Space and time in 1 Enoch 1-36: a narrative critical analysis

Abstract

Space and time in 1 Enoch 1–36 are worthwhile studying for a better understanding of religious worldviews and traditions including those extant in Second Temple Judaism. When one restricts further the area of research, the study of space and time is also chiefly important to explore the reality depicted in an apocalyptic text like 1 Enoch. In this connection, while Nickelsburg affirms that space and time in 1 Enoch are dualistic, Koch contests firmly this position. Participating in this conversation and heading towards some solutions can be facilitated by a narrative critical analysis, given that 1 Enoch 1–36 is structured within a narrative framework. The research hopes to nuance the position of these scholars as well as to appreciate unexplored dimensions as far as space and time are concerned in this ancient text. Accordingly, the thesis aims at showing, that, in 1 Enoch 1–36, spatial dualism is projected towards a radical and absolute state while temporal dualism tends to disappear. A narrative analysis enables to explore shifts of spatial polarity, to examine various temporal experiences by different characters, to appreciate temporal complexity, and to identify implicit spatial and temporal symbols communicated to the reader through the first-person narrator. Thus, temporal disparity in 1 Enoch 1–36 is too complex to be reduced to dualistic descriptions.