The Book of the Holy Secrets of Enoch,  a Jewish apocalyptic writing, is one of the most compelling ancient texts to survive to the present day.   Although knowledge of the book was unknown in the West until 1892, Slavonic manuscripts of the book survived in Russia for more than 1200 years.  Although not part of the Biblical canon today, R.H. Charles, editor of the first English translation (1896), noted that it was "much used...by Christian[s]...in the early centuries".   Considering its status as a Jewish book, it's intriguing that early Christians and not Jews were the ones known to have preserved it.  The preservation of the text, coupled  with references to the text in early Christian writings and among early Church theologians and ecclesiastical leaders, suggests the text may have constituted part of the sanctioned canon of the early Church.   The book is included here for its exceptional preservation of many elements of The Ancient Tradition.

In this audio recording of The Book of the Holy Secrets of Enoch, Chapters 61-73, Enoch teaches his children to make offerings with a pure heart.   He encourages them to look to God and love one another.  Enoch is taken to heaven and darkness covers the land.  Enoch's son, Methuselah, erects an altar and makes offerings to God.  The Lord appears to Methuselah in a dream and appoints him High Priest.  The elders of the people dress Methuselah in priestly clothes and place a crown on his head.  When Methuselah is close to death, the Lord commands him to give his priestly clothes to Nir, his grandson.  Nir's wife, Sopanim, immaculately conceives a child.  Noah and Nir dress the child in priestly clothes and name him Melchizedek.  Melchizedek reigns as the first priest and king of Salem (Jerusalem).

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