A Recovered Law of the Moon in the Enochic Book of the Luminaries: 1 En. 78:15-17 + 79:2-5 - 4Q209 26

The astronomical section of the Book of Enoch schematically addresses the primary cycles of the sun and the moon. However, a part of this book (1 Enoch 78:15-17 + 79:2-5) describing an intriguing 177-day-long waning and waxing of the moon’s illumination remains unexplained. The present article argues that the elliptical aspect of the lunar orbit can explain this variation of the moon’s illumination, presuming that the text refers to the moon when it is full. Using a mathematical simulation, our analysis shows that the schematic anomalistic period capable of explaining the variable illumination described is compatible with the real astronomic value and its Babylonian background. This result demonstrates that the anomalistic cycle of the moon was part of the original Aramaic source of the Ethiopic text known today. This result also corroborates the profound understanding of the astronomy of the sun and the moon that existed in this environment.