Class Year

2023

Document Type

Student Research Paper

Date of Creation

Fall 2022

Department 1

History

Abstract

The Book of Enoch is a non-canonical text that is often referenced in later Judeo-Christian apocalyptic texts and mythology. Enoch scholarship is limited to the past two centuries due to its status as a “lost” work; research has only recently begun. Most prior scholars focused their research on examining the text through the lens of form and historical criticism. They sought to define the genre, to contextualize the book, to determine its authorship, and simply to translate the text from various languages. Though research focused on the Watchers as literary devices in the historical narrative, this study proposes using monster theory to turn the discussion away from Watchers as simply narrative devices. It shifts the focus to their status as “monsters,” used as symbols to create chaos and to mark identity. Furthermore, it examines how this changes their relationship to humans and God in the text. This study determines that the Watchers are often representative of the blurred boundaries between what is good/familiar and bad/uncanny to the Hebrew community, whether that be in their appearance or actions.

Comments

Written for HIST 426: History and Highest Criticism

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