Divine Mysteries In The Enochic Tradition

The book represents an in-depth investigation of acquisition, cultivation, and transmission of divine mysteries in Jewish apocalyptic and mystical accounts by focusing on the developments found in early Enochic writings. These accounts deal both with revelations unveiled by God and angels to the patriarch Enoch and with illicit transmission of divine knowledge by the rogue group of the fallen angels, known as the Watchers. Orlov argues that the map of otherworldly knowledge revealed to Enoch inversely mirrors the map of illicit revelations given by the fallen Watchers to humankind. The study suggests that one of the possible objectives for the parallelism is that, by revealing to Enoch the same divine mysteries that were earlier transmitted by the Watchers, God attempts to mitigate the corruption caused by the fallen angels’ illicit instructions. This book will be of interest not only for scholars specializing in historical and religious areas, but also for experts in the fields of anthropology, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and gender theory; it discusses several aspects of early and late Jewish religious epistemologies that elucidate the ideological context for the construction and affirmation of social roles and identities in various Jewish milieus.

The book represents an in-depth investigation of acquisition, cultivation, and transmission of divine mysteries in Jewish apocalyptic and mystical accounts by focusing on the developments found in early Enochic writings. These accounts deal both with revelations unveiled by God and angels to the patriarch Enoch and with illicit transmission of divine knowledge by the rogue group of the fallen angels, known as the Watchers. Orlov argues that the map of otherworldly knowledge revealed to Enoch inversely mirrors the map of illicit revelations given by the fallen Watchers to humankind. The study suggests that one of the possible objectives for the parallelism is that, by revealing to Enoch the same divine mysteries that were earlier transmitted by the Watchers, God attempts to mitigate the corruption caused by the fallen angels’ illicit instructions. This book will be of interest not only for scholars specializing in historical and religious areas, but also for experts in the fields of anthropology, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and gender theory; it discusses several aspects of early and late Jewish religious epistemologies that elucidate the ideological context for the construction and affirmation of social roles and identities in various Jewish milieus.

A wide-ranging exploration of the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature, a mystical Jewish tradition from late antiquity, including a discussion of the possible cultural context of this material's creators.

John Day investigates disputed points of interpretation within Genesis 1-11, expanding on his earlier book From Creation to Babel with 11 stimulating essays. Day considers the texts within their Near Eastern contexts, and pays particular attention to the later history of interpretation and reception history. Topics covered include the meaning of the Bible's first verse and what immediately follows, as well as what it means that humanity is made in the image of God. Further chapters examine the Garden of Eden, the background and role of the serpent and the ambiguous role of Wisdom; the many problems of interpretation in the Cain and Abel story, as well as what gave rise to this story; how the Covenant with Noah and the Noachic commandments, though originally separate, became conflated in some later Jewish thought; and the location of 'Ur of the Chaldaeans', Abraham's alleged place of origin, and how this was later misinterpreted by Jewish, Christian and Islamic sources as referring to a 'fiery furnace of the Chaldaeans'. These chapters, which illuminate the meaning, background and subsequent interpretation of the Book of Genesis, pave the way for Day's forthcoming ICC commentary on Genesis 1-11.

Andrei A. Orlov examines the tradition about the seventh antediluvian patriarch Enoch, tracing its development from its roots in the Mesopotamian lore to the Second Temple apocalyptic texts and later rabbinic and Hekhalot materials where Enoch is often identified as the supreme angel Metatron. The first part of the book explores the imagery of the celestial roles and titles of the seventh antediluvian hero in Mesopotamian, Enochic and Hekhalot materials. The analysis of the celestial roles and titles shows that the transition from the figure of patriarch Enoch to the figure of angel Metatron occurred already in the Second Temple Enochic materials, namely, in 2 (Slavonic) Enoch, a Jewish work, traditionally dated to the first century CE. The second part of the book demonstrates that mediatorial polemics with the traditions of the exalted patriarchs and prophets played an important role in facilitating the transition from Enoch to Metatron in the Second Temple period.

This volume, a tribute to John J. Collins by his friends, colleagues, and students, includes essays on the wide range of interests that have occupied John Collins’s distinguished career.

Rachel Elior demonstrates convincingly how the Jewish mystical tradition crystallized in its early stages. She attributes its origins to priests prevented by circumstances from serving in the Temple: replacing the earthly Temple liturgically and ritually with a heavenly Merkavah and heavenly sanctuaries known as Heikhalot, they created a mystical world in which ministering angels replaced Temple priests, thereby giving Judaism a new spiritual focus.

Unlocking the Dream Vision: The secret history of creation will take you on a profound journey into the mysterious mystical esoteric symbolism of the largely forgotten Dream Vision that is buried deep within the ancient Book of Enoch. It is a unique and captivating journey that reveals one of the most heretical, blasphemous, and controversial accounts of creation ever told, for both believer and skeptic. Within its pages you will learn of the ancient system of mystical symbolism and initiation that was born in the religious temples that ruled the city-states of the first civilizations. You will also be introduced to the radical 2,000-year-old theory from the legendary Library of Alexandria that the true story of our own mysterious origins lays within the system of allegories and mystical symbolism of the mythologies and sacred writings of the ancient world. A system that was first created by the professional class of writers known as the scribes, in order to conceal and protect the forbidden knowledge of the gods and the secret history of creation itself. By using this non-traditional approach, you will discover how the highly symbolic Dream Vision, written by the righteous scribe and mysterious lost prophet of the Bible, Enoch, is the key to unlocking this ancient system of mystical symbolism and the secret history of humanity. It is the same secret that is still hidden within the symbolism of the mysterious esoteric brotherhoods, secret societies, and hidden orders of the world. It is through this exceptional system of mystical symbolism created by the ancient scribes that the origin and true meaning to all the mystical symbols, like the pentagram, the all-seeing-eye, and the unfinished pyramid, are revealed. You will also learn the answers to some of the greatest mysteries concerning the biblical story. For you will find that the mystical symbolism of the Dream Vision contains the secrets of the Watchers, the Giants, the great Flood of Noah, and so many more mysteries, which are uncovered for the first time. Not only are the hidden secrets of the Bible uncovered through the mystical symbolism, but it will also reveal the greatest secrets of mythology and the ancient world. You will understand the secret meaning to the ever-famous symbol of the Bull, the Twin Brothers of legend, and even the monsters of myth like the terrible Hydra. You will even learn the real reason why the Great Pyramid was built, the real secret of the Pleiades cluster, the lost city of Atlantis, and the other mysterious lost civilizations of the Ice Age; moreover, with the conclusive evidence of the terrible cataclysm that befell them all. You will also be presented with an entirely new theory on the identity and true origins of the mysterious figures our ancient ancestors worshiped as the 'gods' without invoking ancient aliens or endless religious speculation.