"
Enoch (Meta{ron) reveals to of creation, ami shows him the repositories of the rain, snow, hail, thunder, anil lii;htnin$;: the courses of the stars; the spirits of those anirels who were punished because they iii<l not jrive praise to God at the riirht time, and whose liodies were turned to great fiery mountains (in striIn clinps. xli.-xlvii. IshiniU'l the inysterics
king analogy to Etliiopie Enoch,
xviii. Il-Ui. xxi.):
the souls cif the rigliteous departed, wlio Iiover around (Jod's tlirone in the form of liinls. and the souls of the righteous yet unborn; the (daces of punishment and the tortures of the wicked in hell (compare "Secrets of Enoch." X.). Then Ishmael sees how the souls of the Patriarchs and of all the righteous ascend out of their graves to heaven, lieseecliiiig God to deliver His |ic<iple Israel from their bondage among the heathen. God answers them tiiat the sins of the wicked hold back the delivery of His people and the realization of His kingdom. While the Patriarchs are weeping at this dcclariition, Michael. Israel's guardian angel, intervenes. ]>Ieading ft)r Israel's flelivery. Thereupon dictation lets Ishmael survey all past and future ages from Adam to the end of time: he sees Messiah b. Joseph and his age. and Jlessiah b. David and his age. together with the wars of Gog and .Alagog an<l the other events of the Messianic era. In the conchuling chapter (xlviii.). Jletatron shows Ishmael the glorious future Jerusalem, where the souls of the righteous stand praying for its advent upon earth. At the s;ime moment God's right hand pours forth five streams of tears which. falling into the ocean, cause the world to shake; and God avers, that, although there is no righteous man upon earth wliose intercession could bring aliout Israel's delivery, yet He will save them for His own sake, for the sake of His justice and His own goodness. God prepares Himself to reveal His mighty power to the heathen whereupon Israel will be immediately delivered and the Messiah will appear to them, in order to conduct them to Jerusalem, where they, to the exclusion of the tyrannical heathen, will share his kingdom, and God will be king over the whole earth. Apart from the fact that R. Ishmael, of the period of the Hadrianic persecution, tigures as the author, and from the allusion in the last chapter to the destruction of the Temple (through which data the earliest date possible is fixed), there are no definite references to historical events and condiliims from which the date of the composition of the "Book of Eniieh" could be more exactly deterDate of mined. There is, however, a passa,ge Composi- in Talmud Berakot about U. Ishmael which naturally suggests itself in this tion. connection, and which admits of the adoption of at least a latest possible date. The passage (7</) reads: " R. Islimael b. Elialia related ' Once I entered into the inmost sanciuary to offer incense; there I saw Akatriel Yah ^ebunt sittin$? upon the hijrh and exalted Ihrone of rnerey. and ll<^alll to me " Ishmael. My son, bless Me! " Thereupon I siwke " .Mav LI please Thee that Thy mercy conquer Thy anper and nuiyest Thou thai Thy men-v push forth as is the way of merey (leal with Thy ehlUlren aeeordinsr to Thy mercy, and requite then), thoiitrh conlniry to the rules of the rigid law tcompai^ the version of MS. Munich]."
VHWH
'
"
Compare also the passage immediately preceding: What does God pray'? Haba says, Jlaj' My mercy '
anger, and may My mercy gush forth as is the way of mercy, and may I deal with 5Iy children according to My mercy, and requite them, though contrary to the rigid rules of the Law. " The parallel is obvious. The passages quoted compel the conclusion that the Hebrew Book of Enoch can not
conquer
678
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
Apocalyptic Literature
My
'
have been written later than the time of the completion of the Babylonian Talmud. 2. An apocalyptic fragment, in which I?. Ishmael likewise tigures as the author, is |)reserved in the "Siddur" of R. Ainram (Jaon (of the second half of It is also contained the ninth century). S!i. I>-Vi'i. in one of the recensions of the "Legend of the Ten in " B. 11." vi. I'J-30), where, hi in natundly. and is, therefori-, Gerson b. as a later insertiini.
Martyrs" (Jillinek. however, it does nut to be
considered
first printed it in "'^'ihus li;i Zaddikim." which appeared in .Mantua in lotil. but with additi(uis at the begiiiiiitig and at the end, which additions in dilTerint versions are all to be found in the various recensions of the "Legend of llie 'I'eii .Martyrs." and are contained in part also These in chaps. iv.-V. of the " llekalot Habbati." portions bear evidence of being later additions in the fact that the la.st of those at the end treats of the preparations which, in the legend, preceded Islimael's ascension, but which, in the context here, would sei'in to be events following his return from heaven. On account of the relationship of these additions to chaps. iv.-V. of the " Hekalot Kabliati," Jelliiiek published them together with the fragment
Asher .Scarmela
Ga.ster as " Ilekalot-Zusiitze " in " IJ. H." v. KiT-lOi). gives a translation of the fragment in the "Journal 1H93, pp. 009 el xeq. of the Royal Asiatic Society." In this fragment R. Ishmael relates that Ssngir, one of the chief angels, revealed to him the suiTerings reserved for Israel; and when he expres.sed wonder that Israel could evereiidun- these, theangel showed him still .iireater sulVerings in store capAs Ishmael and the tivity, famine, and pillage. angel parted, the former heard a voice proclaiming
—
in
Aramaic:
"The sanctuary will be destroyed, the Temple burned down, and the royal palace made destdate the kind's sons will » killed, his wife wiiiuwed, and youths an<l nmi<lensdrappefl away as iHKity the altar will he pn'faned and the table for the show:
bread
1h'
carried oIT by the enemy; Jerusalem will be turned and the land of Israel will l)ecome a picture
into a wilderness, of desolation."
LTpon thisannouncement Ishtiiael fell to the ground tinconscious. but was restored by another of the chief angels, of whom he then asked if there were no remedy for Israel. For answer the angel led him to the place where salvation and comfort were prepared; and Ishmael saw there groiiiis of angels weaving garments of salvation for the lighteous of the future worlil, and making magnificent crowns out of St ones and pearls, jierfumed withnectarand of fragrant odors, one of which crowns was Theangel informed Ishmael of especial brilliance. that the crowns were intended for Israel, the espe-
precious
all sorts
one being for King David. Amid the roar of the motion of the heavens with their armies of stars, and all the hosts of angels, and amid the sound of a great mysterious rustling which proceeded from paradise, Islimael heard: " reigns forever: thy God, () Zion, to all generations! Ishmael then saw David, king of Hidleluiah! " Israel, approach, followed by all w kings of his dynasty, each one with a crown on his head; David's crown out.shining all the others, its lirilliance radiaDavid went up to the ting to the ends of the earth. heavenly Temple, placed himself ui>oii the throne of fire prepared for him near God's throne, and jiresented his homage to God in hymns of praise, proclaiming the eternal duration of His kingdom. Metatron with his angel-hosts, heaven and earth, and, last of all, the kings of the house of David, joined in the shout of praise: " YHAVII will be king over will be One the whole earth; on that day cially magnificent
YIIWH
Y'HWH
and His name One
" !
