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The Origin of 1 Enoch

Very well done.
Thanks. It was my hope that a bit of light would be shed that is based on historic cultural norms and the history of how 1 Enoch and Jubilees, came to be in the Qumran caves. The importance and relevance of considering Essene though and worldview (Parts 3 and 4) in determining why they considered those two books to be authoritative for interpreting Gen 6.
 
If you have evidence disproving the op then post it. Baseless accusations are not worth anything.

The Chronicles of Narnia harmonize with scripture better than the book of Enoch. And be honest. What you mean is the book of Enoch harmonizes with your interpretation of select passages of scripture.

Post the evidence.

Post the evidence.
I like that, "The Chronicles of Narnia harmonize with scripture better that the book of Enoch".

Off topic, but my favorite line in the movie: "He's not a tame lion. But he's good."
 
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Yes he did. That does not mean Enoch the seventh from Adam wrote it.
it doesn't mean Enoch didn't write it.

Moses wasn't quoting anything. He was getting his information directly from God. And Gen 6 is not Moses quoting Enoch, it is the author of 1 Enoch quoting Moses and attributing it to Enoch and then interpreting Gen 6 in a particular way to fit what the author believed.
LOL.....Prove it....

Evidence is needed
Speculating per se is not a problem....just admitt when you're speculating. You don't really know. You pretty much just cut and paste info, presenting it as factual, truthful information rather than telling us you're speculation.
 
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I like that, "The Chronicles of Narnia harmonize with scripture better that the book of Enoch".
Did you even read the apendix?

Appendix A
Comparisons of Enoch with New Testament Scriptures (KJV)​

Enoch 64:4And a voice was heard from heavenMatthew 3:17And lo, a voice from heaven, saying
Enoch 6:9The elect shall possess light, joy, and peace, and they shall inherit the earth.Matthew 5:5Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Enoch 50:2, 4, 5He shall select the righteous and holy from among them; for the day of their salvation has approached.

...and they shall become angels in heaven. Their countenances shall be bright with joy...the earth shall rejoice; and the elect possess it.
Luke 21:28

Matthew 22:30


Matthew 13:43
Your redemption draweth nigh.

In the resurrection...they are as the angels of God in heaven.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Enoch 93:7Those, too, who acquire gold and silver, shall justly and suddenly perish. Woe to you who are rich, for in your riches have you trusted; but from your riches you shall be removed.James 5:1



Luke 6:24
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

Woe unto you that are rich! For ye have received your consolation.
Enoch 96:6, 7, 25Woe unto you, sinners, who say, ‘We are rich, possess wealth, and have acquired everything which we can desire. Now then will we do whatsoever we are disposed to do; for we have amassed silver; our barns are full’... They shall surely die suddenly.Luke 12:19-20Compare the parable of the rich man whose barns were full, and who said to himself, ‘Soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said unto him, ‘Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.’
Enoch 105:26And I will place each of them on a throne of glory, of glory peculiarly his ownMatthew 19:28Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Enoch 62:11In his judgments he pays no respect to persons.Romans 2:11For there is no respect of persons with God.
Enoch 38:2Where will the habitation of sinners be...who have rejected the Lord of spirits. It would have been better for them, had they never been born.Matthew 26:24Woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would be good for that man if he had not been born.
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Appendix A (cont'd)
Comparisons of Enoch with New Testament Scriptures (KJV)​

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Enoch 19:2So that they sacrifice to devils as to Gods.1 Corinthians 10:20The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God.
Enoch 22:10, 12(The angel Raphael addressing Enoch in the region of the dead)Here their souls are separated...by a chasm.Luke 16:26(Abraham addressing the rich man from the region of the blessed) Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed.
Enoch 39:3, 4, 7A cloud then snatched me up...placing me at the extremity of the heavens. There I saw another vision. I saw the habitations and couches of the saints...with the angels...under the wings of the Lord of spirits. All the holy and the elect sung before him, in appearance like a blaze of fire, their mouths being full of blessings, and their lips glorifying the name of the Lord of spirits.2 Corinthians 12:1-4








