

Was it because the "Fallen Angels" ( The Nephilim) became a embarresment to the church, The book of Enoch seemed to suggest ( well, it came right out and said so ) that the fallen Angels took on the physical bodies of man and lusted after females, and mated with them.

Was the church so embarresed that Gods Angels could be corrupted by the daughters of man, that the book of enoch had to be sidelined, so no questions could be asked, if so what a good spin job they achieved.

The church still to this day says the book of enoch is a copy of Genesis 6.4, but it is the other way around.

And what of the Jews, they turned against it before the early church fathers, and in those days with no printing presses, copies were few, and if banned, virtually no scribe would copy it, so in a short period of time, it would only be a distant memory.

Could it have been the Nephilim themselves, the evil ones, who drove this, to decieve mankind and keep him from the true light ??

Can anyone enlighten me on this

[Tamrin]

Apr 11, 2010 6:51:00 GMT 10 Azaziel said:

Why was the book of enoch sidelined

Interesting question, perhaps of relevance to us as Freemasons, especially when we consider how it was a very dedicated Mason, James Bruce, who left Scotland on an extraordinary quest to Ethiopia, seemingly with the object of recovering the text in mind, but purportedly to discover the source of the Nile.

[Azaziel]

Okay, Philip, lets break this down, The Book of Enoch, seems to have been a popular book with the Jews for over a 1000 years, why then did it fall out of favour

[Tamrin]

I have a copy of Richard Laurence's translation of the Ethiopic text (from one of the several copies with which Bro. James Bruce returned). It certainly does expand on the Creation / Garden of Eden theme (it names names). However, it seems equally concerned with speaking of the end times and, on the surface at least, its visions and prophesies read like nonsense (akin to the Revelation of St John).

I guess we need to allow the possibility that methods of gematria were applied to conceal a deeper meaning but, even if one took the trouble to do so, the neglect it has suffered suggests, if there is a deeper meaning, that too is nonsense.

One reason it fell out of favour among Jews after the time attributed to Jesus may be its explicit messianic message. However, one imagines it would then have been lauded among Christians. Especially as it speaks of the salvation of the Elect of God at the time of the apocalypse (early Christians believed they were living in the final days). Several canonically doctrines may have been derived from Enoch.

I have slipped the book into my SRIS bag of tricks and, if you like, will lend it to you in June.

[maximus]

Terry, read my post on PF regarding this.

I'll go into it here too, perhaps later when I have more time.

[bobbyboucher]

Personal opinion is that Paul thought his version of God and Christ was better. Subsequent Paulines kept this opinion going into the RC church.



But that is just my opinion.

[Tamrin]

Apr 16, 2010 10:04:17 GMT 10 Tamrin said:

I have slipped the book into my SRIS bag of tricks and, if you like, will lend it to you in June.

Sorry Terry, the book is still there . I'll leave it in my bag and lend it to you in a couple of weeks, if you're still interested.

[Tamrin]

Terry, I recorded your apology for last night and left the book with our V.W. Celebrant to pass on to you.

[irishmason]

Enoch is part of Masorny.

In the Ark Mariner Degree Enoch is mentioned, but I think the Ark Mariner Degree was richer long time ago and seems to me very watered down and limited to the story with Noah.

[Tamrin]

The core of the RAM° predates the legend of the 3°. Could the presumed Enochian elements in the degree have been there prior to Bro. James Bruce's recovery of the book from Ethiopia in the late 18^th C.? If so, that would indeed raise many questions.