Egyptian-Hebrew stream·The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch)·Book I — Book of the Watchers·Chapter XIII — Enoch's Mission to Azâzêl
Petition refused; the fallen plead for mercy
Enoch announces sentence on Azâzêl; the Watchers ask Enoch to draw up a petition for forgiveness and to read it before the Lord of Heaven. Enoch goes to the waters of Dan.
Source context
- Theme
- Enoch's intercession for the fallen Watchers and the divine refusal of their petition
- Soul-faculty
- Sentient Soul
Steiner
not engaged in the GA corpus
Cross-tradition
- Mesopotamian priestly intercessionThe structural role of a human intermediary petitioning higher spiritual powers on behalf of transgressing beings parallels the Babylonian lament-priest (kalû) who mediated between erring spirits and divine tribunals.
- Neoplatonic demonologyPlotinus and Iamblichus distinguish between daemones who have overstepped their cosmic station and cannot be reinstated through ritual petition, a structural parallel to the Watchers' irrevocable condemnation despite Enoch's advocacy.
- Islamic angelology (Harut and Marut narrative)The Quranic tradition of Harut and Marut presents a cross-tradition congruence with the Watcher-fall motif: angelic beings who descend, transgress, and receive a fixed sentence that no intercession can commute.
Chapter XIII
CHAPTER XIII.
1And Enoch went and said: 'Azâzêl,
thou shalt have no peace: a severe sentence has gone forth against thee to put thee in bonds: 2. And thou shalt not have toleration nor †request† granted to thee, because of the unrighteousness which thou hast taught, and because of all the works of godlessness and unrighteousness and sin which thou hast shown to men.' 3. Then I went and spoke to them all together, and they were all afraid, and fear and trembling seized them. 4. And they besought me to draw up a petition for them that they might find forgiveness, and to read their petition in the presence of the Lord of heaven. 5. For from thenceforward they could not speak (with Him) nor lift up their eyes to heaven for shame of their sins for which they had been condemned. 6. Then I wrote out their petition, and the prayer in regard to their spirits and their deeds individually and in regard to their requests that they should have forgiveness and length 〈of days〉†. 7. And I went off and sat down at the waters of Dan, in the land of Dan, to the south of the west of Hermon: I read their petition till I fell asleep. 8. And behold a dream came to me, and visions fell down upon me, and I saw visions of chastisement, ⌈and a voice came bidding (me)⌉ I to tell it to the sons of heaven, and reprimand them. 9. And when I awaked, I came unto them, and they were all sitting gathered together, weeping in ’Abelsjâîl, which is between Lebanon and Sênêsêr, with their faces covered. 10. And I recounted before them all the visions which I had seen in sleep, and I began to speak the words of righteousness, and to reprimand the heavenly Watchers.
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