Is the Book of Enoch considered a spiritual book?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Book of Enoch (specifically 1 Enoch) occupies a unique position, but it is not part of the official biblical canon. While it is highly regarded by our sister church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Coptic Church does not include it in the Holy Canon.

1. Spiritual and Historical Value

The Book of Enoch is seen as an ancient and significant spiritual writing, but it is classified as "apocryphal" or "deuterocanonical-adjacent."

• The Witness of Jude: The New Testament itself acknowledges the spiritual tradition of Enoch. The Epistle of Jude (verse 14) says: "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men..." This confirms that the early Church and the Apostles recognized that Enoch possessed true prophetic insights.
• The Early Church Fathers: Many Alexandrian Fathers, such as St. Clement of Alexandria and Origen, utilized the Book of Enoch and respected its insights into the spiritual world and the history of the patriarchs.

2. Reasons for Non-Canonicity

Despite its spiritual insights, the Coptic Church does not count it among the 73 books of the Bible for several reasons:

• Authorship and Integrity: While it contains ancient truths, the text we have today passed through many hands and translations (Aramaic, Greek, Ge'ez). The Church remains cautious about the potential for interpolations (additions) made by groups outside the Orthodox faith over the centuries.
• The Septuagint: The primary standard for our Old Testament is the Septuagint (LXX). The Book of Enoch was not part of the standard Septuagint used by the Church of Alexandria when the canon was being finalized by St. Athanasius the Apostolic.
• Christological Clarity: While Enoch contains "Son of Man" imagery, the Church's established canon (the 73 books) is sufficient and contains the fullness of the revelation of Jesus Christ without the need for the more speculative elements found in Enoch.

3. The "Watcher" Theory

The Coptic Church does not accept the literal interpretation found in Enoch that angels (Watchers) biologically mated with human women. We interpret the "Sons of God" in Genesis 6 as the line of Seth. Therefore, we view the descriptions in Enoch regarding the "Watchers" as symbolic or as a distinct tradition that does not override the patristic exegesis of the Church.

4. Practical Use Today

If a Coptic Christian reads the Book of Enoch today, it is done for historical interest or private spiritual reflection, similar to reading the sayings of the Desert Fathers or other non-canonical ancient texts. However:

• It is never read during the Divine Liturgy.
• It is never used as a primary source for establishing Coptic dogma or doctrine.
• It must be read through the lens of the "Orthodox Faith" to ensure one does not fall into Gnostic or superstitious misinterpretations.

Summary

While the Book of Enoch is a "spiritual book" in the sense that it contains ancient religious traditions and is quoted by St. Jude, it is not the Word of God in the same sense as the canonical Scriptures. We respect it as a historical document of the Second Temple period, but we rely on the 39 (or 46 including Deuterocanon) Old Testament books and the 27 New Testament books as the infallible rule of faith.