Source: Peter Schäfer, “Two Gods in Heaven: Jewish Concepts of God in Antiquity”, Princeton University Press.
From the Human Enoch to the Lessor God Metatron.wav
This podcast traces the evolution of the figure of Enoch in Jewish tradition, from his brief mention in the Hebrew Bible as someone "taken by God" to his transformation into the powerful archangel Metatron in later mystical texts like the Third Book of Enoch. It highlights how different interpretations of Enoch's ascent arose, with some Jewish texts elevating him to a "Lesser/Younger YHWH" or vice-regent of God, showcasing binitarian ideas within Judaism. The text also explores how Christian tradition adopted and interpreted Enoch's translation, contrasting this with the rabbinic tradition that often degraded Enoch's status to counter these potentially "heretical" notions of two powers in heaven, especially in response to Christian claims about Jesus' divinity. The author ultimately argues against viewing this development as a single, unbroken "Enochic Judaism," suggesting instead that later Jewish texts, particularly in Babylonian Judaism, revisited and reinterpreted earlier traditions, partly as a response to Christian appropriations of those ideas.
The Biblical Figure of Enoch and Early Interpretations: The source begins with the enigmatic portrayal of Enoch in Genesis 5:21-24. This short passage describes Enoch living 365 years, walking with God, and then being "no more, because God took him." The phrase "walked with God" is interpreted metaphorically as Enoch being righteous and obedient to God's commandments, contrasting him with the generation facing the flood. The statement that he "was no more, because God took him" is understood to mean that he did not die a typical death but was taken by God to another place, presumably heaven, unlike other patriarchs for whom death is explicitly stated. This ambiguity in the biblical text became the starting point for extensive later interpretations.
Enoch's Role in Extrabiblical Jewish Literature (1 Enoch, 2 Enoch): The tradition of Enoch was significantly developed in noncanonical Jewish texts. The First Book of Enoch, particularly the Book of the Watchers (late 3rd or early 2nd century BCE), depicts Enoch's rapture to heaven and assigns him a role as a mediator between God and the fallen angels mentioned in Genesis 6. God sends Enoch back to earth to announce the fallen angels' condemnation. The Similitudes of 1 Enoch (around the turn of the eras) take this further, describing Enoch's transformation into an angel and identifying him as the Son of Man of Daniel 7, a redeemer figure for Israel. The Second Book of Enoch (1st century CE) also culminates in Enoch's physical transformation into an angel, though it offers fewer new perspectives compared to the Similitudes. These books lay the groundwork for the idea of Enoch's elevation and angelification.
The Transformation of Enoch into Metatron in 3 Enoch: The climax of the Enoch tradition is reached in the Third Book of Enoch (likely redacted between 600 and 900 CE), which is placed within the Hekhalot literature. In contrast to the earlier Enoch books, 3 Enoch describes not just Enoch's angelification but his virtual deification through transformation into the highest angel, Metatron. This process is depicted in several stages, including Enoch's elevation to heaven, his filling with supernatural wisdom and praiseworthy qualities, and his physical transformation.
Metatron's Elevated Status and Near-Divine Attributes in 3 Enoch: The Third Book of Enoch portrays Metatron with unparalleled grandeur. He is enlarged to infinite dimensions, given vast numbers of wings and eyes, and enthroned on a throne mirroring the divine throne of glory. A herald announces Metatron as God's appointed prince and ruler over all celestial beings, serving as God's representative and vice-regent. Angels are required to approach Metatron to speak with God and must obey Metatron's commands given in God's name. Metatron is said to know all secrets, human and angelic, reflecting God's omniscience. Most significantly, God clothes Metatron in majestic robes, crowns him with a kingly crown, and calls him "the Lesser/Younger YHWH" (YHWH ha-qatan), sharing God's own name with him. God also reveals the secrets of creation to Metatron by writing on his crown the letters used to create heaven and earth, making him a co-ruler. The description of Metatron's physical transformation involves his flesh turning to flame, bones to coals, and limbs to wings of burning fire, signifying the end of his human existence and his apotheosis into a being resembling a second divine figure.
Rabbinic Degradation of Enoch: Classical rabbinic Judaism, particularly as reflected in Genesis Rabbah (late 3rd or early 4th century CE), presents a starkly different view of Enoch compared to the earlier traditions. Rabbis like Hama ben Rabbi Hoshaya and Rabbi Aibu portray Enoch negatively, calling him wicked or a hypocrite who acted righteously only sometimes. Unlike the traditions of his ascent, the rabbis argue that Enoch did not ascend to heaven but died an ordinary death. Discussions with "heretics" and a Roman matron in Genesis Rabbah highlight this rabbinic stance; while opponents point to biblical evidence suggesting Enoch was taken to heaven (using the same verb as for Elijah), the rabbis counter that the verb "taken" can also refer to death and emphasize the phrase "he was no more" to argue that Enoch's disappearance meant he died and ceased to exist in the world. This rabbinic perspective actively questioned and sought to dismiss the earlier Jewish exegetic tradition of Enoch's rapture.
