The book of Enoch : translated from Professor Dillmann's Ethiopic ...

Sect. L] Chapter XXIL 13 — XXIV. 5. 97
asked, saying : 'What
is this which rests not?"' 4. This time
Raguel, one of the holy angels who was with me, answered me
and spake to me :
< This burning fire in the direction of the
west, the course of which you have seen (is the fire of) all the
luminaries of heaven/
XXIV. 1. From thence I went to another place of the earth,
and he showed me a mountain range of fire which flamed day
and night. %. And I approached it and saw seven mag-
nificent mountains each different from the other, and magni-
ficent beautiful stones, magnificent as a whole, of glorious
appearance and fair exterior : three towards the east, one
founded on the other, and three towards the south, one upon
the other, and deep winding ravines, no one of which joined
with any other. 3. And the seventh mountain was between
these, and in their elevation they all resemble the seats of
a throne :
and the throne was encircled with fragrant trees.
4. And amongst them was a tree such as I had never yet
smelt :
neither was any amongst them nor were others like it
it had a fragrance beyond all fragrance : its leaves and blooms
and wood wither not for ever : and its fruit is beautiful, and
it resembles the dates of a palm. 5. And on this occasion
I said :
' Behold this beautiful tree, beautiful to look upon,
and its leaves are fair and its fruit very delightful to the eye/
XXIV. 2 . One
For JM- 1
}! GN read ftHK"! = ' mounted or resting upon.' One
upon the other. So DEFGHKLMK Din. with A B C
inserts ' cdJWJ one founded on the other.' The Giz. Gk. supports G.
founded on the other. So Din. and FHKLMO.
4. The idea, as Din. suggests, seems to Enoch finds it to consist of seven
be that the luminaries recruit their summits, the middle and highest of
wasted fires by passing through this which is the throne of God. These
restless stream of fire in the West. mountains were composed of precious
The text seems corrupt. See Ap- stones, each of a different one. The
pendix. throne was girt with fragrant trees,
XXIV. 1-3. This mountain range, the most desirable of trees. 4. The
according to xviii. 6-9, is in the tree here described, so notable for its
South. On nearer acquaintance fragrance (cf. xxv. 6), is the tree of
H