The Book of Enoch 76:1-13 describes the twelve portals of the winds that proceed from the quarters of the heavens and their purpose as taught to Methuselah who was the son of Enoch (cf. Genesis 5:21), the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah and the oldest person who ever lived at 969 years old (cf. Genesis 5:27).
76:1 “And at the ends of the land I saw twelve portals open to all the quarters (of the heavens), from which the winds go forth and blow over the land. 2. Three of them are open on the face (i.e. the east) of the heavens, and three in the west, and three on the right (i.e. the south) of the heavens, and three on the left (i.e. the north)… 4. Through four of these come winds of blessing and prosperity, and from those eight come hurtful winds: when they are sent, they bring destruction on all the land and on the water upon it, and on all who dwell thereon, and on everything which is in the water and on the land…13. And the twelve portals of the four quarters of the heavens are therewith completed, and all their laws and all their plagues and all their benefactions have I shown to thee, my son Methuselah.”
The East Winds (cf. Exodus 10:13; Job 38:24; Psalm 48:7; Hosea 13:15; Jonah 4:8)
Enoch 76:5-6 And the first wind from those portals, called the east wind, comes forth through the first portal which is in the east, inclining towards the south: from it come forth desolation, drought, heat, and destruction. 6. And through the second portal in the middle comes what is fitting, and from it there come rain and fruitfulness and prosperity and dew; and through the third portal which lies toward the north come cold and drought.
The Book of Enoch (also known as 1 Enoch) was written during the second century B.C.. The older sections (mainly in the Book of the Watchers) of the text are estimated to date from about 300–200 B.C., and the latest part (Book of Parables) probably to 100 B.C.. Various Aramaic fragments found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as Koine Greek and Latin fragments, were proof that The Book of Enoch was known by early Jews and Christians.
You will note some abbreviations, brackets, and symbols specially used in the translation of 1 Enoch:
- ⌈ ⌉. The use of these brackets means that the words so enclosed are found in the Greek Version preserved In Syncellus but not in the Ethiopic Version.
- ⌈⌈ ⌉⌉. The use of these brackets means that the words so enclosed are found in E the Ethiopic Version but not in the Greek Version preserved In Syncellus or the Greek Version discovered at Akhmîm.
- 〉. The use of these brackets means that the words so enclosed are restored.
- [ ] The use of these brackets means that the words so enclosed are interpolations.
- ( ). The use of these brackets means that the words so enclosed are supplied by the editor.
- The use of thick type denotes that the words so printed are emended.
- † † corruption in the text.
- . . . = some words which have been lost.