by Geza Vermes
[And the Lo]rd [said] to A[b]raham, ‘Lift up (your eyes) and gaze at the stars and see and count the sand that is on the sea shore and the dust of the earth as to whether [they can be coun]ted. And Abraham bel[ieved in] G[o]d and this was reckoned for him as righteousness. And a son was born af[ter]wards [to Abraha]m and he called his name Isaac. And the prince Ma[s]temah came [to G]od and accused Abraham on account of Isaac. And [G]od said [to Abra]ham, ‘Take your son, Isaac, [your] only (son) [whom] you [love] and offer him to me as a burnt-offering on one of the ... mountains [which I will tell] you.’ And he ro[se and he we]n[t] from the wells to Mo[unt Moriah] ... And Ab[raham] lifted up II his [ey]es [and behold there was] a fire. And he placed [the wood on Isaac, his son, and they went together]. And Isaac said to Abraham, [his father, ‘Behold there is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb] for the burnt-offering?’ And Abraham said to [Isaac, his son, ‘God will provide a lamb] for himself.’ Isaac said to his father, ‘T[ie me well‘] (Ps. J, N on xxii, 10) ... the holy angels.standing and weeping over [the altar] ... his sons from the earth. And the angels of M[astemah] ... were rejoicing and saying, ‘Now he (Isaac) will be destroyed... [we shall see] whether he will be found weak and whether A[braham] will be found unfaithful [to God.’ And he (God) called,] ‘Abraham, Abraham.’ And he said. ‘Here am I.’ And he said, ‘N[ow I know that (it was a lie that?)] he (Abraham) will no longer be loving.’ And the Lord God blessed Is[aac all the days of his life (cf. 4Q226 7.3) and he begot] Jacob, and Jacob begot Levi (in the) [third (cf. 4Q226 7.5)] genera[tion. And all] the days of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Lev[i were ... years]. And the prince Ma[s]temah was bound [and the holy angels (cf. 4Q226 7.6)] ... the prince Ma[s]temah, and Belial listened to ...
4Q226, fr. 7
Abraham was found faithful to [G]o[d and] ... for pleasure. And the Lord blessed [Isaac all the days] of his life. And he begot J[acob and Jacob begot] Levi in the thi[rd] generation. [And all the days] of Abraham, Isaac and Ja[cob and Levi were... years]. And the holy angels... Fast here ...
4Q227, fr. 2
... [E]noch after they/we taught him... six jubilees of years... [e]arth towards the children of men. And he testified against all of them... and against the Watchers. And he wrote all the ... heaven and the ways of its host and the [mon]ths ... [th]at the ri[ghteous] may not stray...
The Prayer of Enosh and Enoch
(4Q369)
Ten fragments, including three large ones, have survived of a manuscript written with Herodian characters, apparently recording prayers. There is no direct reference to the persons in whose mouths the words are placed, but the context seems to indicate that the first fragment is associated with Enosh, who according to Gen. iv, 26, was the first human to call on the name of the Lord. Since line 10 in fr. 1, col. 1 mentions Enoch, the editors have made a reasonable inference in attributing to him the prayer in fr. 1, col. 11. Fr. 2 alludes to a war against the lands without any context and frs. 3-9 contain nothing intelligible.
For the editio princeps, see H. Attridge and J. Strugnell, DJD, XIII, 353-62.
Fr. I
I ... all their fe[stiv]als in their ages... of Thy marvels, for from old times Thou hast ordered for them his judgement until the age of determined judgement through all everlasting commandments. vacat [Kenan was from the fourth generation and Mehalalel] his [son] was the fifth generation. [ ... and Jared his son. And Jared his son was sixth generation and Enoch] his son. Enoch was seven[th] generation...