Revelation 19:1
I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ...caught up to the third heaven...whether in the bosdy or out of the body I cannot tell; God knoweth. How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia, salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God.
Enoch 46:2This is the Son of man...who will reveal all the treasures that which is concealed.Colossians 2:3In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Enoch 9:3,4Then they said to their Lord, the King: Thou art Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings. The throne of thy glory is for ever and ever, and for ever and ever is thy name sanctified and glorified. Thou are blessed and glorified. Thou has made all things; thou possessest power over all things; and all things are open and manifest before thee. Thou beholdest all things, and nothing can be concealed from thee.Revelation 17:14; 19:16

Revelation 4:11




Hebrews 4:13
King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Thou art worthy O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power; for thou has created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight; but all things whcih are naked and opened unot the eyes of him with whom
Enoch 24:10, 11I blessed the Lord of glory, the everlasting King, because he has prepared this tree for the saints, formed it, and declared that he would give it to them... The sweet odour shall enter into their bones; and they shall live a long life on the earth, as thy forefathers have lived; neither in their days shall sorrow, distress, and punishment afflict them.Revelation 22:2





Revelation 2:7



Revelation 22:14
On either side of the river was a tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life.
Enoch 85:2And behold a single star fell from heaven.Revelation 9:1I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth.
Enoch 10:15, 16To Michael also, the Lord said, Go and announce his crime to Samyaza and to the others who are with him who have been associated with women... Bind them for seventy generations underneath the earth, even to the day of judgment, and of consumation , until the judgment, which shall last forever, be completed. Then shall they be taken away into the lowest depths of the fire in torments, and in confinement shall they be shut up forever.Jude 6:1





2 Peter 2:4




Revelation 20:10
The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day.

God spared not the angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.

The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone... and shall be tormented day and night forever.
Enoch 21:56I beheld columns of fire struggling together to the end of the abyss, and deep was their descent. But neither its measurement nor magnitude was I able to discover... Uriel, one of the holy angels... said, This is the prison of the angels and here they are kept forever.Revelation 20:1-3And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit (abyss) and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the devil and... cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut it, and sealed it over him.
Enoch 79












Enoch 61:9
In the days of sinners the years shall be shortened... and everything done on the earth shall be subverted and disappear in its season... In those days the fruits of the earth shall not flourish in their season... heaven shall stand still. The moon shall change its laws, and not be seen at its proper period... and all the classes of the stars shall be shut up against sinners.

And trouble shall seize them when they shall behold this Son of woman sitting upon the throne of his glory.
Matthew 24:7, 21-22, 29-30There shall be famines and earthquakes in divers places... great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved... immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven... then shall the tribes of the earth mourn; as they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great authority.
Enoch 47:3






Enoch 50







Enoch 54
He sat upon the throne of his glory, while the book of the living was opened in his presence, and while all the powers which were above the heavens stood around and before him.

In those days shall the earth deliver up from her womb, and hell deliver up from hers, that which it has received, and destruction shall restore that which it owes He shall select the righteous and holy from among them.

In those days shall the mouth of hell be opened into which they shall be immersed; hell shall destroy and swallow up sinners from the face of the elect.
Revelation 20:11-13; 15I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it... and I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne; and the books were opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them... And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Enoch 40:1After this I beheld thousands of thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, and an infinite number of people, standing before the Lord of spirits.Revelation 5:11I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne... and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.
Enoch 45:3In that day shall the Elect One sit upon a throne of glory, and shall choose their conditions and countless habitations.Matthew 25:31-32




John 14:2
Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gather edall nations; and he shall separate them one from another.

In my Father’s house are many mansions.
Enoch 44:4In that day I will cause my Elect One to dwell in the midst of them. I will change the face of the heaven; I will bless it and cause those whom I have chosen to dwell upon it.Revelation 7:15


2 Peter 3:13
He that sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them.

Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Enoch 92:117The former heaven shall depart and pass away, a new heaven shall appear.Revelation 22:1I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.
Enoch 61:4-9The word of his mouth shall destroy all sinners, and all the ungodly who shall perish at his presence... Trouble shall come upon them, as upon a woman in travail. One portion of them shall look upon another; they shall be astonished, and shall abase their countenances; and trouble shall seize them, when they shall behold this Son of woman sitting upon the throne of His glory.2 Thessalonians 1:9



1 Thessalonians 5:3



2 Thessalonians 2:8


Matthew 25:31
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

Then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.

