Book of Moses Evidence: Enoch, a Student of Righteousness

Teaching and learning are prominent themes in Moses 6. The reader is informed that a “book of remembrance” was kept among Adam’s righteous posterity and that they were “taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled.” It is later mentioned that this record was based on a divine or heavenly template given to mankind by God himself: “For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God” (Moses 6:6, 46).

These things were passed down through a line of sacred patriarchs. Seth “taught his son Enos in the ways of God; wherefore Enos prophesied also” (Moses 6:13). Likewise, “Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God” (Moses 6:21). Enoch reiterated this same detail when introducing himself in Moses 6:41: “I came out from the land of Cainan, the land of my fathers, a land of righteousness unto this day. And my father taught me in all the ways of God.”

Summarizing the efforts of this righteous lineage, Enoch explained that “they were preachers of righteousness, and spake and prophesied, and called upon all men, everywhere, to repent; and faith was taught unto the children of men” (Moses 6:23). When he received his prophetic commission, Enoch himself was commanded to join in these preaching efforts: “And he heard a voice from heaven, saying: Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent” (Moses 6:27).1

This pattern of righteous preaching and education was initiated by the Lord himself, who said unto Adam, “Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, …. Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children” (Moses 6:57–58).

Taken together, these passages present education as a defining feature of the patriarchal tradition among Adam’s righteous descendants. Divine knowledge passed on from parents to children and was proclaimed more broadly through preaching and prophecy. Reading, writing, and recordkeeping also played an important role in preserving and transmitting these sacred teachings. 

Enoch as Learner and Teacher

In agreement with the Book of Moses, many extrabiblical sources depict Enoch as the consummate learner and teacher, one who both inherited and perpetuated a tradition of righteous instruction. Summarizing the diverse body of literature on this subject, John Reeves and Annette Reed write,

The type of wisdom (Aramaic חכמא) or knowledge frequently associated with the name of Enoch and his cross-cultural avatars embraces a vast reservoir of topics. These include cosmology, cosmography, angelology, magical praxis, computation, annotated inventories of the various objects, places, and sites which comprise both the physical universe and the “supernatural” locales situated “above” and “below” it. … According to our sources, there are primarily two ways by which Enoch manages to acquire such expertise.

One way can be categorized as experiential: it usually involves an encounter between Enoch and one or more supernatural, usually angelic, guides. In this scenario Enoch is temporarily removed from human society and then shown various sites on earth and in the heavens. Occasionally he is permitted to approach the throne of God Himself and procure information directly from the deity. At other times he is allowed to read or transcribe written books or tablets which are archived in heaven. Often he is exhorted to share the results of his tutelage with his son Methuselah and the other residents of the earth. Textual instances which illustrate this mode of education are already present in some of our earliest datable examples of Enochic literature, and they continue to recur in various guises throughout the multilingual spectrum of primary witnesses.

The second way in which Enoch is said to acquire his extraordinary range of knowledge is one that is not dependent upon individual visionary experience, but is instead grounded in an authoritative chain of written transmission which reflects the values of scribal wisdom or scholasticism. According to these texts and their contextual frameworks, Enoch inherits or is awarded custodianship of one or more “books” or writings that were once in the possession of prominent ancestral predecessors like Adam or Seth. Then, after learning from and supplementing these ancient texts, he bequeaths them in turn to one of his descendants who proves worthy of this important legacy. Enoch thus functions as an essential link in the chain of tradition by which such knowledge acquires its authority.2

Providing a comprehensive survey of the sources which establish these points is beyond the scope of this article, but some representative examples can be cited. According to Jubilees 4:17, for instance, Enoch was “the first who learned writing and knowledge and wisdom, from (among) the sons of men, from (among) those who were born upon earth.”3

In 1 Enoch 93:2–3 we read, “Then after that Enoch happened to be recounting from the books. And Enoch said, ‘Concerning the children of righteousness … I will speak these things, my children, verily I, Enoch, myself, and let you know (about it) according to that which was revealed to me from the heavenly vision, that which I have learned from the words of the holy angels, and understood from the heavenly tablets.’”4 According to 2 Enoch 47:2, he told his children to “receive these books in your father’s handwriting, and read them. For the books are many; and in them you will learn all the deeds of the LORD.”5

Concerning the angel Metatron (Enoch in his glorified state), the Lord told the residents of heaven in 3 Enoch 10:5: “Whatever he says to you in my name you must observe and do, because I have committed to him the Prince of Wisdom and the Prince of Understanding, to teach him the wisdom of those above and of those below, the wisdom of this world and of the world to come.”6 Later, in 3 Enoch 48C:12, Metatron is depicted as instructing children in heaven, in connection with Isaiah 28:9: “He brings them beneath the throne of glory, and sits them down around him in classes, in companies, and in groups, and teaches them Torah, and wisdom, and haggadah, and tradition, and he completes for them their study of the scroll of the Law, as it is written, To whom shall one teach knowledge, whom shall one instruct in the tradition? Them that are weaned from the milk, them that are taken from the breasts.”7 The same notion is found in Bereshit Rabbati.8

