The Bible as we know it contains 66 different books which were penned by 39 different authors. Aside from the canon of Scripture we are all familiar with, there also exists some extra-biblical works of ecclesiastical writings commonly known as the apochrypha. Most Protestants, with the exception of a few mainline denominations, do not recognize these apochryphal books as canon. However, the Catholic church does. Some of these books are: Maccabees, Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Baruch, Susanna, and the Prayer of Manasseh, just to name a few.
There are, however, a few books that exist that are not part of the canon of Scripture but are in fact made mention of in the Bible. These books are mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments. These books are: The Book of Jasher, the Book of Enoch, Book of the Wars of the Lord, and the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel (and Judah). These books in question are the focus of this study.
The Book of Jasher
“On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: ‘O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.’ So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on it enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jasher.” (Joshua 10:12-13)
“David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan, and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):” (2 Samuel 1:18)
The Book of Jasher or Jashar, pronounced Ya-share, as it was called in the Septuagint meaning “upright”. In the Latin Vulgate it was named, The Book of the Upright One. It can be found in both Joshua 10:13 and II Samuel 1:18. There is also an allusion to the book in I Kings 8:12-13 during Solomon’s prayer. This book is not so offhandedly mentioned. For example, when Joshua prays to the Lord for there to be prolonged sunlight in order for him and his troops to defeat the five kings of the Amorites and their armies in battle. God then listens and honors his request and, “so the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies...” (Joshua 10:13).
Here, God literally prolongs the time in which the sun stayed up. According to the Bible, this is also the only time in which God listened to a man (Joshua 10:14). I would say this is a very significant day and event in history. Interestingly enough, it is all written and recorded in this unkown book called, the Book of Jasher.
In yet another event, just after hearing of King Saul and his son Jonathan’s demise during battle, David tears his clothes and offers a lament to them. David in fact orders all the men of Judah to be taught this lament. The entire lament is recorded in II Samuel 1:19-27 and can also be found and recorded in the Book of Jasher. This entire event occurs just prior to King David’s crowning to be king over eventually all of Israel.
So just what is the Book of Jasher?
The Book of Jasher was written in verse and is assumed that it was put to music. It is of a Hebraic origin and has been “conjectured that it is a collection of ancient records of honored men and noble deeds.” (1) It is known that the book itself was written before the Book of Joshua was. The Book of Joshua was probably written during Joshua’s life, or soon after his death (1420 BC). This would place the writing of the Book of Jasher somewhere on or before 1440 BC. Not much else is known about the book except that it is wholly lost. Nowhere has it ever been found.
The Book of Enoch
“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 14-15)
Although not named, mentioned, or found anywhere in the Bible, their is an allusion to the Book of Enoch and it can be found only once, in Jude 14-15. Jude makes reference to a prophecy once given by Enoch yet there is no mention of this prophecy that can be found elsewhere in the Bible. Enoch himself is mentioned briefly in Genesis 5:21-24 and again in the Faith Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11:5. Interestingly, Enoch was taken from the earth by God. It is written that, after walking “with God” for 365 years, “he was no more, because God took him” (Genesis 5:22-24) It is from these words that the Enoch legend has grown along with it’s literature and it’s books.
The authorship of the book is unknown. If it is as one version of the book reveals, it is Enoch himself. But that is mere speculation only. The date at which it was written is also unknown. If it was written at the time Enoch lived, it would place it’s writing at or around 3000 BC, making it the oldest known surviving ecclestical literature outside of the Bible. There are numerous versions of this book, some have simply been fabricated while others are considered genuine.
There are three primary versions. One is the Ethiopic book of Enoch, or 1 Enoch, which consists of Greek, Aramaic, and Ethiopic languages. That would place the writing of the book at or around the first to second century BC. Interestingly, it is in this version that the prophecy Jude made reference to is found. (1 Enoch 1:9) This version primarily contains a collection of apocalyptic literature which includes: the Watcher legend, the story of the fall of the angels (Genesis 6:1-4), and visions of the elect one, and much more including the miraculous birth of Noah. This version is the most widely accepted version of all the others and is suggested as the one version in which Jude was familiar with at the time of his writing.