That wicked whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.
Enoch 66:5-8I beheld that valley in which... arose a strong smell of sulphur which became mixed with the waters; and the valley of the angels, who had been guilty of seduction, burned underneath its soil. Through that valley also rivers of fire were flowing, to which the angels shall be condemned who seduced the inhabitants of the earth.Matthew 13:42


Mathew 25:41



Revelation 20:10


1 Timothy 4:12
And shall cast them into a furnace of fire.

Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone.

The Spirit saith expressly, that in the latter times some shall fall away from the faith... through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies.
Enoch 48:1-7In that place I beheld a fountain of righteousness which never failed, encircled by many springs of wisdom. Of these all the thirsty drank, and were filled with wisdom, having their habitation with the righteous, the elect, and the holy.John 4:14





Revelation 21:6
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in hima well of water springing up into everlasting life.

I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Enoch 2 26:2bBehold, he comes with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon them and destroy the wicked, and reprove all the carnal for everything which the sinful and ungodly have done and committed against him... [who utter with their mouths unbecoming language against God, and speak harsh things of his glory.]Jude 14, 15Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these things, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’
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@Arial and @Josheb said.... "The Chronicles of Narnia harmonize with scripture better that the book of Enoch".

OK....show me. I just showed you how the book of Enoch harmonizes with the bible. Your turn.
 
Did you even read the apendix?



Enoch 64:4And a voice was heard from heavenMatthew 3:17And lo, a voice from heaven, saying
Enoch 6:9The elect shall possess light, joy, and peace, and they shall inherit the earth.Matthew 5:5Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Enoch 50:2, 4, 5He shall select the righteous and holy from among them; for the day of their salvation has approached.

...and they shall become angels in heaven. Their countenances shall be bright with joy...the earth shall rejoice; and the elect possess it.
Luke 21:28

Matthew 22:30


Matthew 13:43
Your redemption draweth nigh.

In the resurrection...they are as the angels of God in heaven.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Enoch 93:7Those, too, who acquire gold and silver, shall justly and suddenly perish. Woe to you who are rich, for in your riches have you trusted; but from your riches you shall be removed.James 5:1



Luke 6:24
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

Woe unto you that are rich! For ye have received your consolation.
Enoch 96:6, 7, 25Woe unto you, sinners, who say, ‘We are rich, possess wealth, and have acquired everything which we can desire. Now then will we do whatsoever we are disposed to do; for we have amassed silver; our barns are full’... They shall surely die suddenly.Luke 12:19-20Compare the parable of the rich man whose barns were full, and who said to himself, ‘Soul, thou has much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said unto him, ‘Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.’
Enoch 105:26And I will place each of them on a throne of glory, of glory peculiarly his ownMatthew 19:28Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Enoch 62:11In his judgments he pays no respect to persons.Romans 2:11For there is no respect of persons with God.
Enoch 38:2Where will the habitation of sinners be...who have rejected the Lord of spirits. It would have been better for them, had they never been born.Matthew 26:24Woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would be good for that man if he had not been born.
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Now, let's see the evidence that 1 Enoch was written by Enoch the seventh from Adam.
 
@Arial and @Josheb said.... "The Chronicles of Narnia harmonize with scripture better that the book of Enoch".

OK....show me. I just showed you how the book of Enoch harmonizes with the bible. Your turn.
The OP isn't about the Chronicles of Narni, which is a work of fiction and never pretended to be any more than that. It was just a remark.
 
Speculating per se is not a problem....just admitt when you're speculating. You don't really know. You pretty much just cut and paste info, presenting it as factual, truthful information rather than telling us you're speculation.
If I say from the get-go that the information was not mine and said where the compilation came from then it is not me speculating, even if I agree with what is presented. I listed all the sources that ChatGPT gave as its source. It does not make things up out of thin air. It is not really a human. Since the sources are given, you can check the information yourself. Or you can do your own search since neither you nor I were firsthand witnesses and there are no witnesses alive.

