Ascension
In the ancient chronicles of Enoch, a righteous patriarch chosen by God, we witness his ascent from earthly reign to divine calling. Enoch, guided by heavenly visions and angelic decrees, withdraws periodically from mankind, imparting divine wisdom amid signs and wonders that stir both kings and common folk alike. As the appointed time nears, a celestial horse descends from heaven, marking the moment of Enoch’s departure amidst a gathering of nations eager for his counsel. With an entourage numbering in the hundreds of thousands, Enoch ascends into the heavens on a whirlwind of fire and chariots, leaving behind a legacy of divine knowledge and a promise of eternal peace.
Following Enoch’s departure, kings and rulers venture to the snowy peak where he ascended, hoping to find his followers, only to discover an empty landscape swept clean by his ascension. Methuselah, Enoch’s son, is anointed to rule in his father’s stead, upholding the teachings of righteousness and fearing God. However, humanity descends into corruption and rebellion, disregarding Methuselah’s warnings and provoking the Lord’s wrath. The earth, cursed by God, yields only thorns and thistles as mankind persists in their sinful ways. God’s regret turns to judgment as he decides to destroy humanity, unleashing his righteous fury upon a world gone astray.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
GENESIS
5%
ENOCH
34%
JASHER
51%
JUBILEES
10%
Exposition
Enoch teaches wisdom throughout his reign
Jasher 3:17-22
Cain dies from his house falling on him
Jubilees 4:31-32
Rising Action
J: 21 | Y: 987 | Enoch asked to reign in heaven
Jasher 3:23-26
The garments of skin from YHWH are given to Methuselah
Jasher 7:25b
Climax
The horse from heaven
Jasher 3:27-35
Enoch enters the Garden of Eden
Jubilees 4:23-26
Enoch ascends to heaven
Genesis 5:22-24, Jasher 3:36, 4:1, Enoch 70:1-4
Enoch enters heaven
Enoch 71:1-17
Falling Action
The kings search for the men who went with Enoch
Jasher 3:37-38
Methuselah is anointed king
Jasher 4:2-4
Resolution
The great famine
Jahser 4:5-8
Enoch teaches wisdom throughout his reign
Jasher 3:17-22
17 And it was in the year of Adam’s death which was the two hundred and forty-third year of the reign of Enoch, in that time Enoch resolved to separate himself from the sons of men and to secret himself as at first in order to serve the Lord.
18 And Enoch did so, but did not entirely secret himself from them, but kept away from the sons of men three days and then went to them for one day.
19 And during the three days that he was in his chamber, he prayed to, and praised the Lord his God, and the day on which he went and appeared to his subjects he taught them the ways of the Lord, and all they asked him about the Lord he told them.
20 And he did in this manner for many years, and he afterward concealed himself for six days, and appeared to his people one day in seven; and after that once in a month, and then once in a year, until all the kings, princes and sons of men sought for him, and desired again to see the face of Enoch, and to hear his word; but they could not, as all the sons of men were greatly afraid of Enoch, and they feared to approach him on account of the Godlike awe that was seated upon his countenance; therefore no man could look at him, fearing he might be punished and die.
21 And all the kings and princes resolved to assemble the sons of men, and to come to Enoch, thinking that they might all speak to him at the time when he should come forth amongst them, and they did so.
22 And the day came when Enoch went forth and they all assembled and came to him, and Enoch spoke to them the words of the Lord and he taught them wisdom and knowledge, and they bowed down before him and they said, May the king live! May the king live!
Cain dies from his house falling on himi
Jubilees 4:31-32
31 At the close of this jubilee Cain was killed after him in the same year; for his house fell upon him and he died in the midst of his house, and he was killed by its stones; for with a stone he had killed Abel, and by a stone was he killed in righteous judgment.
32 For this reason it was ordained on the heavenly tablets: With the instrument with which a man kills his neighbour with the same shall he be killed; after the manner that he wounded him, in like manner shall they deal with him.’
