1. Ancient Biblical Figure
2. Ancestors and Descendants
3. Piety and Prophecies
4. Taken by God
5. Orthodox Beliefs
6. Opinions of Aggadic Scholars
7. Other Interpretations
8. Comparisons to Other Ancient Beliefs
9. Apocryphal Books

Ancient Biblical Figure

Enoch was the seventh patriarch after Adam, descending from Seth, Jared, and the father of Methuselah. He was the great-grandfather of Noah. According to Joseph of Volotsk, he lived 4,000 years before Christ. The biblical text describes that at the age of 365, he was taken by the Creator to heaven alive because of his piety. Known by his name, the apocryphal Book of Enoch is one of the most widely read and informative Jewish texts.

Ancestors and Descendants

Enoch's ancestors included:
- Adam (lived 930 years)
- Seth (912 years)
- Enosh (905 years)
- Cainan (910 years)
- Mahalalel (895 years)
- Jared (962 years)
His descendants were:
- Methuselah (969 years)
- Lamech (777 years)

- Noah (950 years), who bore Shem, Ham, and Japheth at the age of 500.

Piety and Prophecies

Out of the ten "forefathers," Enoch (the seventh) lived the shortest and was the first in their history to "walk with God" - a phrase repeated twice. The same is said of his great-grandson, Noah. Apostle Paul rephrased this expression as "pleasing to God" (Hebrews 11:5) and clarified that "he was translated so that he did not see death."

Apostle Jude refers to Enoch's prophecies against contemporary and future wicked people in his epistle (Jude 1:14), where Enoch is called "the seventh from Adam."

Taken by God

The fifth chapter of the Book of Genesis, which contains the genealogy from Adam to Noah and their sons, mentions "he died" for all other ancestors of Noah - unlike Enoch. These enigmatic statements have been interpreted in later non-biblical traditions as indicating that, unlike other patriarchs, Enoch did not die but was taken to heaven by God, freeing him from death caused by the sins of the first parents.

Orthodox Beliefs

In Orthodox theology, there is a belief that Enoch and Elijah (Elias) were not taken to heaven but to a secret place where they await the coming of the last days described in the Revelation of John the Theologian. The appearance of Enoch with the prophet Elijah is anticipated by Christians before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. According to church belief, Enoch will one day return to the earth to pay the debt to nature, that is, to die.

Opinions of Aggadic Scholars

In Jewish exegesis, there are two approaches to interpreting the brief biblical report of Enoch's passing:

- The rationalistic approach sees the expression "and he is not, for the Lord took him" as a metaphor for Enoch's sudden death.

- The mystical approach interprets this expression as indicating Enoch's ascension to heaven alive.

Other Interpretations

Mystical interpretations of Enoch's death include:
- Ben Sirach (Sirach 44:15 and 49:16)
- The Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 11:5)
- Josephus Flavius (Jewish Antiquities, I, 3, 4)
- The Book of Jubilees (IV)
- The Book of the Ascension of Isaiah (9)
- The Talmudic tractate Derech-Eretz Zuta (section I)

- Pseudo-Jonathan translates: "and he is not among the inhabitants of the earth, for he fell into a lethargic sleep and ascended to heaven by the word of God, and was given the name Metatron, the great scribe."

Comparisons to Other Ancient Beliefs

Similar beliefs in the ascension of notable figures to heaven have been found among other ancient civilizations:

- In the legend of Romulus, the founder of the city of Rome, Livy (History of Rome from its Foundation, I, 16) uses the expression "nec deinde in terris fuit."

- Hercules is also said to have been taken to heaven, as well as Ganymede.

- Samuel Bochart (Phaleg et Canaan, II, 13) cites the saga of King Nannake, who lived in the city of Iconium before the Deucalionian flood. His life lasted over 300 years, according to this saga, and he predicted the flood and bitterly lamented the fate of mankind, who would perish after his death.

Apocryphal Books

Several apocryphal books bear Enoch's name. The most famous is the first Book of Enoch, commonly called the "Book of Enoch." It is mentioned and cited in the works of many church fathers, including Tertullian, Irenaeus, Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, and others.

The text is dated to the 2nd-1st centuries BCE and is a rich source for studying the religious worldview of the Jews of that era. As seen in the comparison of the Epistle of Jude (Jude 1:14-16) and the Book of Enoch (Enoch 1:9), it was also used by early Christian writers.

Mythology