Let me ask you this as an example of what you are calling speculation. Back in your school days, how was it you were taught and learned things? Were the teachers and the books speculating when they taught you about history, or cultures, or events?

So, what does it matter that I cut and paste the information? It seemed to be acceptable to you when you cut and pasted the irrelevant material to prove that 1 Enoch had more similarities with the Bible than does the Chronicles of Narnia. By all means, cut and paste your evidence that 1 Enoch was written by Enoch the seventh from Adam.
 
@CrowCross

Since you have been unable to provide hard evidence that Enoch the seventh from Adam wrote 1 Enoch or Jubilees, I asked ChatGPT to provide it. Note: I am using this AI platform, not because I consider it authoritative or infallible, but for the ease of getting right to what I am driving at and questioning it further. It saves time. I will post both my question and the answer. You are welcome to do the same or provide your own proof of authorship any way you choose, as is anyone else. That is what discussions are.
My question:
Without what you have learned of me and my views, but hard evidence, is there any evidence that 1 Enoch was written by Enoch the seventh from Adam?

Answer:

That’s an excellent question — and one that has been debated for centuries.
If we stick strictly to hard historical and textual evidence, not later religious tradition, the answer is:

No — there is no credible historical or linguistic evidence that 1 Enoch was written by Enoch, the seventh from Adam.
Here’s the breakdown of the evidence and reasoning used by scholars:

1. Language and Textual Evidence

  • The Book of 1 Enoch (Ethiopic Enoch) survives mainly in Geʽez (Ethiopic) manuscripts, translated from Greek, which in turn came from Aramaic (and possibly Hebrew) originals.
  • The Aramaic fragments found among the Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran Cave 4, 4QEnoch) date from roughly 200–100 BCE.
    ➤ That’s more than 2,500 years after the time of the biblical Enoch (if one dates him to the earliest Genesis genealogies).
    ➤ Therefore, the existing text cannot come from a figure living before the Flood.

Historical and Cultural Context

  • The content of 1 Enoch reflects Second Temple Jewish thought, especially:
    • Jewish apocalypticism,
    • Developed angelology (hierarchies, watchers),
    • Cosmic dualism, and
    • Speculation about judgment and resurrection.
      These themes emerged between the 4th and 1st centuries BCE, not in the primeval world of Genesis 5.
  • The book also reflects Greek cosmological and astronomical concepts, suggesting composition after the spread of Hellenistic culture (post-330 BCE).

Composite Authorship
  • 1 Enoch is not a single unified work but a collection of five major sections:
    1. The Book of the Watchers (chs 1–36)
    2. The Book of Parables (chs 37–71)
    3. The Astronomical Book (chs 72–82)
    4. The Dream Visions (chs 83–90)
    5. The Epistle of Enoch (chs 91–108)
  • These sections were composed at different times, likely 3rd–1st century BCE, by multiple authors or schools.

Authorship Claims in Context
  • In ancient Jewish tradition, it was common to ascribe writings to ancient figures to give them authority — this is called pseudepigraphy.
    Examples: Testament of Moses, Assumption of Isaiah, Book of Jubilees.
  • Therefore, the attribution to “Enoch, seventh from Adam” (cf. Jude 14) is understood as a literary convention, not a historical statement of authorship.

Ancient Reception
  • Early Jewish and Christian writers (like the author of Jude, 1:14–15) believed or at least cited Enoch’s words as prophetic.
    But even in the early church, most did not claim that Enoch himself physically wrote it — only that the book contained his teachings or prophecies transmitted through tradition.

Conclusion (based on evidence):

  • Dating: ~3rd–1st century BCE
  • Language: Aramaic → Greek → Geʽez
  • Style: Composite, Second Temple apocalyptic
  • Historical author: Unknown Jewish writers using Enoch’s name to convey divine revelation
  • Therefore: No historical, linguistic, or archaeological evidence links the text directly to the antediluvian Enoch.
 
