The early Christian Fathers such as Jude respected The Book of Enoch, as did the Essenes of Qumran. However, by the fourth century AD the text was considered heretical and all extant copies were destroyed. It was not until the 18th century that a surviving Ethiopic version was found, and its ideas a...

The early Christian Fathers such as Jude respected The Book of Enoch, as did the Essenes of Qumran. However, by the fourth century AD the text was considered heretical and all extant copies were destroyed. It was not until the 18th century that a surviving Ethiopic version was found, and its ideas and beliefs could once again be made known to the world. 'The Book of Enoch' tells of the enigmatic Watchers, fallen angels who breed with human females and give rise to the race of Nephilim, evil giants who wreak havoc on earth, and are destroyed by The Flood. Following sections describe Visions, of a messiah-like Son of God, of the Astronomical/Spiritual make-up of the Universe, and of the apocalyptic Final Judgment to be visited upon evil-doers. The R H Charles translation remains the standard English version of the text and is presented here in its entirety.