Księga Przypowieści Henocha (1 Hen 37–71). Ogólna charakterystyka oraz relacja do Starego i Nowego Testamentu

Abstract

The Parables of Enoch (1 Enoch 37–71) is the second of the five parts in The Ethiopic Book of Enoch. Though popularly referred to as “parables”, it is classified as a literary genre of the apocalypse of the so-called otherworldly journeys with cosmic or political eschatology. This part of 1 Enoch is preserved only in ancient Ethiopic, and its absence in the available ancient translations of 1 Enoch (especially Greek, Latin, or in the original Aramaic), may suggest a late date of composition. In the Book of Parables one can see many references to the texts of the Old and New Testaments. Among the many theological topics appearing in 1 Enoch 37–71, the eschatological figure of the Son of Man deserves a particular attention. A comparison of this figure with descriptions in canonical and non-canonical texts allows us to present a broad spectrum of theories concerning the origin of this character and the phenomena accompanying its manifestation. The approximation of the meaning of the Son of Man in The Book of Parables gives the possibility of a better understanding of this title in relation to the person of Jesus who, according to the accounts of the Evangelists, referred to himself in this way. The use of the term “Son of Man” in the context of The Similitudes of Enoch, allows us to perceive in him an eschatological, mysterious form, coming from God, sharing in His glory, whose task is to make a definitive judgment on the world.