mysteriously translated 'so as not to see death' (He. 115).
Though the influence of this narrative on the idea of immortality
in later ages is not to be denied (cf. Ps. 4916 7324), it is
hardly correct to speak of it as containing a presentiment of
that idea. The immortality of exceptional men of God like
Enoch and Elijah suggested no inference as to the destiny of
ordinary mortals, any more than did similar beliefs among
other nations (Gu.). (c) His life is much the shortest of the ante-diluvian patriarchs. It has long been surmised that the duration of his life (365 years) is connected with the number of days in the solar year; and the conjecture has been remarkably verified by the Babylonian parallel mentioned below. The extraordinary developments of the Enoch-legend in later Judaism (see below) could never have grown out of this passage alone; everything goes to show that the record has a mythological basis, which must have continued to be a living tradition in Jewish circles in the time of the Apocalyptic writers. A clue to the mystery that invests the figure of Enoch has been discovered in Babylonian literature. The 7th name in the list of Berossus is Evedoranchus (see KAT3, 532),—a corruption (it seems certain) of Enmeduranki, who is mentioned in a ritual tablet from the library of Asshurbanipal (K 2486 + K 4364: translated in KAT3, 533 f.) as king of Sippar (city of Šamaš, the sun-god), and founder of a hereditary guild of priestly diviners. This mythical personage is described as a 'favourite of Anu, Bel [and Ea],' and is said to have been received into the fellowship of Šamaš and Ramman, to have been initiated into the mysteries of heaven and earth, and instructed in certain arts of divination which he handed down to his son. The points of contact with the notice in Gen. are (1) the special relation of Enmeduranki to the sun-god (cf. the 365 of v.23); and (2) his peculiar intimacy with the gods ('walked with God'): there is, however, no mention of a translation. His initiation into the secrets of heaven and earth is the germ of the later view of Enoch as the patron of esoteric knowledge, and the author of Apocalyptic books. In Sir. 4416 he is already spoken of as (
Hebrew characters). Comp. Jub. iv. 17 ff. (with Charles's note ad loc.); and see Lenorm. Orig.2 223; Charles, Book of Enoch (1893), pass.
25-27. Methuselah.—(Hebrew characters) commonly explained as 'man of the
dart (or weapon),' hence tropically 'man of violence,' which Budde (99)
V tulit, but TO (Hebrew characters). The vb. became, as Duhm (on Ps. 4916) thinks, a
technical expression for translation to a higher existence; cf. 2 Ki. 210,
Ps. 4916 7324. The Rabbinical exegesis (TO, Ber. R., Ra.) understood
it of removal by death, implying an unfavourable judgment on Enoch
which may be due in part to the reaction of legalism against the
Apocalyptic influence.
