The Book of Enoch

...general interest, the supporting citations concerning the content are reserved for the commentary.

Exactly 100 years have passed since the famous Arabist Silvestre de Sacy translated some chapters of our book into Latin—albeit quite erroneously—in the Magasin encyclopédique (Year VI, Vol. 1, p. 382 ff.). The first complete translation from the Ethiopic original: "nach A" was provided in 1821 by the aforementioned Rich. Laurence.¹⁾ The most competent critic, Dillmann, expresses himself on this matter as follows (p. LVII): "His translation, in all its editions (3rd, 1838), is teeming with linguistic errors, misunderstandings, and distortions of meaning that run through entire chapters. He also lacked biblical-theological knowledge, without which the book cannot be understood at all." Following this English translation, A. G. Hoffmann²⁾ published the first part of his translation of the Book of Enoch in 1833, and the second part in 1838, utilizing C manuscripts of Group C. Gfrörer³⁾ then processed Hoffmann and Laurence for his worthless versio latina Latin version. Only Dillmann’s⁴⁾ extremely careful and exemplary work (1853), based on his own edition, led [the field] out of amateurism and half-measures, placing the explanation of the book on firm ground. His work is well known and does not require our praise; all who follow stand on his shoulders. While Schodde’s⁵⁾ work (1882) signifies a regression rather than a progression, Charles’⁶⁾ (1893) often-cited book brings us another good step forward, thanks to the help provided by the manuscripts of the British Museum. Another stroke of good fortune also enabled him to use the newly discovered Greek fragment. Based on the material provided by Charles and with prudent use of all accessible text-critical and exegetical remarks from recent relevant works, Beer⁷⁾ (1900) prepared his translation, to which this work, alongside Dillmann and Charles, is indebted for manifold thanks.

1. Rich. Laurence, The Book of Enoch, an apocryphal production now first translat. from an Ethiopic MS in the Bodleian Library, Oxford 1821.
2. A. G. Hoffmann, The Book of Enoch in complete translation with commentary, introduction, and explanatory excursions I. II. Jena 1833—38.
3. Gfrörer, Ancient pseudepigraphal prophets, partly translated into Latin from the Ethiopic or Hebrew languages. Stuttg. 1840.
4. Dillmann, The Book of Enoch, translated and explained. Leipzig 1853.
5. Schodde, The Book of Enoch translat. with introd. and notes, Andover 1882.
6. See p. 3, note 6.
7. See p. 3, note 7.