Jubilee: 21
Year: 987
Enoch asked to reign in heaven
Jasher 3:23-26
23 And in some time after, when the kings and princes and the sons of men were speaking to Enoch, and Enoch was teaching them the ways of God, behold an angel of the Lord then called unto Enoch from heaven, and wished to bring him up to heaven to make him reign there over the sons of God, as he had reigned over the sons of men upon earth.
24 When at that time Enoch heard this he went and assembled all the inhabitants of the earth, and taught them wisdom and knowledge and gave them divine instructions, and he said to them, I have been required to ascend into heaven, I therefore do not know the day of my going.
25 And now therefore I will teach you wisdom and knowledge and will give you instruction before I leave you, how to act upon earth whereby you may live; and he did so.
26 And he taught them wisdom and knowledge, and gave them instruction, and he reproved them, and he placed before them statutes and judgments to do upon earth, and he made peace amongst them, and he taught them everlasting life, and dwelt with them some time teaching them all these things.
The garments of skin from YHWH are given to Methuselah
Jasher 7:25b
25b and when Enoch was taken up to God, he gave them to Methuselah, his son.
The horse from heaven
Jasher 3:27-35
27 And at that time the sons of men were with Enoch, and Enoch was speaking to them, and they lifted up their eyes and the likeness of a great horse descended from heaven, and the horse paced in the air;
28 And they told Enoch what they had seen, and Enoch said to them, On my account does this horse descend upon earth; the time is come when I must go from you and I shall no more be seen by you.
29 And the horse descended at that time and stood before Enoch, and all the sons of men that were with Enoch saw him.
30 And Enoch then again ordered a voice to be proclaimed, saying, Where is the man who delighteth to know the ways of the Lord his God, let him come this day to Enoch before he is taken from us.
31 And all the sons of men assembled and came to Enoch that day; and all the kings of the earth with their princes and counsellors remained with him that day; and Enoch then taught the sons of men wisdom and knowledge, and gave them divine instruction; and he bade them serve the Lord and walk in his ways all the days of their lives, and he continued to make peace amongst them.
32 And it was after this that he rose up and rode upon the horse; and he went forth and all the sons of men went after him, about eight hundred thousand men; and they went with him one day’s journey.
33 And the second day he said to them, Return home to your tents, why will you go? Perhaps you may die; and some of them went from him, and those that remained went with him six day’s journey; and Enoch said to them every day, Return to your tents, lest you may die; but they were not willing to return, and they went with him.
34 And on the sixth day some of the men remained and clung to him, and they said to him, We will go with thee to the place where thou goest; as the Lord liveth, death only shall separate us.
35 And they urged so much to go with him, that he ceased speaking to them; and they went after him and would not return;
Enoch enters the Garden of Eden
Jubilees 4:23-26
23 And he was taken from amongst the children of men, and we conducted him into the Garden of Eden in majesty and honour, and behold there he writes down the condemnation and judgment of the world, and all the wickedness of the children of men.
24 And on account of it (God) brought the waters of the flood upon all the land of Eden; for there he was set as a sign and that he should testify against all the children of men, that he should recount all the deeds of the generations until the day of condemnation.
25 And he burnt the incense of the sanctuary, (even) sweet spices acceptable before the Lord on the Mount.
26 For the Lord has four places on the earth, the Garden of Eden, and the Mount of the East, and this mountain on which thou art this day, Mount Sinai, and Mount Zion (which) will be sanctified in the new creation for a sanctification of the earth; through it will the earth be sanctified from all (its) guilt and its uncleanness through- out the generations of the world.
Enoch ascends to heaven
Genesis 5:22-24
22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Jasher 3:36
36 And when the kings returned they caused a census to be taken, in order to know the number of remaining men that went with Enoch; and it was upon the seventh day that Enoch ascended into heaven in a whirlwind, with horses and chariots of fire.