The second version is the Slavonic book of Enoch, or 2 Enoch. It is this version in which the author of this report has a copy of. This writing is clearly seen that it has been heavily influenced by it’s predecessor, 1 Enoch. The stories within this version include: “Enoch’s ascension through seven heavens, each with it’s own special secrets, some purely natural phenomena, others eschatological, like paradise for the righteous in the third heaven (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4) and others astronomical. In yet another part, Enoch is confronted by the Lord himself and is shown the secrets of creation and human history down to his own time. Finally Enoch returns to earth to brief his posterity before ascending again to the heavenly world.”(2) It is quite an interesting and entertaining piece of work and leaves one with a sense of curiosity after reading it. The date of the writing of this version is unknown. Speculation has placed it at the first century AD or even earlier, perhaps down to the Middle Ages.
Lastly, “the Hebrew Enoch, or 3 Enoch contains qabbalistic materials attributed to a Rabbi Ishmael (second century AD). Similarly, as in 2 Enoch, Ishmael too ascends to the seventh heaven, where he is admitted by the archangel Metatron who informs Ishmael that he in fact is Enoch, translated to heaven to become a vice-regent of deity.”(3) The rest of the book contains similar mysteries revealed in heaven as in 2 Enoch. The author of this writing is very well acquainted with the earlier writings of 1 and 2 Enoch. The date of this version is assumed to be around the fifth and sixth century AD. It is quite obvious that it is not this version that Jude makes reference to. The Book of Jude itself was written before the assumed inception of this version. Not to mention the heavily occultic/kabbalistic overtones contained within 3 Enoch.
In 1773, three complete manuscripts had been recovered in Egypt containing the Ethiopic version of Enoch (1 Enoch).
The Book of Enoch was purposely separated from the canonical Scriptures. Some have even dismissed the book as a Jewish forgery, which is quite possible. However, notice when Jude makes reference to Enoch’s prophecy, he writes it as if the reader is already familiar with it. For this, it is known that the early church was well acquainted and familiar with the writings of this book. “The Boof of Enoch is quoted by Origen, Tertullian; and is mentioned by St. Jerome in the Apostolical Constitutions, by Nicephirus, and probably St. Augustine.”(4)
The Book of the Wars of the Lord
Next, we have the Book of the Wars of the Lord (or Yahweh). This book is made mention of in Numbers 21:14-15 as the Israelites camped just outside the border of Moab. The author of Numbers (Moses) quotes a saying from the Book of the Wars of the Lord:
“...Waheb in Suphah and the ravines, the Arnon and the slopes of the ravines that lead to the site of Ar and lie along the border of Moab.” (Numbers 21:14-15)
Although there is no existing record of the Book of the Wars of the Lord, most likely, it was a compilation of victory songs and/or poems. This too could be assumed was put to music as well. Dr. Lightfoot suggests that this is a “book of rememberances and directions written by Moses for Joshua’s private instruction for the management of the wars proceeding him. (See Exodus 17:14-16).”(5) Dr. Lightfoot continues to explain how the Book of Jasher and this book might be one and the same.
The Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel (and Judah)
“The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.” (1 Kings 14:19)
“As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?” (1 Kings 14:29)
Lastly, we have the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel (and Judah). Because the kingdom was once divided for many years, two books recorded the acts of the reigning kings from the different regions, one being Judah and the other Israel. Examples of these two books can be found extensively throughout both Kings and Chronicles. For example in I Kings 14:19 (Book of the Annals of the Kings of Israel) and in the same chapter but verse 29 (Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah).
Just what are these Annals?
These historical records of both Judah and Israel were the primary sources of material God directed the author(s) to use to write 1 and 2 Kings. These state annals were used for every king to at least the end of the reign of Jehoiakim. It is presumed that these books contained records of the reigning kings, register of achievements, and important calendar of events. It is also quite possible that they contained records of peace accords and other transactions of royal governance. No copies of these books have ever been found.
In conclusion, these mysterious books were, for whatever purpose, divinely selected to not be a part of the official canon of Scripture. They can be considered as simply “extra-biblical references”. What makes them so fascinating however is that they are in fact mentioned in the Bible from the authors themselves, i.e. Jude, Joshua, Moses, Jeremiah. Because the titles of the books themselves are mentioned throughout the Bible, they are considered to be a small part of the inspired Word of God.
1. Smiths Bible Dictionary; Jasher; pg. 279
2. Oxford Companion to the Bible; Enoch and the Books of Enoch; pg 185
3. Oxford Companion to the Bible; Enoch and the Books of Enoch; pg 185
4. Clarke’s Commentary; N.T.-Jude; pg 962
5. Clarke’s Commentary; O.T.-Numbers; pg. 1286
