Q. It seems clear that the Parables of Enoch are related to and draw on the Book of the Watchers, which as you suggest, is part of the earlier corpus of Enochian literature, perhaps even dating to the 2nd century B.C. Does this imply anything about the dating of the Parables themselves, and why dependance on this particular piece of Enochian literature?
A. The Book of Watchers was foundational for the whole Enoch tradition. It developed from Genesis 5-6 a narrative about the “watchers” and Enoch, which other Enoch literature presupposes. It was widely known for a long time. It is quoted by Jude. It was translated into Greek and known to Christian writers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries. So I don’t think we can learn much about the Parables from its dependence on the Book of Watchers.
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