Ephraim Isaac's translation of the "Animal Apocalypse" offers color-driven animal depiction of Noah account.

Date
1983
Type
Manuscript
Source
Ephraim Isaac
Hearsay
Translation
Ancient
Reference

1 Enoch 89:10-27 in Ephraim Isaac (trans), The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, ed. James H. Charlesworth, 2 vols. (New York: Yale University Press, 1983), 1:65-66

Scribe/Publisher
Yale University Press
People
Noah, Shem, Ephraim Isaac, Ham, Japheth
Audience
Reading Public
Transcription

89:10 Then they began to bear the beasts of the fields and the birds. There arose out of them all classes of population: lions, leopards, wolves, snakes, hyenas, wild boars, foxes, squirrels, swine, hawks, eagles, kites, striped crows, and ravens. Among them there was also born a snow-white cow.

89:11 Then they began to bite one another among themselves. That snow-white cow which was born in their midst begat a wild ass, and a snow-white cow with it; and the wild asses multiplied.

89:12 And that cow which was born from him bore a black wild boar and a snow-white sheep; the former then bore healthy beasts and the latter bore twelve sheep.

89:13 When those twelve sheep had grown up, they gave away one of their own members to the donkeys, which in turn gave him away to the wolves; so this sheep grew up in the midst of the wolves.

89:14 Then the Master brought the eleven sheep to dwell with him, and to pasture in the midst of the wolves; and they multiplied and became many flocks of sheep.

89:15 Then the wolves began to fears them; so they tortured them until their little ones were being killed for they cast away their little ones into a river of great quantity of water. So those sheep began to cry aloud on behalf of their little ones and to complain unto their Master.

89:16 Then one sheep which had been saved from the wolves fled and escaped to the wild asses. But I saw the sheep continuing to lament and cry aloud; and they kept praying to their Master with all their strength until the Master of the sheep descended at their entreatment, from a lofty palace, arriving to visit them.

89:17 He called that sheep which had escaped from the wolves and told him concerning the wolves that he should warn the wolves not to touch the sheep.

89:18 That sheep then went to the wolves in accordance with the word of the Master, together with another sheep which he had met, so the two of them went on and arrived together into the assembly of those wolves, and spoke to them and warned them not to touch the sheep.

89:19 But thenceforth I saw how the wolves even intensified their pressure upon the sheep. They, the sheep, cried aloud; they cried aloud with all their strength.

89:20 Then their Master came to the rescue of the sheep, whereupon they began to whip those wolves. So the wolves began to make lamentations, but the sheep thereafter became quiet and stopped crying aloud.

89:21 I continued to see the sheep until they departed from the presence of the wolves, and the wolves until their eyes were dazzled; yet the wolves went out to pursue those sheep, with all their might.

89:22 But the Master of the sheep went with them as their leader, while all his sheep were following him; his face was splendid, adorable, and marvelous to behold.

89:23 As for the wolves, they continued to pursue those sheep until they found them at a certain pool of water.

89:24 Then the pool of water was rent asunder, and the water stood apart on this and on that side before their very eyes, and their Master, their leader, stood between them and the wolves.

89:25 Those wolves were still not able to see the sheep, and the sheep walked through that pool of water; then the wolves followed the sheep and ran after them into that pool of water.

89:26 Then when they saw the Master of the sheep, they turned in order to flee from before his face. But that pool of water gathered itself together and immediately returned to its normal state, the water became full and rose high until it covered completely those wolves.

89:27 Thus I saw till the wolves which pursued those sheep perished and were drowned.

BHR Staff Commentary

Dated to 165-160 B.C.E

Citations in Mormonr Qnas
Copyright © B. H. Roberts Foundation
The B. H. Roberts Foundation is not owned by, operated by, or affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.