There are several books which have been excluded from the canonical jewish bibles.
Some of these rejected works are mentioned in the bible itself and some are not. They were
excluded from the canon mostly because they were considered "spiritually uninspired,"
and less because a few were discovered after the canon had been adopted
and popularized. When one questions who or what determines whether a book is inspired or not,
one is often met with answers such as , "if they are mentioned by a prophet or an apostle,
or if they are quoted in the bible itself, then they are most likely inspired. If otherwise,
then they are not." Unfortunately this has proven not to be a valid enough answer,
as there are many books which are referenced in the bible, yet they have been called
"Uninspired," and thus, rejected from the canon, cast into the Apocrypha as non-canon.
The Book of Enoch is one of such books, thought to be inspired by the scribe Enoch,
and over the years, 3 books have come to be attributed to Enoch.
The first Enoch is the Ethiopian book of Enoch which was translated and taken from numerous
sources, such as the manuscripts of Richard Lawrence and R.H Charles. The second enoch is the
Slavonic book of Enoch or the secrets of Enoch, which was discovered in 1886 by Professor Sokolov
in the archives of the Belgrade public Library. The 3rd Enoch is the Hebrew book of Enoch,
which contains a wealth of mystical knowledge, and is claimed to have been written by Rabbi Ishmael,
a renowned and scholarly priest who is reputed to have lived between 90 to 130 AD.
Many would argue that Ist Enoch is more credible than the rest, we say that is a matter of personal
opinion if not out of racism. As far as we are concerned, each work is as authentic
as the other and deserves equal attention as the other. Thus, without placing one over the other,
we shall glide across the 3 books of Enoch, starting with the first. Shall we begin?
The eyes of Enoch, a righteous man, were opened by the lord, and he saw a vision of the lord
and his angels in heaven, and he heard and saw and understood everything from them. But what
he saw was not for his generation, it was for one which was to come. And he spoke as he saw,
that the great one shall come out of his dwelling place, and shall tread upon the earth and on
mount Sinai, appearing in all his strength and glory, and all who behold him shall be afraid.
The watchers shall shake and the earth shall tremble to its ends, the mountains shall fall and
the hills shall melt like wax in the flame, the earth shall be torn apart and all which is on it
shall be destroyed. and judgement shall come upon all. But with the righteous will he make peace.
They shall prosper, for he shall protect and bless them. Behold, he shall come with 10,000
of his saints, to execute judgement upon all and to destroy the wicked.
He shall convict all flesh of their ungodly ways, and of the things they have spoken against him.
When he had seen all of this, Enoch urgd the generations to come,
saying; Observe everything in the sky, how the luminaries rise and fall in their proper time.
See the earth how staed fast it is, Behold the summer and winter
and the rains and the clouds. In winter, except for 14 trees, all trees wither and shed,
and in summer, the earth burns with growing heat, and you seek shade from the heat of the sun.
See the green trees and how they bear fruit, and you shall understand that He that lives has made
them this way. From year to year, his works do not change. The rivers and seas follow his commands.
Speaking to the godless, Enoch said; "But you, you hardhearted, you have not held to the commands of
the lord, but you have turned away from him and spoken against him. You shall find no peace.
Cursed shall be your days and your names, and you shall perish and be destroyed without mercy. For
you the godless, there shall be a curse. the elect shall rejoice, and there shall be forgiveness and
peace and salvation for them. But for all of you sinners, there shall be no salvation, only curses.
The elect shall inherit the earth and wisdom shall be given to them,
that they may never sin again either through forgetfulness or pride, for they shall be
humbled. They shall never again transgress nor sin all the days of their lives, nor shall they
die of the anger and wrath of the lord. They shall complete their days, in peace and in joy.