He uses the Enochian literature as a point of departure for an analysis of the apocalyptic literary tradition and the historical connection between Jewish and Mesopotamian thought.

James C. VanderKam is the John A. O'Brien Professor of Hebrew Scriptures at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. His books include The Dead Sea Scrolls Today, An Introduction to Early Judaism, The Book of Jubilees, and The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls.