The Book of Enoch

The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work traditionally attributed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah, though modern scholars date its various sections from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE. Written in a dramatic apocalyptic style, the text provides a sweeping cosmic narrative that expands heavily upon the brief genesis accounts of the antediluvian world. Its most famous section, the "Book of the Watchers," details the rebellion of fallen angels who descended to Earth, married human women, and fathered a monstrous race of giants known as the Nephilim. The narrative follows Enoch as he is taken on guided journeys through heaven, hell, and the hidden mechanisms of the cosmos, delivering complex prophetic visions concerning a coming divine judgment, the arrival of a messianic "Son of Man," and the ultimate restoration of creation. Also includes The Book of Dream Visions.

The historical journey and preservation of the text represents one of the most fascinating chapters in biblical archaeology. While it was widely read, copied, and highly influential among early Jewish sects—as evidenced by the discovery of multiple Aramaic fragments among the Dead Sea Scrolls—the book was ultimately excluded from the canonical Hebrew Bible and the mainstream Christian biblical canons. Consequently, the text largely vanished from Europe for centuries, surviving exclusively within the isolated Ge'ez manuscript tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which has always preserved it as canonical scripture. The book re-entered the Western consciousness in 1773 when Scottish explorer James Bruce brought three Ethiopic manuscripts back to Europe, triggering a massive revival in scholarly and occult interest. Today, printings of the Book of Enoch remain highly sought-after cornerstones for collectors of pseudepigrapha, apocryphal literature, and ancient Near Eastern theology.

Original back cloth with spine lettered in gilt. Embossed titles and decorative Harding to front cover. Small tear toward head of spine. Are marks to cloth. Corners rubbed. Neat ex-libris inscription to preliminary endpaper. Text clean. Very good condition.