What Did Hugh Nibley Have to Say About the LDS Enoch and the Aramaic Book of the Giants? – powered by Happy Scribe
Now, around 1950, I found the Enoch scroll. It’s not the same year the book of Mormon was published. In June, as a matter of fact, 1830, look at Moses came out. The first book of Moses. Now, this book of Moses are more marvelous than the book of Mormon. It’s a totally different style, totally different documentary. It goes back at the beginning of things, and it contains in the 7th and 8th chapters of the book of Enoch. The book of Enoch is now known to exist, was not known in that time. The first documents were discovered in 1073 by sir James Bruce. He brought them. Nobody could read them. Joe bludolf, the term essentially declared they were faked. And so everybody took that seriously. But then not until 1868. And then 1892, the slavonic version was discovered that’s much older, much fuller. And then after that was discovered the Greek versions in the 1930s mostly. And then finally in 1950 came the latest and the best ones, the old Aramaic, 300 years older than any other known from the dense scrolls. That’s four q Enoch and four q enoch tells us the story of Enoch that is different from the others.
Now, some people try to show that Joseph Smith may have copied from the first version. One was translated in 121 by bishop Lawrence, irish bishop of casual in Ireland, and he was a very good scholar. But it never reached this country. And it was condemned by all the ministers because it was an apocalypse. They said it was vulgar and it was sickening. I say the greatest authority in Europe. Joe ludoff said it was disgraceful, it was nauseating, but it had nothing to do with it. But that didn’t the one Joseph Smith used, if he copied them because he couldn’t, because it was this 1951, by far the oldest one that he tells the most remarkable stories. I’m going to read you one story here that’s told in both of them. I put them in parallel columns here for your delectation. The book of Moses. Now, this is the poet. You see, the presence of Enoch when he comes among the people is a disturbing one. There they’re frightened by him. And it says in the book of Moses, when they heard him, fear came upon all them that hurt him. And the dead sea scrolls Enoch discovered in 1950s says thereupon the giants and the naphelleum took fright.
The people took fright. And we continued it all in order on both sides. The Joseph mistake. And there came a man under him whose name was mahijah. And he said unto him, tell us plainly how who thou art then from whence thou comet. Well, the book of the giants says, and they summoned mahujah. Notice we have mahuja muhijah here that Mary never occurred anywhere else, mahuja. And he came to them, and the giants asked him and sent him to Enoch, saying, go. Then, under pain of death, you must and listen to his voice and tell him that he is to explain to you and interpret his dreams. When the Joseph Smith versions, they send him and say scrolls Version he comes to him and tell us plainly who you are. They’re scared. They must know who he is. In this case, the giants are the two giants, Oya and Mahija. And Oya sends Mahija to find out. It says in Joseph Smith, he says, it was the man Mahita went and asked him the question here it says, it was the giant Mah, and ask him the same question just who are you? Then he goes on, and he said to him, this is the answer.
He said, I came and he said to them, I came out from the land of my father’s, a land of righteousness unto this day. In the book of the giants. Oh, yeah, following Mouji’s report, comes back and reports, he says that our accusers say they dwell in the heavens, for they live in the holy of Oats, and they are more powerful than I once, David, we live in a land of righteousness. I live in the holy of Odes to this day. And as I journeyed by the sea east, he’s telling Enoch, he’s telling it, I beheld a vision of all the heavens I saw as I journeyed. I went up on the mount, even the heavens opened, and Mahoey rose up into the air like a whirlwind. And he flew and crossed the solitude, the great desert. And he caught sight of Enoch, and he called his, saying to him, ask him to give him an oracle. And then Enoch tells him, he tells the people, you cannot deny because they’ve sinned so terribly this time we cannot deny for a book of remembrance we have written among us in the book of the Giants, he says to you, mahuja, the two tablets and the second has not been read up until now, is the book of Blank Blank Blank.
