1 Enoch

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Chapter 24

1 And from there I went to another place on the earth, and he showed me a mountain range of fire that burned day and night.⁠ 2 I went beyond it and saw seven magnificent mountains, each distinct from the others, with stones that were magnificent and beautiful, overall glorious in appearance and fair exterior:⁠ three towards the east, stacked one on top of the other, and three towards the south, each one upon the other, with deep rough ravines, none of which connected with any other. 3 The seventh mountain was in the midst of these, and it was the tallest, resembling the seat of a throne, with fragrant trees encircling the throne.⁠ 4 Among these trees was one that I had never smelled before, unlike any other; it had a scent beyond all scents, and its leaves, blooms, and wood never wither; its fruit was beautiful and resembled the dates of a palm.⁠ 5 Then I said: 'How beautiful is this tree, and fragrant, with fair leaves and blooms very delightful in appearance.' 6 Then Michael, one of the holy and honored angels who was with me and was their leader, answered.

Texts in conversation

How 1 Enoch's Fiery Stones Echo Ezekiel's King of Tyre

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

Summary

1 Enoch describes a fiery mountain, reflecting ancient Near Eastern traditions of a divine temple on a cosmic mountain. This echoes Ezekiel’s portrayal of the king of Tyre in the Eden temple on a mountain, walking with fiery stones and a guardian cherub.

Passages

Ezekiel 28:12

Hebrew Bible

12 “Son of man, sing a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘You were the sealer of perfection, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering, the ruby, topaz, and emerald, the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl; your settings and mounts were made of gold. On the day you were created they were prepared. 14 I placed you there with an anointed guardian cherub; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked about amidst fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your behavior from the day you were created, until sin was discovered in you.

600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Ezekiel

1 Enoch 24:2

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

1 And from there I went to another place on the earth, and he showed me a mountain range of fire that burned day and night. 2 I went beyond it and saw seven magnificent mountains, each distinct from the others, with stones that were magnificent and beautiful, overall glorious in appearance and fair exterior: three towards the east, stacked one on top of the other, and three towards the south, each one upon the other, with deep rough ravines, none of which connected with any other. 3 The seventh mountain was in the midst of these, and it was the tallest, resembling the seat of a throne, with fragrant trees encircling the throne.

300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

References

"... These fiery mountains (see verse 1), which are spectacular, glimmering gemstones, are drawn from ancient Near Eastern conceptions of the abode of the God/the gods and His/their council. On the bejeweled cosmic mountain abode of the gods/God, see comments and footnoted sources at 18:7. This is the point of the language of Ezekiel 28:11–14. When the prophet describes the anointed cherub as “walking among the stones of fire,” his point is that the cherub was in the divine abode, the place of the divine council ..."

Michael S. Heiser, A Companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader's Commentary (Crane, MO: Defender, 2019), 1:212–213.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

1 Enoch108 chapters

How 1 Enoch's Fiery Stones Echo Ezekiel's King of Tyre

Summary

Passages

Ezekiel 28:12

1 Enoch 24:2

References

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