Now, let's see the evidence that 1 Enoch was written by Enoch the seventh from Adam.
You've been provided with the evidence...why do you act as if none has been provided?

here is more....
Internal Evidence: The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36)

  1. First-Person Narrative: The Book of the Watchers is written in the first person, with Enoch narrating his experiences and visions. This consistent use of first-person perspective suggests a single author throughout the text (Nickelsburg, 2001).
  2. Consistency in Style and Theme: The Book of the Watchers maintains a consistent style and thematic focus throughout. It is characterized by its interest in the fallen angels, their influence on humanity, and the subsequent divine judgment. This consistency argues for a single author (Black, 1988).
  3. References to Enoch: The text repeatedly refers to its protagonist as Enoch. For instance, in 1 Enoch 12:3, Enoch is addressed directly by the angel Uriel: "And the angel of peace answered me, saying, 'Enoch, man of righteousness, write the vision, and the words that you have seen and heard, and the things that I have told you by the mouth of my angel Uriel.'" This internal reference to Enoch as the author strengthens the case for his authorship.
Internal Evidence: The Parables (1 Enoch 37-71)

  1. Continuity with the Book of the Watchers: The Parables share a continuity of style, theme, and perspective with the Book of the Watchers. They maintain the same first-person narrative and interest in the fallen angels and divine judgment, suggesting a common authorship (Nickelsburg, 2001).
  2. References to Enoch: Like the Book of the Watchers, the Parables also refer to Enoch as the author. In 1 Enoch 46:1, Enoch is again addressed by an angel: "And the angel of peace answered me, saying, 'Enoch, write the things you have seen in a book, and deliver them to the generation that comes after you.'" This internal reference further supports Enoch's authorship.
 
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You've been provided with the evidence...why do you act as if none has been provided?
You gave no evidence unless you consider "i have come to know---" evidence. I don't.
First-Person Narrative: The Book of the Watchers is written in the first person, with Enoch narrating his experiences and visions. This consistent use of first-person perspective suggests a single author throughout the text (Nickelsburg, 2001).
"A sngle author" is not saying that Enoch was the author.
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/1+Enoch+1.-a0115966525#:~:text=This is the first full-length, critical commentary on,University of Iowa, is also an ELCA pastor.
Quote from the site above:
"1 Enoch 1. By George W. E. Nickelsburg. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001. xxxviii and 617 pages. Cloth. $58.00.

This is the first full-length, critical commentary on the crucial, lengthy, and daunting book of Enoch. Nickelsburg, a long-time professor at the University of Iowa, is also an ELCA pastor.

Enoch was composed in several editions over four centuries (third century B.C.E. to first century C.E.), probably originally in Aramaic, but its best text is in an Ethiopic translation of a Greek translation of that original.

My question to ChatGPT: I ask ii to find what you present as a quote from Nickelsburg.
Answer:
I was unable to locate the exact quote:
Here’s what I did find and what it suggests:

  • In his commentary, Nickelsburg discusses the literary composition of the section known as the Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1–36), including issues of authorship and narrative voice. jhsonline.org+3Best Commentaries+3ms.fortresspress.com+3
  • One excerpt notes: “However, the possibility that it is a single author should be given consideration.” in the context of this section. ms.fortresspress.com
  • The commentary addresses the fact that the text purports to be from the viewpoint of Enoch—his visions, journeys, and his mediation between fallen angels and God. jhsonline.org+1
  • Nickelsburg does not seem to assert unambiguously that the consistent first-person usage proves a single author, but rather raises it as one possibility among others.

I then ask it to check other sources and dig into full text of his commentary, and I asked if he ever states that Enoch the seventh from Adam is the author of the Watchers?

Result:


Short answer: I checked Nickelsburg’s full Hermeneia commentary and other scholarly sources. Nickelsburg does discuss the Book of the Watchers as primarily a composite, literary first-person narrative (Enoch as narrator), but he does not claim the historical “Enoch the seventh from Adam” actually wrote it. He also allows that—on literary grounds—the Watchers material could in principle be the work of a single ancient author, though his overall position treats the work as pseudepigraphic and composite. Internet Archive+1

