4th Enoch Dream Visions

The book of Dream Vision appears to been compiled from an older Canaanite text in the early Persian era and was likely attached to the Astronomical Book from the beginning. The book of Dreams and Visions is likely the first attempt to retell the history of the world from the point of view of sheep. In this case Israeli sheep, who had to contend with Egyptian wolves, Philistine dogs, Babylonian lions, and Persian eagles. The Astronomical Book was written from the view of Methuselah, Enoch's son, which Dream Visions continues, however, the majority of the text could not date to before the early Persian era. The first six chapters of the book seem like it was attached to the Astronomical Book, along with the beginning of chapter 7, which includes the vision of the sky collapsing and the earth being flooded. This vision of Noah's flood matches the description of the world found in the Astronomical Book, which includes a solid sky above the world, with water above it. After Noah and his three bull sons survived the flood, the species switched from bulls to sheep, indicating the likely point where the original text was extended. These sheep then live out the general history of the Israelites found in the Torah, and some other early Hebrew texts found in the Tanakh (Old Testament). There are a few points where the book of Dream Visions deviates from the other Hebrew texts in a few specific places, such as claiming that the Israelites were descendants of Japheth instead of Shem. Chapters 7 and 8 are both very long in comparison to the first six chapters, supporting the idea that they were an extension to the original work, however, they end with the Persian eagles being destroyed by a God, referred to as the Lord of Sheep, coming down from the sky and slaughtering the Persians and their allies, and then rebuilding a better temple than the temple that was being worshiped at. The author's view of the temple and the priests that were sent out from it show that he (or she) was not associated with the temple, and viewed the priests as corrupt, a common sentiment expressed in Second Temple era texts.

Thutmose IV inherited the New Kingdom at its peak when his father Amenhotep II died. Amenhotep II had likewise inherited a strong empire from his father Thutmose III, and had organized a peace treaty with the Mitanni Empire to the north. Thutmose IV took the peace treaty one step further and married a Mitannian princess to secure a peaceful northern border. He is most famous for his activities at the great sphinx of Giza, and the Dream Stele he erected beneath its head. There is debate about why he erected the Dream Stele, and some Egyptologists have suggested it was intended as propaganda to validate his seizing the throne instead of it falling to his elder brother, as it states that the great god Haremakhet-Khepri-Ra-Atum spoke to him in a dream, in the form of the great sphinx, and promised he would be the king one day. It seems extremely unlikely that Amenhotep II would have allowed him to erect the stele while he was still alive, as Thutmose IV was not his chosen heir, and it is therefore assumed that he erected it after assuming the kingship. One of the things that Thutmose IV is most famous for, is digging the sphinx's body out of the sand that had filled the sphinx enclosure, which early Egyptologists interpreted as digging the enclosure itself and creating the sphinx's body. This is no longer the accepted reading of the Dream Stele, and it is now believed Thutmose IV merely restored the sphinx's body. Nevertheless, if the sphinx's enclosure was filled with sand, then the sphinx temple and the neighboring red granite temple must have also been filled with sand, and so Thutmose IV must have uncovered more than just the Great Sphinx. Unfortunately, the lower section of the Dream Stele is damaged, and so we do not know how it ended. Egyptologists generally assume it was a list of donations that Thutmose IV made to various temples, which would be consistent with other steles and biographies from the time.