II Thou hast imparted Thy name as his inheritance to make Thy name dwell there... She Qerusalem?) is the glory of the territory of Thy land and on her [Thou] ... Thine eyes on her and Thy glory shall be seen there for... to his seed for their generations an everlasting possession and al[l] ... Thy good judgements Thou hast purified him for... in everlasting light and Thou hast established him for Thee as a first-bor [n] son... like his, as a prince and ruler for all the territory of Thy land... [the] c[rown] of the heavens and the glory of the clouds Thou hast set [on him] ... and the angel of Thy peace in his congregation and... [given] him righteous rules like a father to his son... Thy soul clings to his love... for through them Thou [hast established] Thy glory
The Book of Enoch
(4Q201-2, 204-12)
Various Qumran caves have yielded for the first time the original Aramaic text of one of the major Pseudepigrapha, the Book of Enoch, which was previously known from a complete Ethiopic translation and from a Greek rendering of chapters I-XXXII and XCVII-CI, CVI-CVII, as well as from a number of Greek quotations from chapters VI to xv transmitted by the Byzantine writer George Syncellus. Qumran Cave 4 has yielded seven copies of the writing attested by, but not strictly identical to, the Ethiopic, and four further copies of the related Book of Giants, dependent on chapter VI of Enoch, fragments of which have been discovered also in 1Q and 6Q. Palaeographically, all of them are dated to between 200 BCE and the end of the pre-Christian era. The differences they display concern partly the structure of the work, e.g. the astronomical section is more developed in parts than the text from which the Ethiopic Enoch LXXII-LXXXII was made, while the Book of Parables (chaps. XXXVII-LXXI) with its Son of Man speculation is completely lacking at Qumran. There are also noticeable stylistic divergences which may be attributable more to the absence of a unified text of Enoch than to the work of the Ethiopic translator.
The bulk of the fragments is too small for translation. It would be wholly meaningless to render into English the retranslation into Aramaic of the Ethiopic and/or Greek text supplied by their editor, J. T. Milik, who has conjecturally filled the many gaps in the Qumran manuscripts. The passages included in this volume are those which make sense in themselves. The first excerpt (4Q201) supplies the Aramaic names of the twenty chiefs of the fallen angels. The second (4Q204) relates the miraculous birth of Noah, which should be compared to the parallel accounts in the Genesis Apocryphon col. 11 and in the fragments of the Book of Noah (1Q19, 4Q534). The third and fourth extracts (4Q206) testify to a recension noticeably different from the corresponding Ethiopic version. The fifth (4Q209), the Astronomical Book, is - as has been noted - considerably longer than the Ethiopic. As for the Book of Giants, it is missing from the Ethiopic, though it circulated in Manichaean, Talmudic and medieval Jewish literature.
For a preliminary edition, see J. T. Milik, The Books ofEnoch:Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4, Oxford, 1976. See also for 4Q201 2-8, 203 and 206 2-3, L. Stuckenbruck, DJD, XXXVI, 3-48. For 4Q208-9, see E. J. C. Tigchelaar and F. García Martínez, DJD, XXXVI, 95-171. For the Ethiopic, see M. A. Knibb with the assistance of Edward Ullendorff, The Ethiopic Book of Enoch I-II, Oxford, 1978. For a general introduction, cf. HJP III, 250-68.
4Q201 1=Ena (1En. vi, 7-vii, 1)
III
... And these are [the names of their chiefs]. Shemihazah wh[o was their head, Arataqo]ph (cf. Enb), his second; Ramta[el, third] to him; Kokabe [l, fourth to him;... el, fif]th to him; Ramae[l, sixth to him;] Daniel, seve[nth to him; Ziqiel (cf. Ena,c), eigh]th to him; Baraqel, nin[th to him]; Asael, tenth [to him; Hermoni (Enc), eleven]th to him; Matarel, twelf[th to him]; Ananel, thirteenth [to him]; Stawel, [fo]urteenth to him; Shamshi[el, fif]teenth to him; Shahriel, [s]ixteenth to him; Tummiel, seven[teenth to him]; Turiel, eighteenth to him; Yomiel, nine[teenth] to him; [Yehaddiel, twentieth to him.] These are the chiefs of the chiefs of tens. The[se and] their [ch]iefs [took for themselves] wives from all those whom they chose and [they began (Enb) to go in to them and defile themselves with them and to teach them sorcery and magic (Enb)] ... And they became pregnant by them and bo[re giants] ...
4Q204=Enc (1En. cvi, 19-cvii, 2)
II
... [And af]ter [these shall co]me a greater wicked[ness than that which will have been accomplished] in [their] d[ays. For] I know the mysteries [of the Lord which] the holy ones have explained and showed me and which I read [in] the heavenly [tablets]. And I saw written in them that one generation after another will do evil in this way, and evil will last [until] ge
nerations of righteousness [arise] and evil and wickedness shall end and violence shall cease from the earth and un[til good shall come on the earth] on them. vacat And now, please go to your [son], Lamech, [and explain to him] that this child is his son in truth and without lie...
4Q206 I xxii (IEn. xxii, 3-7)
... [the soul] of all the sons of man. And behold, these are the pits for their prison. They were made thus until the day of their judgement, until the final day of the great judgement which will be imposed on them. vacat There I saw the spirit of a dead man complaining and his moaning rising to heaven and crying and complaining...