Jasher 4:1
1 And all the days that Enoch lived upon earth, were three hundred and sixty-five years.
Enoch 70:1-4
1 And it came to pass after this that his name during his lifetime was raised aloft to that Son of Man and to the Lord of Spirits from amongst those who dwell on the earth.
2 And he was raised aloft on the chariots of the spirit and his name vanished among them.
3 And from that day I was no longer numbered amongst them: and he set me between the two winds, between the North and the West, where the angels took the cords to measure for me the place for the elect and righteous.
4 And there I saw the first fathers and the righteous who from the beginning dwell in that place.
Enoch enters heaven
Enoch 71:1-17
1 And it came to pass after this that my spirit was translated
And it ascended into the heavens:
And I saw the holy sons of God.
They were stepping on flames of fire:
Their garments were white [and their raiment],
And their faces shone like snow.
2 And I saw two streams of fire,
And the light of that fire shone like hyacinth,
And I fell on my face before the Lord of Spirits.
3 And the angel Michael [one of the archangels] seized me by my right hand,
And lifted me up and led me forth into all the secrets,
And he showed me all the secrets of righteousness.
4 And he showed me all the secrets of the ends of the heaven,
And all the chambers of all the stars, and all the luminaries,
Whence they proceed before the face of the holy ones.
5 And he translated my spirit into the heaven of heavens,
And I saw there as it were a structure built of crystals,
And between those crystals tongues of living fire.
6 And my spirit saw the girdle which girt that house of fire,
And on its four sides were streams full of living fire,
And they girt that house.
7 And round about were Seraphin, Cherubic, and Ophannin:
And these are they who sleep not
And guard the throne of His glory.
8 And I saw angels who could not be counted,
A thousand thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand,
Encircling that house.
And Michael, and Raphael, and Gabriel, and Phanuel,
And the holy angels who are above the heavens,
Go in and out of that house.
9 And they came forth from that house,
And Michael and Gabriel, Raphael and Phanuel,
And many holy angels without number.
10 And with them the Head of Days,
His head white and pure as wool,
And His raiment indescribable.
11 And I fell on my face,
And my whole body became relaxed,
And my spirit was transfigured;
And I cried with a loud voice,
. . .with the spirit of power,
And blessed and glorified and extolled.
12 And these blessings which went forth out of my mouth were well pleasing before that Head of Days. 13. And that Head of Days came with Michael and Gabriel, Raphael and Phanuel, thousands and ten thousands of angels without number.
[Lost passage wherein the Son of Man was described as accompanying the Head of Days, and Enoch asked one of the angels (as in 463) concerning the Son of Man as to who he was.]
14 And he (i.e. the angel) came to me and greeted me with His voice, and said unto me:
‘This is the Son of Man who is born unto righteousness;
And righteousness abides over him,
And the righteousness of the Head of Days forsakes him not.’
15 And he said unto me:
‘He proclaims unto thee peace in the name of the world to come;
For from hence has proceeded peace since the creation of the world,
And so shall it be unto thee for ever and for ever and ever.
16 And all shall walk in his ways since righteousness never forsaketh him:
With him will be their dwelling-places, and with him their heritage,
And they shall not be separated from him for ever and ever and ever.
17 And so there shall be length of days with that Son of Man,
And the righteous shall have peace and an upright way
In the name of the Lord of Spirits for ever and ever.’
The kings search for the men who went with Enoch
Jasher 3:37-38
37 And on the eighth day all the kings that had been with Enoch sent to bring back the number of men that were with Enoch, in that place from which he ascended into heaven.
38 And all those kings went to the place and they found the earth there filled with snow, and upon the snow were large stones of snow, and one said to the other, Come, let us break through the snow and see, perhaps the men that remained with Enoch are dead, and are now under the stones of snow, and they searched but could not find him, for he had ascended into heaven.
