Back in 1604, King James I of England had a bit of a dilemma. The Anglican Church was in a bit of a mess, with various disputes causing quite a stir. To bring everyone together, he decided to commission a standardized English Bible. Fast forward more than four centuries, and the King James Version (KJV) still stands tall as the most well-known Bible. It’s been published countless times and has influenced countless lives.

What’s interesting is that the KJV contains 66 books. But did you know that the Catholic Bible features 73 books, and the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible has a whopping 81? Seems like there’s some variation depending on who you ask. A bunch of texts, like the Book of Enoch, didn’t make the cut in many versions. But why not? There has always been a core set of accepted texts forming the foundation of orthodox Christianity, while other texts were pushed aside or outright rejected.

These excluded texts are often part of what’s called the Apocrypha, a term that essentially means “hidden things.” The ancients might have tucked these texts away because they thought they could be dangerous or unsettling. Some theories even suggest that the Book of Enoch got the boot because it might reveal truths about human history deemed too risky for the general public.

Ancient astronaut theorists, who have some pretty intriguing ideas, point to passages from the Old Testament for clues. There’s a section in the Book of Daniel, Chapter 4, talking about angelic beings ordained by God to oversee human affairs. These divine overseers, referenced briefly, are the main subject of the Book of Enoch, where they’re called the Watchers. The English version dubs them “Guardians of the Sky,” while the German version calls them “Angels.”

But let’s play a little word game. Swap out “angel” for “extraterrestrial,” and you get a whole new perspective. The theory goes that these angels weren’t your typical spiritual beings; they were physical entities, basically extraterrestrials. According to the Book of Enoch, 200 Watchers descended to Earth, led by figures like Samyaza and Azazel. Azazel, known later as Lucifer, and his crew were quite a sight, even called “The Shining Ones” because of their bright appearance. Enoch himself mentioned that he could hardly look at them because they shone so brightly.

For ancient astronaut theorists, the idea that the Watchers were aliens is bolstered by the stories of other biblical figures like the prophet Elijah. Elijah’s story is a head-turner. He didn’t just prophesize; he had some serious abilities, apparently more so than other prophets. He possessed a cloak that could heal the sick, even raise the dead. And then there’s that dramatic moment when he used this power cloak to ascend to heaven in a fiery chariot. 50 other prophets witnessed this event, described as happening in a “chariot of fire.” Makes you wonder, what was this chariot? Could it have been some form of advanced tech that ancient people described the only way they knew how?

The idea of bodily ascension into heaven isn’t just Elijah’s game. Enoch and Elijah are both said to have ascended bodily. Interestingly, this also applies to Jesus and his mother Mary, according to various religious texts. But if heaven is a spiritual realm, why mention a physical body ascension? It’s a head-scratcher.

Neither Enoch nor Elijah is claimed to be prophets in their own writings—or at least, they didn’t claim that title themselves. It was later biblical authors who pinned that label on them. Enoch, for instance, had experiences that sound pretty out-there; he was taken up into space by what some interpret as extraterrestrials. Elijah’s story has similar beats, with misunderstood technology and miraculous achievements that leave us pondering their true nature.

So, zooming out, these narratives might just be parts of a much bigger puzzle involving ancient advanced technology, misunderstood phenomena, and maybe even visitors from other worlds. It’s all part of the grand tapestry of history and mythology, offering more questions each time we uncover an answer.

Thinking about it all, it’s wild to consider how different interpretations of similar concepts can spawn whole belief systems. Whether you see angels in fiery chariots or extraterrestrials in advanced crafts, the underlying tales of guidance, awe, and mystery continue to grip our collective imagination. And who knows? Maybe someday we’ll find more pieces of this enigmatic puzzle that has fascinated humankind for millennia.