kata ta biblia

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To Whom Does Knowledge Belong?

I had an “aha” moment reading the Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36) this weekend. As far as I can tell, this question (To whom does knowledge belong?) is the root of any connection between wisdom and apocalyptic literature. Can it really be that easy? This quarter we have been wading through swamps of nuanced attempts to uncover the social history of wisdom literature. I think several of us in the seminar have been a bit bewildered by the topic.

Just this week we made the transition to discussing wisdom and apocalyptic together, using Ben Sira and the Book of the Watchers. As I was rereading 1 Enoch–perhaps my favorite ancient text outside the biblical canon (Perpetua and Felicitas is a contender as well)–it just hit me. What is wisdom literature about? The pursuit of knowledge. What is apocalyptic literature about? The revelation of hidden things. Both genres are focused upon access to knowledge and the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate knowledge. I’m not saying that the two genres (wisdom and apocalyptic) have the same approach to the question, but it appears they share the question in common.

These are some of the things that sparked my epiphany . . . The Book of the Watchers discusses the scandalous acts of the “bad angels” who swoop down to earth not only to have sex with and make wives out of human women, but also to unveil hidden secrets that had disastrous consequences. 1 Enoch says that Asael (though he was not alone!) “has taught all iniquity on the earth, and has revealed eternal mysteries that are in heaven” (9:6). Later, Enoch notices the “tree of wisdom, whose fruit the holy ones eat and learn great wisdom” (32:4). This is the tree that “your father of old and your mother of old . . . ate and learned wisdom. And their eyes were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they were driven from the garden” (32:6). So, two Genesis stories (Adam and Eve, and Gen 6) exemplify the inappropriate disbursement of knowledge.

God, of course, sees all things: “there is nothing that can be hidden from you” (9:5). For now, aside from God and the heavenly beings, Enoch alone (the “righteous scribe”!) has access to the divine secrets. But at the final judgment, “wisdom will be given to all the chosen” (5:8). Enoch–another Genesis reference–exemplifies the appropriate acquiring of knowledge. The chosen holy ones will also enter into that knowledge when the time is right.

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5 Comments by Patrick George McCullough  /  May 4, 2009  /  Posted in: 1 Enoch, apocalyptic literature, Ben Sira, knowledge, Ra'anan Boustan, wisdom
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  • http://updatereligion.blogspot.com/ David

    I am wondering if this trajectory might not extend even further, perhaps into so-called gnosticism. Secret knowledge revealed to the few, whether by angels or by Jeshua himself. Makes one wonder if one of the outcomes of apocalyptic and wisdom literature was contributing to gnostic traditions, particularly of the Jewish flavor.

  • http://patmccullough.com/ Patrick George McCullough

    Good eye, David. You’re not the first to suggest it. I will probably blog on this at some point in the future.

  • http://updatereligion.blogspot.com/ David

    This is an area of interest for me, amateur that I am. It seems that scholars of the Second Temple period and associated movements don’t cross over the CE/BCE boundary into gnosticism very much. It’s very easy to suppose connections that may not be there, but the parallels are striking. How much of gnosticism originated with deposed Jewish priests who no longer had a place to perform or practice? Are there connections, or merely surface similarities? Now that we have had the DSS and Hag Hamaddi texts for 60 or so years, it seems to me about time to look at the potential trajectories, however indirect, between them. Not to mention possible developments into Kabbalah.

  • http://patmccullough.com/ Patrick George McCullough

    Thanks for the reply, David. I don’t know about Kabbalah, but I assure you, the relationship between gnostic and apocalyptic is not a neglected field. I will probably be addressing it in my dissertation. I’m just sticking to the wisdom and apocalyptic connection for now.

  • http://updatereligion.blogspot.com/ David

    When/if you do, please provide a few references. I haven’t found anything, but then my research skills are still in development. lol

    Might spark a nice thread. Are there any sites/blogs that you know of that focus on these areas? Aside from April DeConick’s.