4ᵗʰ Maccabees is a philosophical interpretation of 2ⁿᵈ Maccabees. It was added to the Septuagint in the 1ˢᵗ century AD, however, it could have been written anywhere between 140 BC and 100 AD. This text includes more details regarding the torture of the Israelite youths from 2ⁿᵈ Maccabees, which may have come from Jason of Cyrene’s original five-volume version of Maccabees. The author of 4ᵗʰ Maccabees accepts the flying horsemen of 2ⁿᵈ Maccabees as sky messengers, which implies the Phrygian imagery was widely accepted by Jews at the time and supports the Greek and Roman records that indicate the Phrygians and Hebrews worshiped the same god. Unlike 2ⁿᵈ and 3ʳᵈ Maccabees, 4ᵗʰ Maccabees does not mention the god Dionysus/Sabaoth, indicating that the book was written in Hasmonean Dynasty or later. 4ᵗʰ Maccabees also does not have any Aramaic loanwords, indicating it was almost certainly written in Greek. Four books of Maccabees were ultimately added to the Septuagint, three in the 1ˢᵗ century BC, and the 4ᵗʰ as an appendix in the 1ˢᵗ century AD. No trace of these books has been found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, and they are generally thought to have been written in Greek. 1ˢᵗ and 2ⁿᵈ Maccabees do include several Aramaic loanwords that support an Aramaic source text. The Syriac Bibles also include a 5ᵗʰ Maccabees, which is a translation of book 6 of Josephus’ The Judean War. The Judean War is considered extended canon in the Ethiopic Bibles, however, the Ethiopic Bibles also include three books of Maccabees, which are not based on the Greek books, or Josephus. An Arabic book of Maccabees also exists, which is often mislabeled as 5ᵗʰ Maccabees in English language literature, because it was initially misidentified as being the same book as Syriac 5ᵗʰ Maccabees. The Arabic book is a translation of a Palestinian Aramaic book from circa 525 AD, which itself appears to be based on the Hebrew book of Maccabees, which surfaced much later.The Hebrew version of Maccabees was collected with other Hebrew language manuscripts from various eras in a Yiddish compilation in the 1300s. The Hebrew translation of Maccabees was likely composed in Iberia earlier than 500 AD and was probably based on an Aramaic text, along with an Iberian tale about Hannibal. The Aramaic text that was used is closely related to the text found in the Josippon, which is believed to have been composed in southern Italy in the 900s. The Josippon claims to be a copy of the book of Joseph ben Gurion, one of the leaders of the Judean Revolt of 66 AD. Joseph died in 68 AD, and Josephus, who survived the war, did not report that Joseph was a writer, however, it stands to reason his faction must have had some form of propaganda, likely based on the Maccabean Revolt. These Josippon-related versions of Maccabees are of very little historic value, as they are replete with historical errors. Their original function appears to have been to serve as inspiration rather than to educate.

The Septuagint's 4ᵗʰ Kingdoms tells the history of the kingdoms of Samaria and Judah from circa 850 BC until the Babylonians conquered Judah circa 600 BC. This era of history is well documented in the historical records of the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Babylonians, and unlike the earlier books of the Kingdoms, is generally accepted by historians. This era included the rise and fall of the Aramean Empire based in Damascus, the rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire farther north, the Assyrian wars against Egypt, and the sack of Thebes, and ultimately the rise of the Babylonian Empire. During this tumultuous time, the kingdoms of Israel, Judah, and Aram, which also appears to have been considered an Israelite kingdom by the prophet Ezekiel, struggled for survival and fell one by one to the expanding empires around them. Before the era of 4ᵗʰ Kingdoms, Samara had established an empire, occupying the Aramean kingdoms of Damascus and Hama in modern Syria, which had ended suddenly when an earthquake had leveled Samaria. The earthquake was mentioned in the Book of Amos, and archaeological evidence of it is found throughout modern northern Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. It is estimated to have been between 7.8 and 8.2 on the Richter Scale, and aftershocks likely lasted around 6 months. In the aftermath, Damascus rose to form its own Aramean empire, occupying Hama, and northern Samaria, as well as Gilead in southern modern Syria, which had been part of Samaria since the division of Israel into Samaria and Judah. However, as Assyria began to expand to the north, Samaria and Aram formed an anti-Assyria alliance, and the Samarian forces were stationed in Aram to help defend the northern border from the Assyrians. Judah was invited to join the alliance, but instead formed an alliance with the Assyrians and invaded and pillaged Samaria and southern Aram. Judah continued to be an ally of Assyria as the Assyrians conquered Aram, Samaria, and Sidon which had also allied with them. Fortunately, as Samaria finally fell to the Assyrians after a three-year campaign, the king of Assyria died, sparking a civil war between rival heirs. This civil war provided Judah with almost twenty years to build up defenses, and King Hezekiah built extensively across his kingdom. Archaeological evidence of Hezekiah's construction projects is common in the region around Jerusalem, and the southern region of the Palestinian West Bank, including the Broad Wall in Jerusalem, and the Siloam Tunnel, which connected Jerusalem with a water source outside the walls of the city. Ancient records of anti-siege artillery on the walls of Jerusalem also exist, likely ballistas or catapults, so, it is clear the Judahites knew they would be next. While the Assyrians did lay siege to Jerusalem according to 4ᵗʰ Kingdoms, they were not able to conquer the city. The Assyrian Annals record the campaign against Judah and record the cities they captured, which did not include Jerusalem, and so historians accept the general account of what happened found in 4ᵗʰ Kingdoms.