Christian Reception of Enoch's Translation: In contrast to the rabbinic view, Christian tradition generally followed the pre-Christian Jewish tradition of Enoch's translation to heaven. The Epistle to the Hebrews (11:5) explicitly states that Enoch was "translated so that he did not experience death" because "God had translated him," quoting the Septuagint. This places Enoch within a lineage of Old Testament figures distinguished by their faith. Early Christian theologians and church fathers like Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Clement of Alexandria consistently affirmed Enoch's translation due to his being well-pleasing to God, asserting he did not die a natural death. Tertullian added a Christian theological layer, seeing Enoch's translation as a preliminary stage, with true immortality dependent on resurrection after Jesus's death. He proposed that Enoch and Elijah, who were also translated, are reserved to die in the final battle against the Antichrist before they can be resurrected, thus integrating their non-death into the Christian salvation narrative.
The Aher Episode: Seeing "Two Powers" in Heaven: A pivotal episode, found in both the Third Book of Enoch and the Babylonian Talmud, involves Elisha ben Avuyah, known as Aher ("an other"), a respected rabbi who became an arch-heretic. While ascending to heaven to behold the divine chariot (Merkavah), Aher sees the exalted figure of Metatron seated on a throne. Witnessing Metatron's grandeur, Aher exclaims, "There are indeed two powers (rashuyyot) in heaven!" (in 3 Enoch) or asks, "Are there perhaps—God forbid!—two powers [in heaven]!?" (in the Babylonian Talmud). This conclusion that there are two divine authorities or figures in heaven (God and Metatron) constitutes Aher's heresy within the narrative framework of these texts.
Contrasting Versions of the Aher Episode (3 Enoch vs. Babylonian Talmud): The source highlights the significant differences between the versions of the Aher episode in 3 Enoch and the Babylonian Talmud. In 3 Enoch, Aher's clear declaration of "two powers" directly contradicts the prevailing monotheistic idea and leads to a heavenly voice declaring him excluded from forgiveness. Following this, Metatron is punished with fiery lashes and dethroned for implicitly or explicitly provoking or allowing Aher's misunderstanding. The Talmudic version places the episode in the context of four rabbis ascending to heaven and primarily uses it to explain Aher's downfall and heresy. In this version, Aher's statement about two powers is framed as a hesitant question ("Are there perhaps...?!") rather than a firm declaration. Crucially, in the Talmud, Metatron is punished first, explicitly for not standing up for Aher, thereby misleading him into thinking Metatron might be a second God. The Talmud emphasizes Metatron's degradation to reinforce the idea that he is merely an angel, not a divine being, and that God is the sole authority. The Talmud's account is seen as significantly more reserved and polemical against the idea of Metatron's elevation compared to 3 Enoch.
The Figure of Akatriel and Polemics Against Binitarian Ideas: The source also discusses the figure of Akatriel, particularly in a Hekhalot text called "The Mystery of Sandalfon" and the Babylonian Talmud. In "The Mystery of Sandalfon," Elisha ben Avuyah encounters Akatriel, who is identified with Metatron, seated at the entrance to the highest heaven, surrounded by angels. While not identified as God, Akatriel is described using language from Daniel 7:10, typically applied to God, leading Elisha to question God about having enthroned another figure when the Torah states God is one. This version is unique in depicting Elisha as challenging God about potentially creating a "two powers" situation, rather than being branded a heretic himself. In the Babylonian Talmud, Akatriel appears in a different context, seen by Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha seated on a high throne and referred to as "Lord of Hosts" and possessing divine attributes like mercy and strict justice. In this Talmudic account, Akatriel is clearly identified with God, not a second divine figure or angel, further reinforcing the strictly monotheistic stance of the Bavli.
Binitarian Ideas in Ancient Judaism and Polemics: The source argues that the idea of two divine figures or "powers" in heaven was present and debated within ancient and late antique Judaism, not solely as an external influence like Christianity. While "monotheism" is an ideal pursued in Judaism, the sources, particularly those related to Enoch/Metatron and discussions around biblical passages, show recurring instances where a second godlike or semi-divine figure exists alongside the creator God. This second figure, often derived from angelic or human traditions (like the Son of Man or Enoch), functions in a redemptive or vice-regent role. The strong polemics against the "two powers" idea, found in rabbinic texts like Genesis Rabbah and the Babylonian Talmud, are presented as evidence that this was a live issue within Judaism itself, not just a refutation of Christian ideas. These polemics aimed to defend strict monotheism and curb ideas that could be interpreted as introducing a second God. The source suggests these binitarian ideas were particularly prominent in Babylonian Judaism, perhaps due to the different socio-religious environment compared to Palestine. The development of these ideas and the polemics against them highlight Judaism's ongoing struggle to define its concept of God.