why was the book of enoch removed from the bible
The Book of Enoch was not removed from the Bible so much as it was never universally accepted into the Jewish or Christian biblical canons, with only a few exceptions.
Quick Scoop
- It was widely read in ancient Judaism but never part of the standard Hebrew Bible.
- Most early Christians treated it as influential or interesting, but not as inspired Scripture.
- Questions over authorship, theology, and date led most Jewish and Christian communities to leave it outside the canon.
- Today, it is canonical only in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, where it has long been part of their Old Testament.
Was it actually “removed”?
Many online posts talk like someone secretly deleted the Book of Enoch from the Bible, but historically it’s more accurate to say it was never in most canons to begin with.
- Ancient Judaism formed the core of what Christians call the Old Testament; Enoch was not included in that Hebrew canon by around the 2nd century BC.
- Most Christian groups simply adopted that Jewish canon for the Old Testament, plus the New Testament writings.
- The book faded from use in many regions and even disappeared in the West for centuries, only rediscovered in complete form in Ethiopia in modern times.
So for most Jewish and Christian traditions, there was no moment where they “took it out”; they simply never put it in.
Main reasons it wasn’t canonized
Different traditions give slightly different weight to each reason, but several factors appear again and again in scholarly and church discussions.
1. Authorship and pseudonymity
The text claims to be written by Enoch, the early figure in Genesis who “walked with God.” But scholars date 1 Enoch mainly between roughly 3rd–1st century BC, long after the historical Enoch.
- It is classed as pseudepigrapha (works written under a false or borrowed name).
- Many Jewish and Christian leaders were wary of texts that claimed apostolic or ancient authorship but clearly came from a much later period.
2. Theological and doctrinal concerns
Some parts of Enoch line up with ideas in Scripture, but other parts felt too speculative or strange to many communities.
- It heavily expands on the “sons of God” and the Nephilim (fallen angels having relations with women, vast angelology, cosmic geography, detailed afterlife tours).
- It names multiple archangels beyond Michael and Gabriel, which are the only ones named in most Bibles.
- Its apocalyptic visions, symbolism, and cosmology go far beyond what was generally accepted as safe or necessary for doctrine.
Some early Christians appreciated it but still judged that it was not on the same level as the Law, the Prophets, the Gospels, and the apostolic writings.
3. Canon decisions in Judaism
By the late Second Temple period, mainstream Judaism had settled around a collection of books that did not include Enoch.
- Enoch was known and copied (fragments appear at Qumran among the Dead Sea Scrolls), which shows it was valued by some groups.
- But those same scrolls also contain other non‑canonical works; being used or loved did not automatically equal “Scripture.”
Because rabbinic Judaism did not treat Enoch as Scripture, most later Christian Old Testaments did not include it either.
4. Consensus of the wider church
Some early church fathers knew and even quoted or alluded to Enoch positively, especially because the New Testament letter of Jude cites a prophecy that appears in 1 Enoch.
- A few early Christians argued it should have special weight for that reason.
- Over time, however, the broad “mass of the church” came to view it as helpful background reading, not canonical Scripture.
Churches in the Latin West and Greek East never adopted it into their official Bibles, while the Ethiopian church did.
Different viewpoints today
Because this is now a trending topic in online forums and videos, you’ll see a mix of explanations.
Mainstream scholarly / church view
Most biblical scholars and most church traditions today see 1 Enoch as:
- Historically important for understanding Second Temple Judaism and early Christian ideas.
- A window into early apocalyptic thought, angelology, and interpretations of Genesis 6.
- Not inspired Scripture for Jews, Catholics, Protestants, or Eastern Orthodox Christians, though it remains Scripture for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians.
Popular “conspiracy” theories
On forums and social media, you’ll also encounter claims that Enoch was removed because it “reveals too much” about:
- Fallen angels, Nephilim, or hidden spiritual realities.
- Supposed threats to church power structures or to Rome.
These ideas are interesting to read, but they are speculative and usually not supported by historical evidence.
A good way to test such claims is to ask: do we actually have records from ancient councils or rabbis saying, “We removed this to hide X”? For Enoch, those kinds of explicit records do not exist.
How different traditions treat the Book of Enoch
Here’s a quick look at how major groups view it:
| Tradition | Status of Book of Enoch | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Judaism (rabbinic) | Not part of Hebrew Bible canon | [1][9]Studied by scholars as Second Temple literature | [9][10]
| Roman Catholic | Not canonical Scripture | [10][9]Occasionally referenced in academic or historical study | [9][10]
| Eastern Orthodox | Generally not in official canon (with regional nuances) | [10][9]Read as extra‑biblical/apocryphal text | [9][10]
| Protestant | Not canonical; often grouped with pseudepigrapha | [3][9]Used as background reading for Bible study and theology | [3][9]
| Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo | Fully canonical part of Old Testament | [3][9]Read liturgically and doctrinally as Scripture | [3][9]
Mini narrative: how to picture it
Imagine the ancient world as a big library. Lots of books are circulating, some hugely popular in certain circles. Over time, communities decide:
“These particular books define our faith and worship; the rest may be helpful, but they’re not our core Scriptures.”
The Book of Enoch was one of those widely read, debated, and sometimes loved books that, for most communities, stayed on the “important but not Bible” shelf—except in Ethiopia, where it was placed firmly on the Scripture shelf and kept there for centuries.
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Focus keyword usage (natural):
- why was the book of enoch removed from the bible
- latest news (Enoch is often revisited in modern scholarship and online debates)
- forum discussion
- trending topic
Meta description (approx. 150–160 chars):
Why was the Book of Enoch removed from the Bible? Learn how ancient Jews and
Christians viewed it, why most never canonized it, and why Ethiopia still
includes it.
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