Then you go on in Joseph Smith’s version, according to the pattern given by the finger of God in our own language. And the Dead Sea Scrolls version says the copy of the second tablet of the EPISM written by Enoch, distinguished by the scribe’s own hand and the Holy One to Shamihaza and his companions, you notice in the finger of God in our own language. This is written by Enoch with the scribe’s own hand and the Holy One. Then you go on the next, and this is a strange thing that happens now. And as Enoch speak forth the words of God, the people trembled and could not stand in his presence. Dead Sea Scold version says, oya said to Mahoui, and I do not tremble. Who showed you all that? Tell us. And Mahoudji said, Barakael, my father was with me. And Oya said to Ahi and his brother Blank blank. And they prostrated themselves and began to weep before Enoch. Now here we have the one. As Enoch sprayed forth the words of God, the people trembled and could not stand in his presence. And in the other I showed you. They said to him, why do I and do I not tremble?
Who showed you all? And tell us. Barack hall said brother. And they prostrated themselves and began to they couldn’t stand in one case, they prostrated themselves in the other, and they trembled in one case and they trembled in the other. And then the longest fragment talks about the deprevity and misery of the people and their petition is rejected. God has cast them out. All for is all for the worst. Joseph Smith version says, they said unto them, we are made partakers of misery and woe carnal central and devilish and are shut out from the presence of God. One says, God has cast them out. They are shut out from the presence of God. Have other biblical scholars recognized this parallel and has created more of a this was first published in 1976 in English. The Oxford published it. It was Father Millik that wrote it. But Matthew Black, British scholar, he was the one who converted into English. He was the one. And he was coming to provoke, to visit. The very weakness came out and he wrote and asked me if there’s something I would like him to talk about. So I David. Well, tell me about Mahough.
Mahija. And when I met him, he pointed his pocket where he had a letter there. Said, I have your letter here. Well, we had some long talks, four hour talks. In one case he never would mention. His only answer was, well, we’ll find out some day. He had a source somewhere. That’s all he could say. But I like what comes next? Just take this next beauty there, because it could hardly be accidental. Well, then, if that will turn on to me and repent, asking all things in his name, it shall be given you. And then the old world, one says, and yet loosen your bonds of sin which tie you up and begin to pray. Inasmuch as thy children are conceived in sin, even so sin conceived within their hearts. Therefore they teach them to your children that all men everywhere must repent. And Enoch the giants says, let it be known to you that all your works and all those of your wives and your children and the wives of their children by your prostitution on earth, it befell you. And this is a stunning and dramatic one. And Enoch and and he enoch led the people of God and their enemies came to battle against him.
And he spake the word of the Lord and the earth trembled. The other one says, Oya is the enemy of Enoch says, by the strength of my power I have attacked all flesh and I have made bore with them. They live in holy abodes and they are more powerful than I. And then the Jonas myth continues right at this point. And a roar of lions was heard out of the wilderness and all nations feared greatly. And the other continues at this point. And the roaring of wild beasts came out and multitude of wild animals began to cry out and Oya spoke. My dream has overwhelmed me and sleep of my eyes has fled a roar of the lions and all nations failed greatly as against a roaring of wild beasts, and my dream has overwhelmed yes, go ahead.
So if you were to summarize your general point, what you’re saying there is that the Aramaic that was discovered, it.
Had been through the washing machine. None of the other versions that had.
Been discovered before had this.
This episode is entirely missed on the Joseph Smith version. Remember, we have hundreds of versions now of Enoch. It was very popular, 27 site.
When was the air made?
Discovered? That one. That’s 1950. Not before 1950. So he couldn’t have used that. They said he could have used this one. No, he couldn’t. The others were not available at all in this country. But because of the time, they say, well, there’s just a dim possibility we might have had Richard Lawrence’s version of 1821. But Richard Lawrence’s version never reached this country. And it was very much discredited and over Academy, it was absolutely denounced. They said they threw it out, it was put on the index, nothing to do. So I don’t think Joseph ever saw that. But if he did, he never saw this, be sure of that. But these are just coincidences. It’s nice if you have coincidences like that.
dyejo
Guest Author
J Washburn