4Q206 1 xxvi (1En. xxxii, 1-3)
... [And beyond] those [mountains] roughly northwards, on their eastern side, I was shown other mountains, [full of] excellent [n]ard, and pepper-wort, and cinnamon, [and pe]pper. vacat And from there I was led [to the east of all those mountains, far from them, to the east of the earth and I was taken over the Red S[ea] and greatly distanced myself from it and crossed over the darkness far from it. And I passed to the Paradise of righteousness...
The Astronomical Book of Enoch 4Q209 7 (cf. 1En. lxxiii, I-lxxiv, 90)
...II ... [And it (the moon) shines in the remainder of this night with three seventh (parts); and it grows during this day to four sevenths and a half; and then it sets and enters (its gate) and is covered for the remainder] of this day to [two] sevenths and a half. [And in the night of the twent]y fourth it is covered four sevenths and a half and [four sevenths and a half] are cut off from its light. [And th]en it comes out (from its gate) and shines in the remainder of this night two sevenths and a half. And it grows [in] this [d]ay five sevenths and then it sets and enters (its gate) and is covered for the remainder of this day [two] sev[enths. vacat And in the night, on the twenty-fifth, it is covered five sevenths, (and) five sevenths are cut off from its light. And then it comes out and shines for the remainder of this night two sevenths. And it grows in this day to five sevenths and a half. And then it sets [and] enters the second gate and is covered for the remainder of this day one seventh and a half. vacat And in the night of the twenty-sixth it is covered five sevenths and a half and five sevenths and a half are cut off from its light.
And then it comes out of the second gate and shines for the remainder of this night one seventh and a half. And it grows in this day six sevenths. And then it sets and enters and is covered for the remainder of this day one seventh. vacat And in the night of the [twe]nty-seventh it is covered six sevenths and [six] sev[enths] are cut off from its light. [And then it comes out and shines for the remain]der of this night one seventh. And it grows in this day [six sevenths and a half. And then it sets and enters]
…
III [and shines in the night of the eight]h four [s]ev[enths]. And then it sets and enters. In this night the sun comple[tes] the passage through all the sections (?) of the first gate and recommences to go in and come out through its sections. [And then the moon] sets and enters. And it darkens during the remainder of this night three sevenths. And it grows in this day four sevenths and [a half]. And then it comes out and dominates in the remainder of this day two sevenths and a h[al]f. vacat And it shines in the night of the ninth four [sevenths] and a half. And then it sets and enters. In this night the sun recommences to go through [its] section[s and to set] in them. And then [the mo]on sets and enters the fifth gate and darkens in the remainder of this night [two] sevenths and a half. And it grows in th[is] day five [sevenths] and in it the ligh[t] equals five sevenths... equals in full. [And then it comes out] of the [f]if[th] gate...
The Book of Giants
(1Q23-4, 2Q26, 4Q203, 530-33, 6Q8)
The Book of Giants is missing from the Ethiopic version of Enoch, but it circulated among the Manichaeans (W. B. Henning, ‘The Book of Giants’, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 11, 1943-46, 52-74) as well as in Talmudic and medieval Jewish literature (bNid. 61a and Midrash Shemhazai and Azael), as has been convincingly shown by J. T. Milik in his learned book, The Books of Enoch: Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4(Oxford, 1976, 298-339). Some of the features resemble the Book of Daniel.
For the editio princeps of 4Q530-33, see E. Puech, DJD, XXXI, 9-115.