Methuselah is anointed king
Jasher 4:2-4
2 And when Enoch had ascended into heaven, all the kings of the earth rose and took Methuselah his son and anointed him, and they caused him to reign over them in the place of his father.
3 And Methuselah acted uprightly in the sight of God, as his father Enoch had taught him, and he likewise during the whole of his life taught the sons of men wisdom, knowledge and the fear of God, and he did not turn from the good way either to the right or to the left.
4 But in the latter days of Methuselah, the sons of men turned from the Lord, they corrupted the earth, they robbed and plundered each other, and they rebelled against God and they transgressed, and they corrupted their ways, and would not hearken to the voice of Methuselah, but rebelled against him.
The great famine
Jasher 4:5-8
5 And the Lord was exceedingly wroth against them, and the Lord continued to destroy the seed in those days, so that there was neither sowing nor reaping in the earth.
6 For when they sowed the ground in order that they might obtain food for their support, behold, thorns and thistles were produced which they did not sow.
7 And still the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were still extended to do evil in the sight of God, and they provoked the Lord with their evil ways, and the Lord was very wroth, and repented that he had made man.
8 And he thought to destroy and annihilate them and he did so.
i. The account of how Cain dies is different between Jasher 2:28 and Jubilees 4:31.
Exposition
Enoch teaches wisdom throughout his reign
Jasher 3:17-22
And it was in the year of Adam’s death which was the 243rd year of the reign of Enoch, in that time Enoch resolved to separate himself from the sons of men and to secret himself as at first to serve the Lord. And Enoch did so, but did not entirely secret himself from them, but kept away from the sons of men for 3 days and then went to them for 1 day. And during the 3 days that he was in his chamber, he prayed to and praised the Lord his God, and the day on which he went and appeared to his subjects he taught them the ways of the Lord, and all they asked him about the Lord he told them. And he did in this manner for many years, and he afterward concealed himself for 6 days and appeared to his people 1 day in 7; and after that once in a month, and then once in a year, until all the kings, princes and sons of men sought for him, and desired again to see the face of Enoch, and to hear his word; but they could not, as all the sons of men were greatly afraid of Enoch, and they feared to approach him on account of the Godlike awe that was seated upon his countenance; therefore no man could look at him, fearing he might be punished and die. And all the kings and princes resolved to assemble the sons of men, and to come to Enoch, thinking that they might all speak to him at the time when he should come forth among them, and they did so. And the day came when Enoch went forth and they all assembled and came to him, and Enoch spoke to them the words of the Lord and he taught them wisdom and knowledge, and they bowed down before him and they said, “May the king live! May the king live!”
Cain dies from his house falling on him
Jubilees 4:31-32
At the close of this jubilee Cain was killed after him in the same year; for his house fell upon him and he died in the middle of his house, and he was killed by its stones; for with a stone he had killed Abel, and by a stone was he killed in righteous judgment. For this reason, it was ordained on the heavenly tablets: “With the instrument with which a man kills his neighbor with the same shall he be killed; after the manner that he wounded him, in like manner shall they deal with him.”
Rising Action
J: 21 | Y: 987 | Enoch asked to reign in heaven
Jasher 3:23-26
And in some time after, when the kings and princes and the sons of men were speaking to Enoch, and Enoch was teaching them the ways of God, behold an angel of the Lord then called to Enoch from heaven, and wished to bring him up to heaven to make him reign there over the sons of God, as he had reigned over the sons of men upon earth. When at that time Enoch heard this he went and assembled all the inhabitants of the earth, and taught them wisdom and knowledge and gave them divine instructions, and he said to them, “I have been required to ascend into heaven, I therefore do not know the day of my going. And now therefore I will teach you wisdom and knowledge and will give you instruction before I leave you, how to act upon earth whereby you may live;” and he did so.
