Saturday Sources: Apocalypse of Weeks

Today I conclude materials in 1 Enoch of New Testament background interest that likely date to the period before the Maccabean crisis (167-64). Translations are once again taken with little modification from Nickelsburg and VanderKam.

The Astronomical Book (1 Enoch 72-82)
There is only one verse from the Astronomical Book that I wish to excerpt. It probably dates ca. 200BC or perhaps even earlier.

81:5
They (the holy ones) said to me, "Tell everything to your son Methuselah and show all your children that no human is righteous before the Lord, for he created them."

The Apocalypse of Weeks (1 Enoch 93:1-10; 91:11-17)
The Apocalypse of Weeks, with Daniel the only possible exception, is the oldest historical apocalypse that has survived from the ancient world. The great thing about such apocalypses is the ease with which they are dated. The historical "prophesy" goes amazingly accurately until you get to the time when the apocalypse was actually written. We can thus with great likelihood date this apocalypse to not long before the Maccabean crisis.

93:3-10; 91:11-17
And Enoch took up his discourse and said, "I was born the seventh in the first week, and until my time righteousness endured.

After me there will arise a second week, in which deceit and violence will spring up, and in it will be the first end, and in it a man will be saved. And after that, at its conclusion, inquity with increase, and a law will be made for sinners.

After this there will arise a third week, and at its conclusion a man will be chosen as the plant of righteous judgment, and after him will go forth the plant of righteousness forever and ever.

After this there will arise a fourth week, and at its conclusion, visions of the holy and righteous will be seen, and a covenant for all generations and a tabernacle will be made in it.

After this there will arise a fifth week and at its conclusion, the temple of the glorious kingdom will be built forever.

After this there will arise a sixth week, and all who live in it will become blind, and the hearts of all will stray from wisdom; and in it a man will ascend. And at its conclusion, the temple of the kingdom will be burned with fire, and in it the whole race of the chosen root will be dispersed.

After this, in the seventh week, there will arise a perverse generation, and many will be its deeds, and all its deeds will be perverse. And at its conclusion, the chosen will be chosen, as witnesses of righteousness from the everlasting plant of righteousness, to whom will be given sevenfold wisdom and knowledge. And they will uproot the foundations of violence, and the structure of deceit in it, to execute judgment.

After this there will arise an eighth week of righteousness, in which a sword will be given to all the righteous, to execute righteous judgment on all the wicked, and they will be delivered into their hands. And at its conclusion, they will acquire possessions in righteousness, and the temple of the kingdom of the Great One will be built in the greatness of its glory for all the generations of eternity.

After this there will arise a ninth week, in which righteous law will be revealed to all the sons of the whole earth, and all the deeds of wickedness will vanish from the whole earth and descend to the everlasting pit, and all humankind will look to the path of the everlasting righteousness.

After this, in the tenth week, the seventh part, will be the everlasting judgment, and it will be executed on the watchers of the eternal heaven, and a fixed time of the great judgment will be rendered among the holy ones. The first heaven will pass away in it, and a new heaven will appear, and all the powers of the heavens will shine forever with sevenfold brightness.

After this there will be many weeks without number forever, in which they will do piety and righteousness, and from then on sin will never again be mentioned.