A Zohar text called Terumah states that “Messengers—supernal angels—came and taught [Enoch] supernal wisdom.”9 Another Zohar passage records the following:

They [the angels] brought down to Adam the protoplast (from heaven) an actual book, and using it he became knowledgeable about supernal wisdom. That book later reached the “sons of God” (Gen 6:1?)—the wise of their generation—and whoever gained the privilege to peruse it learned from it supernal wisdom. They devoted attention to it and became learned in it. That book was brought down to Adam by the “lord of mysteries,” preceded by three messengers. …

We are thus taught that Enoch also had a book, and that book was from the (same) place as the “book of the generations of Adam” (Gen 5:1). Truly this is a secret of wisdom, for he was removed from the earth, as scripture states: “and he was not, for God took him” (Gen 5:24), and he is the “youth” of whom it is written: “Educate the youth (חנך לנער) in accordance with His way” (Prov 22:6).10

Islamic sources likewise consistently link sacred knowledge with Idris (their name for Enoch). Here are several examples:

• “His name in the Torah is Enoch (Akhnūkh), and he was called ‘Idrīs’ due to his constant study (dars) of books, meaning books and wisdom of God. He was the first one who wrote with a pen.”11
• “And God revealed thirty books to Idrīs. … They say he was named ‘Idrīs’ due to the breadth of his study as it pertained to the invocation of God, may He be exalted and praised, and His scripture.”12
• “He was Enoch b. Mahalalel (sic!) b. Qaynān, and he was named ‘Idrīs’ due to his frequent study of the books of Adam and Seth. … He was a diligent devotee (of God).”13
• “The first prophet after Seth was Idrīs, and his name was Enoch b. Yared b. Mahalalel. He was called ‘Idrīs’ due to the multitude of his studies.”14
• “Story of Idrīs the prophet, upon whom be peace! People who know this lore claim that he is (the same as) Enoch b. Yared b. Mahalalel b. Qaynān b. Enosh b. Seth b. Adam. …He received the name ‘Idrīs’ on account of the large number of his scholarly pursuits.”15

One Islamic text is particularly descriptive of the sacred scribe-related information passed down through the line of Seth, including Enoch’s role in that transmission:

And after these letters (of the alphabet) had been revealed, Adam learned them and taught them to his son Seth. The latter bequeathed them to Enosh, then (they came) to Qaynān, then (they came) to Mahalalel, then (they came) to Yared, up to when God sent Enoch the younger; i.e., Idris. Then God revealed fifty writings to him, and He revealed to him these very same letters, and Idrīs (upon whom be peace!) wrote them down. He was the first to write with the pen after Enosh b. Seth. Afterwards Idrīs taught them to his offspring, and he said to them: “My children! Be apprised that you are Ṣābiʾūn (i.e., Ṣābians)! Learn the art of writing while you are young in order to benefit by it when you are old!”16

Jared’s Righteous Instruction

Scripture often tells us little about the parents or education of righteous prophetic figures, and not all righteous prophets had righteous parents.17 It is therefore notable that Moses 6 twice attributes Enoch’s religious instruction to his father Jared. In Moses 6:21 we read that “Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God.” Enoch repeated this detail in Moses 6:41: “I came out from the land of Cainan, the land of my fathers, a land of righteousness unto this day. And my father taught me in all the ways of God.”

An emphasis on Jared’s paternal instruction can also be found in various extrabiblical sources. One example comes from an early Christian document known as the Cave of Treasures. When introducing Jared, the text declares, “He was an honourable man, perfect in all goodness, and he remained day and night exceedingly faithful in prayer. Because of his good guidance he lived longer than all his children with him.”18 When the descendants of Seth began to grow in wickedness and desired to mingle with the children of Cain, Jared and Enoch together instructed them to preserve the righteous oaths and commandments of the fathers:

When the children of Seth heard this noisy uproar and laughter in the camp of Cain’s children, about 100 valiant men of them gathered and set their mind upon going down to the camp of the children of Cain. When Jared heard and began to know their words, (he said:) “I implore you by Abel’s innocent blood: Do not go down from this holy mountain! Remember and think of the oaths which our fathers Seth, Enosh, Kenan and Mahalalel made us swear.” Enoch also told them: “Listen, children of Seth, whoever breaks the commandment of Jared and his fathers’ oaths and goes down from this mountain, can never come up again.” But they did not wish to listen to Jared’s advice and the words of Enoch.19

Similar statements are made of Jared (also known as Yared) in various Islamic sources. One text explains that Enoch “was designated successor of his father Yared: he committed to him that which his forefathers had bequeathed to him and to each one succeeding them.”20 Another reports that “<Yared> empowered Enoch and entrusted him with the legacy of his father. He taught him the knowledge which he had received from him. … His father [Jared] put him [Enoch] unharmed in the temple, and he taught him the writings.”21

