russ@dadlab.UUCP (Russell Anderson) (05/17/84)
I would like to present the following as an objective test for revelation type of knowledge. Joseph Smith in 1830 restored some information that is not found in our present Bibles concerning Enoch. Although the Book of Enoch is referred to in the Bible (Jude 14) we actually have very little information about Enoch in the Bible. In the material that Joseph Smith restored he introduced an individual who questioned Enoch by the name of Mahijah. This individual is not mentioned in the Bible. In recent years both an Ethiopian and Greek copy of the book of Enoch have been brought forth. However the oldest version of the Enoch material were some fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls. A translation of these fragments was not published until 1976. And now finally in 1976 we get the first confirmation that Joseph was correct in introducing Mahijah. This recent translation has Mahujah fulfilling the same roll as Joseph Smith had indicated--an individual who questioned Enoch. So not only does he have the same name but he is performing the some function. This would seen to fit the definition of revelation knowledge: knowledge that could only be revealed, that scholarship could not tell us in 1830. However we are able to verify that knowledge with later discoveries in 1976. I will submit a follow-up article that will give more details and the translation. Russell Anderson tektronix!dadlab!russ