The Slavonic Book of Enoch* (2 Enoch 31) and *The Book of the Secret Supper

 This combined excerpt from *The Slavonic Book of Enoch* (2 Enoch 31) and *The Book of the Secret Supper* offers a rare opportunity to witness how these two Gnostic-related texts harmonize when placed next to each other. When read in tandem, they form a cohesive theological narrative that aligns with Bogomil dualism and early esoteric Christianity: one that explains the fall of Satan, his cosmic ambitions, and his opposition to Adam as the image of divine order.

---

### **Harmonizing the Fall of Satan: A Dual Perspective**

**2 Enoch 31** begins with the creation of Adam and Eden, establishing him as the ruler of earth, and immediately introduces Satanail (Satan) as a rebel figure:

> *“The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places, as a fugitive he made Sotona from the heavens as his name was Satanail (Satan), thus he became different from the angels…”*

> (*Slavonic Enoch 31:4*)

This shows Satanail not as a being of ignorance, but as one who retained knowledge and intelligence, yet chose rebellion. In this same narrative, we see Satan’s direct intention:

> *“He conceived thought against Adam… and seduced Eva (Eve), but did not touch Adam.”*

> (*Slavonic Enoch 31:5*)

Here, Eve becomes the entry point for his plan, yet Adam remains untouched—a detail that resonates with the Gnostic emphasis on preserving the spiritual Adam or divine image.

This theme is greatly expanded in *The Book of the Secret Supper*, where Satan’s original splendor and cosmic authority are described in grandeur:

> *“He was regulator of all things and sat with my Father... His power descended from the heavens even unto hell…”*

> (*Secret Supper, Chapter 1*)

This account closely echoes *Isaiah 14:12–14*, but in a clearly Gnostic reinterpretation. Satan is portrayed not as a grotesque being but as one who had *“wardship of those splendors which were above all the heavens.”*

---

### **A Common Narrative of Rebellion and Cosmic Ambition**

Both texts describe Satan attempting to usurp divine authority by placing his throne above the clouds and attempting to reorder creation. *2 Enoch* notes that he sought to disrupt Adam’s position on earth, while *Secret Supper* provides the full detail of his journey through the cosmos:

> *“He ascended to the very heavens, even unto the third heaven, subverting the angels of the Father invisible…”*

And again:

> *“Take from all the angels who hearkened to him the garments, the thrones, and the crowns…”*

This harmonizes with the judgment found in *2 Enoch*, where God curses not man but *“man’s evil fruit, and his works”*—a subtle but important distinction showing that corruption entered through disobedience influenced by Satan, not from Adam’s nature itself. This mirrors the Bogomil view that evil is not inherent in matter, but introduced by rebellious spiritual beings.

---

### **Hierarchy and Cosmic Geography**

Both documents exhibit a structured cosmos, layered in heavens and elements, from air to water to fire. *The Book of the Secret Supper* details Satan's descent through:

1. **Air** – gate kept by an angel

2. **Waters** – guarded by another angel

3. **Earth** – resting on two great fish

4. **Hell (Gehenna of fire)** – lowest point, unreachable due to flame

This map of the cosmos echoes the seven-heaven structure in *2 Enoch*, where Enoch is elevated through the heavens and witnesses the hierarchy of angels and their duties. The harmony is in how both texts frame creation and rebellion as occurring within this layered cosmic structure. Satan’s seduction of the angels parallels the Watchers in Enoch, but with a distinct twist: Satan manipulates *debts* in heaven:

> *“To each he said, ‘How much dost thou owe thy lord?’”*

This motif resembles the Gnostic notion of fallen archons indebted to the higher Aeons, being bribed or corrupted.

---

### **Conclusion: A Unified Gnostic Theology**

Placed together, the *Slavonic Book of Enoch* and the *Book of the Secret Supper* reinforce a dualist Gnostic theology:

* **Satan** is not a being of ignorance, but a powerful celestial entity whose pride leads to disorder.

* **Adam** is a being of divine intention, placed to rule and guard the earth.

* **Creation** is structured and governed by angelic forces, yet vulnerable to corruption from within.

* **Judgment** is swift, but it focuses on fruit and choices—not the inherent nature of beings.

The Bogomils, who used the *Secret Supper*, likely placed these two texts side by side because together they narrate the complete arc: from Satan’s splendor to his fall, from the dignity of Adam to the seduction of Eve, from angelic hierarchy to rebellion, from divine order to the need for restoration.

These texts don’t contradict but complement each other—*2 Enoch* gives the beginning, and *Secret Supper* supplies the heavenly backstory. In harmony, they form a complete Gnostic mythos for the origin of evil, the nature of divine justice, and the human place in the cosmic order.