1. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 6.1, 28.17 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 6.1. וַיְהִי כִּי־הֵחֵל הָאָדָם לָרֹב עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה וּבָנוֹת יֻלְּדוּ לָהֶם׃ 6.1. וַיּוֹלֶד נֹחַ שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים אֶת־שֵׁם אֶת־חָם וְאֶת־יָפֶת׃ 28.17. וַיִּירָא וַיֹּאמַר מַה־נּוֹרָא הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֵין זֶה כִּי אִם־בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וְזֶה שַׁעַר הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ | 6.1. And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them," 28.17. And he was afraid, and said: ‘How full of awe is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’" |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 26.2 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 26.2. לֵךְ עַמִּי בֹּא בַחֲדָרֶיךָ וּסְגֹר דלתיך [דְּלָתְךָ] בַּעֲדֶךָ חֲבִי כִמְעַט־רֶגַע עַד־יעבור־[יַעֲבָר־] זָעַם׃ 26.2. פִּתְחוּ שְׁעָרִים וְיָבֹא גוֹי־צַדִּיק שֹׁמֵר אֱמֻנִים׃ | 26.2. Open ye the gates, That the righteous nation that keepeth faithfulness may enter in." |
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3. Anon., 1 Enoch, 5.2, 9.2, 9.10, 46.2, 71.7 (3rd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 5.2. And all His works go on thus from year to year for ever, and all the tasks which they accomplish for Him, and their tasks change not, but according as God hath ordained so is it done. 9.2. hed upon the earth, and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth. And they said one to another: 'The earth made without inhabitant cries the voice of their cryingst up to the gates of heaven. 46.2. And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that 71.7. And round about were Seraphin, Cherubic, and Ophannin: And these are they who sleep not And guard the throne of His glory. 14. The book of the words of righteousness, and of the reprimand of the eternal Watchers in accordance,with the command of the Holy Great One in that vision. I saw in my sleep what I will now say with a tongue of flesh and with the breath of my mouth: which the Great One has given to men to",converse therewith and understand with the heart. As He has created and given to man the power of understanding the word of wisdom, so hath He created me also and given me the power of reprimanding,the Watchers, the children of heaven. I wrote out your petition, and in my vision it appeared thus, that your petition will not be granted unto you throughout all the days of eternity, and that judgement,has been finally passed upon you: yea (your petition) will not be granted unto you. And from henceforth you shall not ascend into heaven unto all eternity, and in bonds of the earth the decree,has gone forth to bind you for all the days of the world. And (that) previously you shall have seen the destruction of your beloved sons and ye shall have no pleasure in them, but they shall fall before,you by the sword. And your petition on their behalf shall not be granted, nor yet on your own: even though you weep and pray and speak all the words contained in the writing which I have,written. And the vision was shown to me thus: Behold, in the vision clouds invited me and a mist summoned me, and the course of the stars and the lightnings sped and hastened me, and the winds in,the vision caused me to fly and lifted me upward, and bore me into heaven. And I went in till I drew nigh to a wall which is built of crystals and surrounded by tongues of fire: and it began to affright,me. And I went into the tongues of fire and drew nigh to a large house which was built of crystals: and the walls of the house were like a tesselated floor (made) of crystals, and its groundwork was,of crystal. Its ceiling was like the path of the stars and the lightnings, and between them were,fiery cherubim, and their heaven was (clear as) water. A flaming fire surrounded the walls, and its,portals blazed with fire. And I entered into that house, and it was hot as fire and cold as ice: there,were no delights of life therein: fear covered me, and trembling got hold upon me. And as I quaked,and trembled, I fell upon my face. And I beheld a vision, And lo! there was a second house, greater,than the former, and the entire portal stood open before me, and it was built of flames of fire. And in every respect it so excelled in splendour and magnificence and extent that I cannot describe to,you its splendour and its extent. And its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path,of the stars, and its ceiling also was flaming fire. And I looked and saw therein a lofty throne: its appearance was as crystal, and the wheels thereof as the shining sun, and there was the vision of,cherubim. And from underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look",thereon. And the Great Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and,was whiter than any snow. None of the angels could enter and could behold His face by reason",of the magnificence and glory and no flesh could behold Him. The flaming fire was round about Him, and a great fire stood before Him, and none around could draw nigh Him: ten thousand times,ten thousand (stood) before Him, yet He needed no counselor. And the most holy ones who were,nigh to Him did not leave by night nor depart from Him. And until then I had been prostrate on my face, trembling: and the Lord called me with His own mouth, and said to me: ' Come hither,,Enoch, and hear my word.' And one of the holy ones came to me and waked me, and He made me rise up and approach the door: and I bowed my face downwards. |
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4. Anon., Jubilees, 4.17-4.18 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 4.17. And in the second week of the tenth jubilee Mahalalel took unto him to wife Dînâh, the daughter of Barâkî’êl the daughter of his father's brother, and she bare him a son in the third week in the sixth year, and he called his name Jared; 4.18. for in his days the angels of the Lord descended on the earth, those who are named the Watchers, that they should instruct the children of men, and that they should do judgment and uprightness on the earth. |
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5. Anon., Testament of Isaac, 2.1 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. CE)
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6. Anon., Testament of Jacob, 5.13 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. CE)
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7. Anon., Testament of Levi, 5.1, 18.10 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 5.1. And thereupon the angel opened to me the gates of heaven, and I saw the holy temple, and upon a throne of glory the Most High. |
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8. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 49.8 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 49.8. It was Ezekiel who saw the vision of glory which God showed him above the chariot of the cherubim. |
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9. Septuagint, 3 Maccabees, 6.18 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 6.18. Then the most glorious, almighty, and true God revealed his holy face and opened the heavenly gates, from which two glorious angels of fearful aspect descended, visible to all but the Jews. |
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10. New Testament, Apocalypse, 4.1 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 4.1. After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, "Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this. |
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11. New Testament, Jude, 9 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
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12. New Testament, Matthew, 16.19 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 16.19. I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. |
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13. Anon., Acts of Pilate, 19 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
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14. Anon., 2 Enoch, 22.11, 40.2
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15. Anon., 3 Baruch, 2.2, 11.2-11.5, 15.1
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16. Anon., 3 Enoch, 10-16, 2, 23-29, 3, 30-39, 4, 40-44, 5-6, 64-69, 7, 70-79, 8-9, 1
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17. Anon., 4 Ezra, 3.19
| 3.19. And thy glory passed through the four gates of fire and earthquake and wind and ice, to give the law to the descendants of Jacob, and thy commandment to the posterity of Israel. |
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18. Anon., 4 Baruch, 9.5
| 9.5. And may Michael, archangel of righteousness, who opens the gates to the righteous, be my guardian (?) until he causes the righteous to enter. |
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19. Anon., Apocalypse of Zephaniah, 3.9
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20. Anon., Maase Merkava, 546-556, 565-566, 569, 571-578, 580-595, 545
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21. Anon., Merkava Rabba, 673-674, 681, 692, 704, 655
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