the-book-of-enoch-r-h-charles - Fallen Angels

civ The Book of Enoch
or 37-71, marriage could no longer be considered as a part of the
Messianic blessedness. Again^ whereas the Essenes objected to
animal sacrifice, no such objection is taken either in 1 or 2 Enoch
In the former in 89°" the temple sacrifices are referred to with
complete approval in the words ' and they offered a full table
before Him '. In 89" the sacrifices are said to be ' polluted ', but
no condemnation of sacrifice in itself is here implied. The writer
uses no stronger words than Mai. 1'', 'Ye offer polluted bread
upon Mine altar.' In 2 Enoch 59^"^ the spiritual value of
animal sacrifice is clearly expressed. Furthermore, not a word is
said on behalf of certain characteristic beliefs of Essenism—such
as the necessity of bathing before meals and at other times, the
duty of having all things in common and of having common
meals, the rejection of anointing the body, the claim that all
were free and that none should be slaves.
The teaching of our books on the chief doctrines of Judaism
will now be given under the following heads.
Origin of evil. Moral evil is not brought into causal connexion
with the transgression of Adam save in one passage, i. e. 69^'
(Book of Noah), where it is stated that man was created originally
righteous and immortal, but that death got power over him
through sin.i This thought is not worked out or even touched
upon in the other sections. Throughout 6-36 moral evil is
traced to the lust of the Watchers 6-7, 15, and the revelations
of Azazel 9^ 10^. The origin of evil is thus carried back into
the spiritual world. But even when the Watchers were judged
and imprisoned and their children destroyed, the evil set in
movement by them was not at an end; for the disembodied
spirits of their children became demons 15*' ^' ^^ 16^ (cf. 99'),
who were to work moral ruin on the earth without hindrance
till the final judgement 16^. 6-36, here, develops the view
propounded in Gen. 6^"^ that evil originated in the angelic world :
and the same view is implied in 83-90. The origin of evil is
' In this same source C9« it is said that the Satan Ga-lreel seduced Eve : cf.
4 Mace. 18' "