Milena Varzonovtseva

The Secret Books of the Bogomils Milena Varzonovtseva

This book explores the widely assumed, but rarely investigated connection between two medieval documents: the eschatological pseudepigraphon - 2 Enoch and the main text of the Bogomils - their Secret Book. The first chapter presents the controversial textual history of 2 Enoch: all the possible theories, connected to its dating, place of writing and provenance and the theories which link it to the Bogomil movement. The second chapter is situated around the possible origins of the Bogomilism, the presence of Bogomils in the context of the First Bulgarian Kingdom and the essence of their dualist beliefs. The third chapter inspects the texts of 2 Enoch and the Secret Book. The monograph attempts to show how the figures of Satan and the prophet Enoch, the story of the fallen angels, the creation of the world and other details of 2 Enoch might have been utilized by the Bogomils in their Secret Book and opens a series of new questions to confirm or disprove previous theories. It is to serve all audiences interested in a concise but very informative look at two of the mysterious writings of medieval heresy.