The Septuagint's 4ᵗʰ Kingdoms tells the history of the kingdoms of Samaria and Judah from circa 850 BC until the Babylonians conquered Judah circa 600 BC. This era of history is well documented in the historical records of the Assyrians, Egyptians, and Babylonians, and unlike the earlier books of the Kingdoms, is generally accepted by historians. This era included the rise and fall of the Aramean Empire based in Damascus, the rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire farther north, the Assyrian wars against Egypt, and the sack of Thebes, and ultimately the rise of the Babylonian Empire. During this tumultuous time, the kingdoms of Israel, Judah, and Aram, which also appears to have been considered an Israelite kingdom by the prophet Ezekiel, struggled for survival and fell one by one to the expanding empires around them. Before the era of 4ᵗʰ Kingdoms, Samara had established an empire, occupying the Aramean kingdoms of Damascus and Hama in modern Syria, which had ended suddenly when an earthquake had leveled Samaria. The earthquake was mentioned in the Book of Amos, and archaeological evidence of it is found throughout modern northern Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. It is estimated to have been between 7.8 and 8.2 on the Richter Scale, and aftershocks likely lasted around 6 months. In the aftermath, Damascus rose to form its own Aramean empire, occupying Hama, and northern Samaria, as well as Gilead in southern modern Syria, which had been part of Samaria since the division of Israel into Samaria and Judah. However, as Assyria began to expand to the north, Samaria and Aram formed an anti-Assyria alliance, and the Samarian forces were stationed in Aram to help defend the northern border from the Assyrians. Judah was invited to join the alliance, but instead formed an alliance with the Assyrians and invaded and pillaged Samaria and southern Aram. Judah continued to be an ally of Assyria as the Assyrians conquered Aram, Samaria, and Sidon which had also allied with them. Fortunately, as Samaria finally fell to the Assyrians after a three-year campaign, the king of Assyria died, sparking a civil war between rival heirs. This civil war provided Judah with almost twenty years to build up defenses, and King Hezekiah built extensively across his kingdom. Archaeological evidence of Hezekiah's construction projects is common in the region around Jerusalem, and the southern region of the Palestinian West Bank, including the Broad Wall in Jerusalem, and the Siloam Tunnel, which connected Jerusalem with a water source outside the walls of the city. Ancient records of anti-siege artillery on the walls of Jerusalem also exist, likely ballistas or catapults, so, it is clear the Judahites knew they would be next. While the Assyrians did lay siege to Jerusalem according to 4ᵗʰ Kingdoms, they were not able to conquer the city. The Assyrian Annals record the campaign against Judah and record the cities they captured, which did not include Jerusalem, and so historians accept the general account of what happened found in 4ᵗʰ Kingdoms.

Long before the Flood, the Prophet Enoch had a series of Dream Visions. He saw man as animals of different sorts much like the best-seller George Orwell's Animal Farm describing different peoples who would become historic characters and accounts. In many ways, Enoch designed the first cartoon in expression. This book captures the essence of Enoch's extensive Dream Visions of the past in his time as well as mostly future events we now call history and beyond. A prophetic account which proves to match the Bible in it's entirety. There is no greater test of inspired scripture and we can all learn from this. Adapted from the 1912 R.H. Charles translation of First Enoch from the Ethiopic, the language is simplified and the dynamic illustrations truly demonstrate Enoch's view. With added commentary and direction, this summary account of the Bible from Adam to the Flood to Abraham to the Temple to Messiah to the Day of Judgment will astound many. Major revelation awaits all who read this.

