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

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Sect. IV Chapter LXXXIX. 60-63 201<br />

everything that I shall command you that do ye. 60. And<br />

I will deliver <strong>the</strong>m over unto you duly numbered, and tell you<br />

And<br />

which <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m are to be destroyed—and <strong>the</strong>m destroy ye."<br />

He gave over unto <strong>the</strong>m those sheep. 61. And He called<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r and spake unto him: "Observe and mark everything<br />

that <strong>the</strong> shepherds will do to those sheep ; for <strong>the</strong>y will destroy<br />

more <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m than I have commanded <strong>the</strong>m. 62. And every<br />

excess and <strong>the</strong> destruction which will be wrought through <strong>the</strong><br />

shepherds, record (namely) how many <strong>the</strong>y destroy according to my<br />

command, and how many according to <strong>the</strong>ir own caprice :<br />

record<br />

against every individual shepherd all <strong>the</strong> destruction he effects.<br />

63. And read out before me by number how many <strong>the</strong>y destroy,<br />

and how many <strong>the</strong>y deliver over for destruction, that I may have<br />

this as a testimony against <strong>the</strong>m, and know every deed <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> shep-<br />

herds, that I may comprehend and see what <strong>the</strong>y do, whe<strong>the</strong>r or<br />

seventy shepherds is » development <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> seventy years <strong>of</strong> Jeremiah, j ust as<br />

<strong>the</strong> writer <strong>of</strong> Daniel had seen in Jere-<br />

miah's seventy years seventy periods,<br />

and <strong>the</strong> four divisions into which <strong>the</strong><br />

seventy shepherds fall correspond to <strong>the</strong><br />

four world empires in Daniel. It is<br />

idle, however, to seek for chronological<br />

exactness in <strong>the</strong> four periods into which<br />

<strong>the</strong> writer <strong>of</strong> Enoch divides all history<br />

between <strong>the</strong> fall <strong>of</strong> Jerusalem and <strong>the</strong><br />

Messianic kingdom. These four periods<br />

are thus divided: 12 + 23 + 23 + 12.<br />

No system, whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> Hilgenfeld,<br />

Volkmar, or Wieseler, which attributes<br />

a like number <strong>of</strong> years to each shep-<br />

herd, can arrive at any but a forced<br />

explanation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se numbers. As<br />

8chiirer remarks, this division is<br />

merely intended to denote two longer<br />

periods coming between two shorter.<br />

The limits <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se periods are on<br />

<strong>the</strong> whole not difficult to determine.<br />

The first period begins with <strong>the</strong> attack<br />

<strong>of</strong> Assyria on Israel, and ends with <strong>the</strong><br />

return from <strong>the</strong> captivity under Cyrus,<br />

896i-7i_ The second extends from<br />

Cyrus to <strong>the</strong> conquests <strong>of</strong> Alexander,<br />

332 B.C., 89"-". The third extends<br />

from this date to <strong>the</strong> transference <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> supremacy over Israel from <strong>the</strong><br />

Graeco-Egyptian to <strong>the</strong> Graeco-Syrian<br />

power, 90^-''. The fourth extends<br />

from this date, about 200 B.C., to <strong>the</strong><br />

establishment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Messianic kingdom,<br />

90''-". 60. Duly num-<br />

bered. The number in each instance<br />

to be destroyed was a definite one.<br />

61. Ano<strong>the</strong>r. According to 90". ^2<br />

this ' ano<strong>the</strong>r ' is an archangel and <strong>the</strong><br />

guardian angel <strong>of</strong> Israel, and hence,<br />

probably, Michael. This task <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

heavenly scribe whs in <strong>the</strong> Babylonian<br />

religion performed by NabCi, in <strong>the</strong><br />

Egyptian by Tliot. Here it is Michael<br />

in all probability. But in 12^"^- 15^ 92^<br />

it lias devolved on Enoch, in 4 Ezra<br />

1^22-25 ojj Ezra, whereas in 2 Enoch<br />

22" 'ii- on Vretil (? Dabriel as in Jel-<br />

line's Belli lia-Midrasch, p. 180, accord-<br />

ing to Kohler). See K. A. T? 400 sq.<br />

63. Destroy. + ' <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir own caprice<br />

hce/hnpx. Comprehend = 'gmatte-<br />

nouift. Emended from 'gwattSnomft<br />

'

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