4Q530
Frs. 2, 6-12
II ... about the death of our soul. And all his colleagues entered and [O]hiyah explained them what Gilgamesh had told him and H[o]babis roared and [j]udgement was pronounced on him. And the guilty cursed the princes, but the giants rejoiced over him and he was curs[ed] again [and accep]ted it. Then two of them dreamed dreams and the sleep of their eyes fled from them... and they ro[se and op]ened their eyes and they went to [Shemihaza, their father. Then] he told a story in the congregation of [their co]lleagues, the Nephilin: ... I saw [a wonder] in my dream that night. [Behold a big garden was planted with all kinds of trees.] There were there gardeners and they were watering [ev]ery tree in [that] garden... Many [roo]ts grew out of their stock. [And out of one tree grew] three shoots. I was looking until tongues of fire [came down] from [heaven]. I was [looking] until the ... was covered with all the water and the fire devoured all [the trees] of the whole orchard. But it did not [devour the tree and its shoots on] the land whe[n it was destroyed] ... Here is the end of the dream... [And] the giants were unable to explain [the] dre[am]. [And he said...] You will give this [dr]eam [to Eno]ch, the interpreter scribe, that he might interpret to us the dream. vacat Then Ohiyah, his brother, answered and said before the giants, I, too, saw a wonder in my dream this night. Behold the Ruler of heaven descended to earth and thrones were set and the great Holy One sat. [Hundreds and hundred]s were ministering to Him. Thousands and thousands... stood b[e]fore Him. And behold, [boo]ks were opened and judgement was pronounced and the judgement... [was writ]ten and a signature was signed. And [the Great one reigns] over all the living and flesh and over [all those who ru]le. Here is the end of the dream. vacat [And behold] all the giants were terrified [and] c[al]led Mahawai and he came to the co[ng]regation of [the Nephilin(?)] And the giants sent him to Enoch... and said to him, Go [to him...] previously you listened to his voice and say to him that he should expl[ain to you the inter[pretation of the dreams and that all should rest [w]ith those who hunger strongly after it
4Q531
Fr. 22
...[I showed myself] mighty and by the power of my strong arm and by the vigour of my might [I rose against a]ll flesh and made war on them. But I ... not... [fi]nd ... to strengthen (me), for my adversaries, [the angels of heave]n dwell [in heave]n and they abide in the holy places and [I will] not... [for the]y are more powerful than I. vacat ... of wild beasts came and the country people cried... And Ohiyah spoke to him thus. My dream has depressed [me] and [the sl]eep of my eyes [fled from me] for looking at the [vis]ion. Behold I know that I cannot sleep and cannot hasten for them... [Then Gil]gamesh said, Your [dr]eam...
An Admonition Associated with the Flood
(4Q370, 4Q185)
4Q370 is a rewritten account of the Noah story based on Genesis vi-ix; two fragmentary columns have survived, only the first of which is suitable for translation. Palaeographically, it is said to be late Hasmonaean, i.e. from the first half of the first century BCE, but the composition itself is pre-Qumran. Both the Tetragram and the divine name ‘el are used. The badly damaged column 11 switches from narrative to ethics and exhortation. Part of it can be reconstructed with the help of 4Q185.
For the editio princeps of 4Q370, see Carol A. Newsom, DJD, XIX, 85-97.
4Q370 (4Q185)
I [And] He crowned the mountains with pro[duce] and poured food on them, and he satisfied every soul with good fruit. ‘Whoever does my will, let him eat and be satisfied’, says [the Lo]rd. ‘And let them bless [my holy] name. But, behold, they have done what is wicked in my eyes,’ said the Lord. They rebelled (?) against God through their ac[tio]ns, and the Lord judged them according to all their ways, and according to the thoughts of the inclination of their [evil] hearts. And He thundered at them in [His] power, an
d all the foundations of the earth [tr]embled, [and the wa]ters burst forth from the abysses. All the windows of heaven opened, and all the abyss[es] overflowed [with] mighty waters. And the windows of heaven [emptied out] rain and He destroyed them by the Flood... Therefore everything [perished] on the dry land; and men, beasts, birds and winged creatures [died]. And the g[iant]s did not escape
... And God made [a sign... and] set His bow [in the cloud] that He might remember the covenant... [that there might no more be on earth] waters of flood... and that the mass of waters [might not be let loo]se...
II (combined with 4Q185) ... their wickedness when they know (how to distinguish) bet[ween good and evil... For behold], they sprout forth [like grass], but a shadow are their days o[n the earth. And now pray hearken to me, my people; heed me, O you Simple for from everlasting] to everlasting he will have mercy... the might of the Lord. Remember the mira[cles which he did in Egypt and his marvels in the land of Ham. Let your heart shake] because of fear of him, and [your] soul will rejoice according to his good graces...
The Ages of the Creation
(4Q180)
A badly worn manuscript from Cave 4(4Q180) has been published under this title by J. M. Allegro. Its decipherment and interpretation have been further improved by J. Strugnell and J. T. Milik. The only section yielding coherent sense deals with the myth of the fallen angels and the daughters of men, which is based on Genesis vi, 1-4, and fully developed in 1 Enoch. If Milik’s reconstruction is correct, the work presents human history as divided into seventy weeks of years (70 x 7 years), the first ten of which cover the period from Noah to Abraham. The manuscript is claimed by Strugnell to belong to the first century CE.