The Book of Micah is generally considered one of the older surviving books of the Hebrew Scriptures, with most scholars dating it to before the Torah was compiled, or at least heavily redacted in the time of King Josiah. Most scholars accept that Micah was written by a prophet called Micah between 737 and 969 BC, who was most likely from the town of Moresheth in the Kingdom of Judea or the city-state of Gath, in the modern Palestinian West Bank. His world was very different from the later Kingdom of Judea that emerged in the 2nd-century BC, as the Israelites of his time were still polytheistic, worshiping the Canaanite Elohim, as well as statues of Iaw (Masoretic Yahweh), the God the Jews and Samaritans would later worship. The Book of Micah is believed to have been translated into Greek around 180 BC with other Twelve Prophets, however, there is a significant difference between the Septuagint's and Masoretic version of the Book of Micah. The Masoretic Version is the Book of Micah which copied by a group of Jewish scribes called the Masorites between 400 and 1000 AD. The major difference between the Books of Micah is the god that Amos was the prophet of. The Masoretic version refers to his god as Iaw (Yahweh) Sabaoth, however, the Septuagint's version of Micah does not mention Iaw Sabaoth, instead, referring to God as Lord God (κύριος ὁ θεὸς), or the Lord Almighty (κύριος ὁ παντοκράτωρ) which in the Septuagint's Book of Job was a translation of Shaddai. In the Septuagint, Micah's god was repeatedly named as 'Lord God' (κύριος ὁ θεὸς), which translated back into Hebrew would be 'Ba'al El,' and once Lord Almighty (κύριος ὁ παντοκράτωρ), which translated back into Hebrew would be 'Ba'al Shaddai.' The term pantocratôr (παντοκράτωρ) was the translation used in other books of the Septuagint for Shaddai (שדי). For example, the Book of Job, which was translated into Greek between 190 and 180 BC, the names Shaddi shows up 33 times in the Masoretic Texts and is translated as Almighty (παντοκράτωρ) in the Septuagint.

In the mid-3rd century BC, King Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt ordered a translation of the ancient Hebrew scriptures for the Library of Alexandria, which resulted in the creation of the Septuagint. The Letter of Aristeas, also called the Letter to Philocrates, was written by someone who claimed to have been part of the events that created the original translation of the Septuagint. It was treated as an authentic historical document by ancient Jewish historians, such as Aristobulus of Alexandria circa 150 BC, Philo of Alexandria circa 15 AD, and Josephus circa 93 AD. As Aristobulus quoted the Letter around 150 BC, the letter clearly predates Aristobulus by enough time for him to see it as an authentic document, which would imply prior to 200 BC. Since the time of Jerome, circa 400 BC, the Letter's authenticity has been debated. It was generally considered authentic until the 1500s when Jerome's views were repeated by the Spanish humanist Luis Vives. The Letter came under attack throughout the 1600s through the 1800s, and by the 1900s was viewed as a fictional document. Most of the arguments levied against it, were based on a lack of understanding of who Ptolemy II Philadelphus was, and why he would be depicted as worshiping the Jewish god. Latin critics did not understand the references to Plato's Cratylus and translated Δία as Dis (Jupiter), which would force the origin of the Letter to a later date after Rome had risen in power. In the time period this Letter is set, Carthage sill dominated the Western Mediterranean and Romans only ruled Italy. The reference to Δία was, in fact, part of a reference to Ζῆνα and Δία found in Plato's Cratylus, which was a reference to the Greek folktales about Zeus being the creator of life. References to the creator god in the letter were traditionally dismissed as being unlikely, as a Greek king would not have worshiped the Jewish god, however, this argument was based on a lack of understanding of Philadelphus. The Pithom Stele, found in the late 1800s shows that Philadelphus embedded himself in the Egyptian religions, portraying himself as the son of Atum, the creator god of ancient Egypt. The Pithom Stele was discovered at Tell el-Maskhuta, Egypt. It had originally been erected in the Temple of Atum at Pithom (Tell el-Maskhuta), circa 264 BC. The city of Pithom appears to have been moved at least once. Pharaoh Necho II seems to have founded a city of Pithom at the site of El Retaba eight miles west of Tell el-Maskhuta, circa 600 BC, when the Canal of the Pharaohs was dug linking the Nile to the Gulf of Suez. This canal was filled with sand and debris repeatedly and then cleared repeatedly. The Greek historian Herodotus, circa 430 BC claimed it was opened on the orders of the Persian King Darius, circa 490 BC. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, circa 330 BC, claimed the canal was never completed, meaning it was not open during his lifetime. It is generally accepted today that Ptolemy II Philadelphus reopened the canal during his lifetime, and built Heroöpolis, which was called Per-Atum (Pithom), including the Temple of Atum where the Pithom Stele was found.