And he taught them wisdom and knowledge, and gave them instruction, and he reproved them, and he placed before them statutes and judgments to do upon earth, and he made peace among them, and he taught them everlasting life, and dwelt with them some time teaching them all these things.
The garments of skin from YHWH are given to Methuselah
Jasher 7:25a
And when Enoch was taken up to God, he gave the garments that were given to Adam and Eve to Methuselah, his son.
Climax
The horse from heaven
Jasher 3:27-35
And at that time the sons of men were with Enoch, and Enoch was speaking to them, and they lifted their eyes and the likeness of a great horse descended from heaven, and the horse paced in the air. And they told Enoch what they had seen, and Enoch said to them, “On my account does this horse descend upon earth; the time is come when I must go from you and I shall no more be seen by you.”
And the horse descended at that time and stood before Enoch, and all the sons of men that were with Enoch saw him. And Enoch then again ordered a voice to be proclaimed, saying, “Where is the man who delights to know the ways of the Lord his God, let him come this day to Enoch before he is taken from us.”
And all the sons of men assembled and came to Enoch that day, and all the kings of the earth with their princes and counselors, and remained with him that day, and Enoch then taught the sons of men wisdom and knowledge, and gave them divine instruction, and he bade them serve the Lord and walk in his ways all the days of their lives, and he continued to make peace among them. And it was after this that he rose and rode upon the horse, and he went forth and all the sons of men went after him, about 800,000 men; and they went with him one day’s journey. And the 2nd day he said to them, “Return home to your tents, why will you go? Perhaps you may die.”
And some of them went from him, and those that remained went with him 6 day’s journey; and Enoch said to them every day, “Return to your tents, unless you may die;” but they were not willing to return, and they went with him.
And on the 6th day, some of the men remained and clung to him, and they said to him, “We will go with you to the place where you go; as the Lord lives, death only shall separate us.”
And they urged so much to go with him, that he ceased speaking to them; and they went after him and would not return.
Enoch enters the Garden of Eden
Jubilees 4:23-26
And he was taken from among the children of men, and we conducted him into the Garden of Eden in majesty and honor, and behold there he writes down the condemnation and judgment of the world, and all the wickedness of the children of men. And on account of it, God brought the waters of the flood upon all the land of Eden; for there he was set as a sign and that he should testify against all the children of men, that he should recount all the deeds of the generations until the day of condemnation. And he burnt the incense of the sanctuary, even sweet spices acceptable before the Lord on the Mount. For the Lord has 4 places on the earth, the Garden of Eden, and the Mount of the East, and this mountain on which you are this day, Mount Sinai, and Mount Zion which will be sanctified in the new creation for a sanctification of the earth; through it will the earth be sanctified from all its guilt and its uncleanness throughout the generations of the world.
Enoch ascends to heaven
Genesis 5:22-24, Jasher 3:36, 4:1, Enoch 70:1-4
When the kings returned they caused a census to be taken, to know the number of remaining men that went with Enoch; and it was upon the 7th day that Enoch ascended into heaven in a whirlwind, with horses and chariots of fire.
And it came to pass after this that his name during his lifetime was raised aloft to that Son of Man and the Lord of Spirits from among those who dwell on the earth. And he was raised aloft on the chariots of the spirit and his name vanished among them. And from that day I was no longer numbered among them: and he set me between the 2 winds, between the North and the West, where the angels took the cords to measure for me the place for the elect and righteous. And there I saw the first fathers and the righteous who from the beginning dwell in that place.
Enoch had walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. All the days of Enoch were 365 years.
