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

Compare Enki and Ninhursag I and 1 Enoch 24:3

Ancient Near East, Sumerian · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

Summary

Enki and Ninhursag describes the paradise land of Dilmun as a pure and bright with no predator or sickness. 1 Enoch 24 draws on these details and the garden of Eden to describe a mountain-throne with fragrant trees whose fruit feeds the righteous.

Passages

Enki and Ninhursag I

Ancient Near East, Sumerian · A Paradise Myth

The place is pure. The land Dilmun is pure. The land Dilmun is clean. The land Dilmun is bright. He who had lain by himself in Dilmun— The place where Enki had lain with his wife— That place is clean, that place is bright. In Dilmun the raven utters no cries. The ittidu-bird utters not the cry of the ittidu-bird. The lion kills not. The wolf snatches not the lamb. Unknown is the kid-devouring wild dog. Unknown is the grain-devouring creature. The sick-eyed says not “I am sick-eyed.” The sick-headed says not “I am sick-headed.” Its old woman says not “I am an old woman.” Its old man says not “I am an old man.”

1900 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Enki and Ninhursag

1 Enoch 24:3

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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.

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

References

“… 1 Enoch 24:4–25:6, the duplicate tradition of 1 Enoch 18:6–8, also describes a veritable tree of life that exists alongside a mountain-throne of God. The mountain is one of seven made of precious stone and it will serve as the throne of God when he descends at some future time. Though the tree is not referred to explicitly as the tree of life as in Genesis 2:9, it will be given to the righteous and humble at the time of great judgment (1 Enoch 25:4) and as the tree’s fragrance enters their bones, the pious will live a long life without suffering (1 Enoch 25:6). For Grelot, Charles and Black, the imagery of a mountain-throne of God near to a tree of life suggests a second paradise or Eden. In contrast to Genesis, Enoch’s vision in 1 Enoch 25 reveals that in the future, the tree of life will be replanted by the Lord’s temple, a holy place, and there the righteous will enter and eat of its fruit. The righteous will then live a long life upon the earth and not be subject to pain or torment of any kind (1 Enoch 25:6). …”

Kelley Coblentz Bautch, A Study of the Geography of 1 Enoch 17–19: "No One Has Seen What I Have Seen", JSJSup 81 (Leiden: Brill, 2003), 208–209.

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

Compare Enki and Ninhursag I and 1 Enoch 24:3

Summary

Passages

Enki and Ninhursag I

1 Enoch 24:3

References

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