The second dream vision begins — the Animal Apocalypse. Enoch sees a white bull emerge from the earth (Adam), followed by a red heifer (Eve). From the heifer come a black calf (Cain) and a white calf (Abel). The black calf strikes the white calf, and the white calf disappears. Other bulls of various colors are born.
The Animal Apocalypse is one of the most creative and sustained allegorical compositions in ancient literature. By encoding the entire history of Israel from Adam to the Maccabees in animal symbolism, the author created a work that is simultaneously a retelling of biblical history, a commentary on that history, and a prophetic program for the future. The color symbolism — white for the righteous, black for the wicked — is the basic code that governs the entire allegory.
The identification of Eve as a 'heifer' (female cow) rather than a 'cow' raises questions about the consistency of the animal symbolism. The patriarchal period uses bovine imagery (bulls and cows), while later Israel becomes sheep — the transition point is not always clean. The color coding (white = righteous, black = wicked) is simple but occasionally inconsistent in the manuscripts.
Genesis 1-4 — creation, Cain and Abel. Ezekiel 34 — Israel as God's flock. John 10:1-18 — Jesus as the good shepherd. Revelation 4-5 — the Lamb symbolism. Daniel 7-8 — animal symbolism for empires. Zechariah 1:8 — colored horses as divine agents.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
After this I saw another dream, and I will describe the whole dream to you, my son.
REF And after this I saw another dream, and I will show the whole dream to thee, my son.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
Enoch raised his voice and spoke to his son Methuselah: 'To you, my son, I will speak. Hear my words — turn your ear to the dream-vision of your father.'
REF And Enoch lifted up (his voice) and spake to his son Methuselah: 'To thee, my son, will I speak: hear my words — incline thine ear to the dream-vision of thy father.'
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
'Before I married your mother Edna, I saw in a vision on my bed: a bull came forth from the earth, and that bull was white. After it a heifer came forth, and with her came two bulls — one black and the other red.'
REF 'Before I took thy mother Edna, I saw in a vision on my bed, and behold a bull came forth from the earth, and that bull was white; and after it came forth a heifer, and along with this (latter) came forth two bulls, one of them black and the other red.'
Adam — white symbolizes righteousness and purity throughout the Animal Apocalypse. The patriarchs are consistently white bulls.
Cain — black symbolizes wickedness. His color marks him as the originator of the corrupt human line.
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
'The black bull gored the red one and pursued him across the earth, and after that I could no longer see the red bull.'
REF 'And that black bull gored the red one and pursued him over the earth, and thereupon I could no longer see that red bull.'
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
'But the black bull grew up, and the heifer went with him. I saw that many oxen came from him — they resembled him and followed him.'
REF 'But that black bull grew up, and that heifer went with him, and I saw that many oxen proceeded from him which resembled and followed him.'
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
'That cow — the first one — left the presence of the first bull to search for the red one, but she did not find him. She mourned over him with a great lamentation and searched for him.'
REF 'And that cow, that first one, went from the presence of that first bull in order to seek that red one, but found him not, and lamented with a great lamentation over him and sought him.'
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
'I watched until the first bull came to her and calmed her, and from that time on she cried no more.'
REF 'And I looked till that first bull came to her and quieted her, and from that time onward she cried no more.'
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
'After that she bore another white bull, and after him she bore many bulls and black cows.'
REF 'And after that she bore another white bull, and after him she bore many bulls and black cows.'
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
'In my sleep I saw that white bull grow and become a great white bull. Many white bulls came from him, and they resembled him. They began to produce many white bulls resembling them, one following another — very many.'
REF 'And I saw in my sleep that white bull likewise grew and became a great white bull, and from him proceeded many white bulls, and they resembled him. And they began to beget many white bulls, which resembled them, one following the other, (even) many.'
Ge'ez text per Charles/Knibb editions
I saw a star fall from heaven. It rose up and ate and pastured among those oxen.
REF And I saw one star fall from heaven, and it arose and ate and pastured amongst those oxen.
A fallen angel / Watcher — stars and angels are interchangeable symbols in the Enochic tradition