Enoch enters heaven
Enoch 71:1-17
And it came to pass after this that my spirit was translated and it ascended into the heavens: And I saw the holy sons of God. They were stepping on flames of fire:
Their garments were white and their raiment, And their faces shone like snow. And I saw 2 streams of fire, And the light of that fire shone like hyacinth, And I fell on my face before the Lord of Spirits. And the angel Michael one of the archangels seized me by my right hand, And lifted me and led me forth into all the secrets, And he showed me all the secrets of righteousness. And he showed me all the secrets of the ends of the heaven, And all the chambers of all the stars, and all the luminaries, Whence they proceed before the face of the holy ones. And he translated my spirit into the heaven of heavens, And I saw there as it were a structure built of crystals, And between those crystals tongues of living fire. And my spirit saw the girdle which girt that house of fire, And on its 4 sides were streams full of living fire, And they girt that house. And roundabout were Seraphim, Cherubic, and Ophannin: And these are they who sleep not And guard the throne of His glory. And I saw angels who could not be counted, 1,000 1,000s, and 10,000 times 10,000, Encircling that house. And Michael, and Raphael, and Gabriel, and Phanuel, And the holy angels who are above the heavens, Go in and out of that house. And they came forth from that house, And Michael and Gabriel, Raphael and Phanuel, And many holy angels without number. And with them the Head of Days, His head was white and pure as wool, And His raiment indescribable. And I fell on my face, And my whole body became relaxed, And my spirit was transfigured, And I cried with a loud voice, . . .with the spirit of power, And blessed and glorified and extolled. And these blessings which went forth out of my mouth were well pleasing before that Head of Days. And that Head of Days came with Michael and Gabriel, Raphael and Phanuel, 1,000s and 10,000s of angels without number.
[Lost passage wherein the Son of Man was described as accompanying the Head of Days, and Enoch asked one of the angels (as in 463) concerning the Son of Man as to who he was.]
And the angel came to me and greeted me with His voice, and said to me: ‘This is the Son of Man who is born to righteousness; And righteousness abides over him, And the righteousness of the Head of Days forsakes him not.”
And he said to me: “He proclaims to you peace in the name of the world to come;
For from here has proceeded peace since the creation of the world. And so shall it be to you forever and forever and ever. And all shall walk in his ways since righteousness never forsakes him: With him will be their dwelling places and with him their heritage, And they shall not be separated from him forever and ever and ever. And so there shall be length of days with that Son of Man, And the righteous shall have peace and an upright way
In the name of the Lord of Spirits forever and ever.”
Falling Action
The kings search for the men who went with Enoch
Jasher 3:37-38
And on the 8th day, all the kings that had been with Enoch sent to bring back the number of men that were with Enoch, in that place from which he ascended into heaven. And all those kings went to the place and they found the earth there filled with snow, and upon the snow were large stones of snow, and one said to the other, “Come, let us break through the snow and see, perhaps the men that remained with Enoch are dead, and are now under the stones of snow,” and they searched but could not find him, for he had ascended into heaven.
Methuselah is anointed king
Jasher 4:2-4
And when Enoch had ascended into heaven, all the kings of the earth rose and took Methuselah his son, and anointed him, and they caused him to reign over them in the place of his father. And Methuselah acted uprightly in the sight of God, as his father Enoch had taught him, and he likewise during the whole of his life taught the sons of men wisdom, knowledge, and the fear of God, and he did not turn from the good way either to the right or to the left. But in the latter days of Methuselah, the sons of men turned from the Lord, they corrupted the earth, they robbed and plundered each other, and they rebelled against God and they transgressed, and they corrupted their ways, and would not hearken to the voice of Methuselah, but rebelled against him.
Resolution
The great famine
Jahser 4:5-8
And the Lord was exceedingly wroth against them, and the Lord continued to destroy the seed in those days so that there was neither sowing nor reaping in the earth. For when they sowed the ground so that they might obtain food for their support, behold, thorns and thistles were produced which they did not sow. And still, the sons of men did not turn from their evil ways, and their hands were still extended to do evil in the sight of God, and they provoked the Lord with their evil ways, and the Lord was very wroth, and repented that he had made man. And he thought to destroy and annihilate them and he did so.
This chart shows who was alive in the years 442-1029.
Years with question marks are estimates.