  1. On authorship/composition: Nickelsburg treats the Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1–36) as in all likelihood composite (different sections/traditions later brought together), but he explicitly notes that “the possibility that it is a single author should be given consideration.” That phrasing appears in an excerpt/summary of his discussion of the sectioned composition of the Watchers. In other words, he raises single-author as a plausible hypothesis to consider, not as a firm conclusion. ms.fortresspress.com+1
  2. On narrative voice / first person: the Watchers material presents Enoch as its narrator (first-person visions / journeys). Nickelsburg discusses this narrative/voicing as part of the book’s literary technique and the way the tradition frames Enoch’s role as visionary/prophet. But discussion of the voice is literary; it is not used by Nickelsburg to claim that the historical antediluvian Enoch actually authored the composition. Internet Archive+1
  3. On pseudepigraphy / historical Enoch as author: mainstream scholarly treatment (and Nickelsburg’s Hermeneia commentary) treats 1 Enoch as pseudepigraphic — written under the name of the ancient patriarch Enoch but composed in the last few centuries BCE. Nickelsburg dates and analyzes the material historically and linguistically rather than accepting the claim that the antediluvian Enoch (the “seventh from Adam” in Jude/1 Enoch tradition) is the real author. Google Books+1

  • The idea (first-person narration and that single-author hypothesis is worth considering) is present in his treatment, but the exact wording you quoted looks like a paraphrase or synthesis rather than a direct, word-for-word quotation from Nickelsburg. ms.fortresspress.com+1
  • Does Nickelsburg ever state that Enoch the seventh from Adam is the author? No — Nickelsburg treats the book as a later pseudepigraph on and analyzes its literary/historical development; he does not endorse the claim that the biblical Enoch (the antediluvian patriarch) actually wrote the Watchers. Jude’s reference to “Enoch, the seventh from Adam” is discussed as the book’s self-presentation and later reception, not as proof of historical authorship. Wikipedia+1

When you provide evidence, it needs to be actual evidence. So, it still hasn't been done. It was just made to look like evidence.
 
Consistency in Style and Theme: The Book of the Watchers maintains a consistent style and thematic focus throughout. It is characterized by its interest in the fallen angels, their influence on humanity, and the subsequent divine judgment. This consistency argues for a single author (Black, 1988).
Me: does Mathew Black claim that the antediluvian Enoch is the author of 1 Enoch

Answer:

Excellent question — and a very important one in studying 1 Enoch.

No, Matthew Black (1911–1994), the Scottish Semitic scholar who translated and edited The Book of Enoch or 1 Enoch: A New English Edition (with E. Isaac, in the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1, edited by Charlesworth, 1983), did not claim that the historical, antediluvian Enoch was the real author of 1 Enoch.

Here’s what Black actually held and wrote:

Black’s position on authorship​

In both his 1985 edition of 1 Enoch (based on R. H. Charles’s 1893 edition) and in his own earlier studies, Black:

  • Describes 1 Enoch as a pseudepigraphon, meaning a work falsely attributed to an ancient figure to lend authority.
  • Dates its major strata to the 3rd–1st centuries BCE.
  • Treats “Enoch the seventh from Adam” as the literary persona and fictional narrator, not the historical writer.
“The Book of Enoch is pseudonymous: it purports to be written by Enoch, the seventh from Adam, but is in reality a composite work of various Jewish authors between the third and first centuries B.C.”
— Matthew Black, The Book of Enoch or 1 Enoch (Leiden: Brill, 1985), p. 7 (Introductory section “Authorship and Date”).

2. His explanation of why “Enoch” is used​

Black explains that Enoch, as described in Genesis 5:24 (“walked with God and was not, for God took him”), became an ideal figure to whom later visionaries ascribed revelations:

“The use of Enoch’s name as the putative author is a natural development from Genesis 5:24, where he is said to have been taken by God. It provided the appropriate pseudonym for a seer who receives heavenly mysteries.”
— ibid., p. 9.
Thus, the first-person voice (“I Enoch”) reflects the narrative framework of the pseudepigraphal composition, not the true authorship of the Genesis patriarch.

His broader scholarly stance​

  • Black was a leading expert in Aramaic and Ethiopic (Geʽez) manuscripts of 1 Enoch.
  • His work continued Charles’s critical-text project but with updated linguistic and textual study.
  • Throughout his commentary, he consistently speaks of “the author” or “the redactor” as anonymous Jewish writers, never as “the patriarch Enoch.”

So, still waiting on actual hard evidence that the pre-flood Enoch was the author or 1 Enoch.
 
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