The Books of Enoch, Aramaic Fragments of Qumran Cave 4

44 INTRODUCTION
large horn (v. 9). In w. 13-15 the author describes, unquestionably in my
opinion, the battle of Bethsur which took place at the beginning of the year
164 B.C. Judas 'cried out for aid. And I saw the man arrive who had inscribed
the names of the shepherds..., he came down to help this ram..., and those
who saw him all ran away, and they all fell into the darkness (fleeing) before
him.' This belief in a heavenly apparition at the time of the engagement of
Bethsur is found again in 2 Mace. 11: 6-12: 'When Maccabaeus and his
followers learned that [Lysias] was besieging the fortresses, they begged
the Lord with wailing and tears, in concert with the crowd, to send a good
angel to save Israel. Maccabaeus himself, the first to take up arms, exhorted
the others to expose themselves with him to danger to aid their brothers.
They thus sprang forward, filled with eagerness; they were still close to
Jerusalem when a horseman dressed in white appeared at the head of them
brandishing a piece of golden weapon. Then at once all blessed the God of
mercies and felt themselves quickened with such ardour that they were
ready to pierce not only men but also the wildest beasts and defensive walls
of iron. So they advanced in battle-order, helped by an ally from heaven, the
Lord having had pity on them. Thus they swooped down upon the enemies
like Hons, laid low on the ground eleven thousand infantrymen and sixteen
hundred horsemen, and forced the others to flee.'
The author of the Book of Dreams began to compose his work under the
overwhelming impact of this direct intervention by God in the affairs of his
people. En. 90: 16 describes the political situation during this memorable
year 164 B.C.: 'All the eagles, vultures, crows, and hawks assembled, and they
brought with them all the wild asses, and they all came together and they
met together to break this ram's horn into fragments.' This is a clear allusion
to the threat of joint military intervention by the neighbouring peoples
which hangs over victorious Israel. To forestall it, from the spring of 163
B.C., preventive expeditions were led by the Maccabaeans to Idumaea,
Ammon, Galilee, Gilead, and Philistia (i Mace. 5: 1-68 and 2 Mace. 10:
14-38 and 12: 10-45); already by the summer of 164 B.C., it seems, raids
were being made by Judas against Joppa and Jamnia (2 Mace. 12: 1-9).
At the next verse (90: 17) we pass from the historical to the apocalyptic
part of the work. The Book of Dreams was accordingly composed during
164 B.C., probably in the early months of the year, during the few weeks
which followed the battle of Bethsur.
In the apocalyptic part of the work the abode of God is established on the
hill of the temple of Jerusalem (90: 20 ff.); the abyss of fire into which the