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3 Enoch

Hebrew Book of Enoch

About this book
Chapter 45

1 R. Ishmael said: Metatron said to me: Come, and I will show you the Curtain of MAQOM (the Divine Majesty) which is spread before the Holy One, blessed be He, (and) on which are graven all the generations of the world and all their doings, both what they have done and what they will do until the end of all generations. 2 And I went, and he showed it to me pointing it out with his fingers like a father who teaches his children the letters of Tora. And I saw each generation, the rulers of each generation, and the heads of each generation, the shepherds of each generation, the oppressors (drivers) of each generation, the keepers of each generation, the scourgers of each generation, the overseers of each generation, the judges of each generation, the court officers of each generation, the teachers of each generation, the supporters of each generation, the chiefs of each generation, the presidents of academies of each generation, the magistrates of each generation, the princes of each generation, the counsellors of each generation, the nobles of each generation, and the men of might of each generation, the elders of each generation, and the guides of each generation. 3 And I saw Adam, his generation, their doings and their thoughts, Noah and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, and the generation of the flood, their doings and their thoughts, Shem and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, Nimrod and the generation of the confusion of tongues, and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, Abraham and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, Isaac and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, Ishmael and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, Jacob and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, Joseph and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, the tribes and their generation, their doings and their thoughts, Amram and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, Moses and his generation, their doings and their thoughts, 4 Aaron and Mirjam their works and their doings, the princes and the elders, their works and doings, Joshua and his generation, their works and doings, the judges and their generation, their works and doings, Eli and his generation, their works and doings, Phinehas, their works and doings, Elkanah and his generation, their works and their doings, Samuel and his generation, their works and doings, the kings of Judah with their generations, their works and their doings, the kings of Israel and their generations, their works and their doings, the princes of Israel, their works and their doings; the princes of the nations of the world, their works and their doings, the heads of the councils of Israel, their works and their doings; the heads of (the councils in) the nations of the world, their generations, their works and their doings; the rulers of Israel and their generation, their works and their doings; the nobles of Israel and their generation, their works and their doings; the nobles of the nations of the world and their generation(s), their works and their doings; the men of reputation in Israel, their generation, their works and their doings; the judges of Israel, their generation, their works and their doings; the judges of the nations of the world and their generation, their works and their doings; the teachers of children in Israel, their generations, their works and their doings; the teachers of children in the nations of the world, their generations, their works and their doings; the counsellors (interpreters) of Israel, their generation, their works and their doings; the counsellors (interpreters) of the nations of the world, their generation, their works and their doings; all the prophets of Israel, their generation, their works and their doings; all the prophets of the nations of the world, their generation, their works and their doings; 5 and all the fights and wars that the nations of the world made against the people of Israel in the time of their kingdom. And I saw Messiah, son of Joseph, and his generation and their works and their doings that they will do against the nations of the world. And I saw Messiah, son of David, and his generation, and all the fights and wars, and their works and their doings that they will do with Israel both for good and evil. And I saw all the fights and wars that Gog and Magog will fight in the days of Messiah, and all that the Holy One, blessed be He, will do with them in the time to come. 6 And all the rest of all the leaders of the generations and all the works of the generations both in Israel and in the nations of the world, both what is done and what will be done hereafter to all generations until the end of time, (all) were graven on the Curtain of MAQOM.⁠ And I saw all these things with my eyes; and after I had seen it, I opened my mouth in praise of MAQOM (the Divine Majesty) (saying thus, Eccl. viii. 4, 5): "For the King's word has power (and who may say to him: What are you doing?) Whoever keeps the commandments shall know no evil thing". And I said: (Ps. civ. 24) "O Lord, how manifold are your works!"

Texts in conversation

Compare Apocalypse of Abraham 21:1 and 3 Enoch 45:6

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

In the Apocalypse of Abraham, Abraham sees all of humanity's history in a heavenly vision. In 3 Enoch, Ishmael is similarly shown all of human history written in the heavenly temple, giving the visitor a special view of history.

Passages

Apocalypse of Abraham 21:1

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
1 And He said to me: "Look now beneath your feet at the heavenly vaults and understand the creation foreshadowed in this expanse, the creatures that exist on it, and the age prepared according to it." 2 And I looked beneath the heavenly vault at my feet and saw the likeness of heaven and what was in it, 3 and then the earth and its fruits, and what moved on it and its living beings; and the power of its people, and the godlessness of their souls, and their righteous deeds [and the beginnings of their works], and the lower regions and the destruction in it, the Abyss and its torments.
70–150 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Apocalypse of Abraham

3 Enoch 45:6

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Hebrew Book of Enoch
6 And all the rest of all the leaders of the generations and all the works of the generations both in Israel and in the nations of the world, both what is done and what will be done hereafter to all generations until the end of time, (all) were graven on the Curtain of MAQOM. And I saw all these things with my eyes; and after I had seen it, I opened my mouth in praise of MAQOM (the Divine Majesty) (saying thus, Eccl. viii. 4, 5): "For the King's word has power (and who may say to him: What are you doing?) Whoever keeps the commandments shall know no evil thing". And I said: (Ps. civ. 24) "O Lord, how manifold are your works!"
400–600 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 3 Enoch

References

“... Indeed, in 3 Enoch 4520 the translated seventh antediluvian hero reveals to R. Ishmael the heavenly entity on which this visionary, like Abraham, is able to see the whole span of the human history. 3 Enoch 45:1–6 reads: R. Ishmael said: Metatron said to me: Come and I will show you the curtain of the Omnipresent One, which is spread before the Holy One, blessed be he, and on which are printed all the generations of the world and all their deeds, whether done or to be done, till the last generation. I went and he showed them to me with his fingers, like father teaching his son the letters of the Torah; and I saw: Each generation and its potentiates; Each generation and its heads; Each generation and its shepherds; Each generation and its keepers . . . And I saw: Adam and his generation, their deeds and their thoughts . . . The Messiah the son of Joseph and his generation, and all that they will do to the gentiles . . .23 ...”
Andrei A. Orlov, Heavenly Priesthood in the Apocalypse of Abraham (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 162.

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

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Apocalypse of Abraham 21:1 and 3 Enoch 45:6

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