A separate source, which identifies Enoch as the prophet Idris, explains, “Then he (i.e., Yared) appointed Idrīs [i.e., Enoch] as executor (of God’s laws) after him—his name in the Torah is Enoch …. He (i.e., Idrīs) was the first prophet whom God called. He taught him computation and writing/Scripture.”22 Yet another declares that “the name (of Yared’s heir) in the Hebrew Torah is Enoch. Its meaning in Arabic pertains to learned studies. He is (the same as) Idrīs, upon whom be peace!”23

The Ways of God

The notion that Enoch’s instruction involved the “ways of God” is also significant: “And Jared taught Enoch in all the ways of God” (Moses 6:21). Once again, this specific element is repeated later on by Enoch himself: “And my father taught me in all the ways of God” (Moses 6:41).

In 3 Enoch, as part of his explanation for why he was called a “youth” (i.e., lad), Metatron declared, “Because I am Enoch, the son of Jared. When the generation of the Flood sinned and turned to evil deeds, and said to God, ‘Go away! We do not choose to learn your ways,’ the Holy One, blessed be he, took me from their midst to be a witness against them in the heavenly height.”24 By implication, this suggests that Enoch’s message may have involved the “ways” of God.

This concept also has parallels in a couple of rabbinic texts:

• “Truly this is a secret of wisdom, for [Enoch] was removed from the earth, as scripture states: ‘and he was not, for God took him’ (Gen 5:24), and he is the ‘youth’ of whom it is written: ‘Educate the youth (חנך לנער) in accordance with His way’ (Prov 22:6).”25
• “As it is written (in Scripture): ‘And he was no more, because God took him’ (Gen 5:24): ‘and he was no more’ signifies ‘in this world’; ‘and he was no more’ means ‘as he existed in this world.’ ‘Because God took him’ means ‘(he became) another image’; in that (world) he is permanently a youth. This secret we found (in the verse): ‘Enoch became a youth following His way’ (Prov 22:6) (so as) to conduct all the worlds.”26

The fact that these commentaries directly link Enoch with Proverbs 22:6—a famous passage about instructing children in the way of the Lord—is quite striking.27 The specific context of these rabbinic statements may also be significant, as each is given immediately after commentary on Genesis 5:24, much like Moses 6:21 is part of a revelatory expansion inserted between Genesis 5:18–20. In other words, the statements about Enoch’s instruction in the Book of Moses and in these Jewish sources all connect back to the same textual unit in Genesis 5:18–24.28 

A similar description of Enoch gaining “knowledge of the ways of the Lord” shows up amid these same contextual elements in a text known as Sefer ha-Yashar. For comparison, this Jewish account has been placed alongside related passages in Moses 6 and Genesis 5 in the chart below (with corresponding elements color-coded and the key parallel underlined for easier identification):29

Impressively, this same Jewish source then goes on to emphasize this detail again and again (with the following excerpts coming from just a single page of text):

An angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, saying, ‘Enoch! Enoch!’ He responded, ‘Here I am.’ He (the angel) said to him: ‘Arise and depart from your house and the place wherein you were concealed, and assume rulership over all of humanity so that you might instruct them in the way they should behave and about the action(s) they should perform in order to walk in the ways of the Lord.’ … He issued a decree and circulated a message among all the places where humanity dwelt which said: ‘Whoever wishes to know the ways of the Lord and proper behavior should come to Enoch!’ … Divine inspiration would fill Enoch, and he would teach all present the wisdom of the Lord and His ways. … Enoch instructed them in wisdom, knowledge, and the way of the Lord, and established good relations among all of them … He supervised their progress in the ways of the Lord.”30

A variation on this theme is also found in 1 Enoch, in connection with the ancient doctrine of the Two Ways.31 After having his son Methuselah summon together his family, Enoch declared,

Now I shall speak unto you, my children, and show you the ways of righteousness and the ways of wickedness. Moreover, I shall make a revelation to you so that you may know that which is going to take place. Now listen to me, my children, and walk in the way of righteousness, and do not walk in the way of wickedness, for all those who walk in the ways of injustice shall perish. (1 Enoch 91:18–19)32

Conclusion

If Joseph Smith were just making up information about the prophet Enoch, there is no guarantee that similar information would turn up in arcane extrabiblical traditions. In this instance, however, the parallels with extant Enochic lore are quite striking. They include at least the following shared elements: (1) the perpetuation of righteous instruction among Adam’s posterity, (2) education that specifically involves reading and writing, (3) the role of sacred books and recordkeeping, (4) Jared’s righteous instruction of Enoch, (5) Enoch’s prominent status as a learner and purveyor of sacred knowledge, and (6) repeated descriptions of Enoch being educated or educating others in the “ways of God.” Such multifaceted resemblances with diverse texts and traditions—most of which would not have been available to Joseph Smith in 1830—strengthen the case for the genuine antiquity of the Book of Moses.33