“... 2 Enoch asserts with a boldness and clarity nowhere matched in 1 Enoch that Enoch ascended bodily to heaven and was trans- formed into an angel. It is true that the story of his ascent begins when he is asleep, but it is expressly stated that his guardian angels woke him up, and that he rose and went out from his house, closing the door behind him. Such an ascent cannot be achieved without a physical transformation, so when he reaches God’s presence, God tells Michael, “Go, and extract Enoch from his earthly clothing. And anoint him with my delightful oil, and put him into the clothes of my glory. And so Michael did, just as the Lord had said to him. And the appearance of that oil is greater than the greatest light, and its ointment is like sweet dew, and its fragrance myrrh, and it is like the rays of the glitter- ing sun.” Transformed Enoch, looking at himself, observes that he has “become like one of the Lord’s glorious ones and there was no observable difference” (2 Enoch 22:8-10). Since Enoch has become an angel, his reverse journey back to earth now be- comes a problem. How could mortals endure the advent of such a glorious one? This problem is addressed in 2 Enoch 37, where Enoch’s face is said to have been “chilled,” because otherwise no human being would have been able to look at it. Back on earth, Methusalam offers to prepare Enoch a meal, but Enoch replies: “Since the time the Lord anointed me with the ointment of his glory, food has not come into me, and earthly pleasure my soul does not remember; nor do I desire anything earthly” (2 Enoch 56:2). And when Enoch finally returns to heaven it is to stand forever before the Lord as one of the angels of the presence (2 Enoch 67:2). ...”