Defense of ancient Enoch authorship According to the Ethiopian and Eritrean Churches, the Book of Enoch was written by Enoch himself around the year 3300 BC.  I have seen statements like, "outside of Ethiopia, no one has defended this position."  Actually, I have not found any attempt to defend it even in Ethiopia.  Assuming someone has actually made a serious attempt to defend the date &amp; authorship, I would like to read it.  Can anyone outline a defense of church's traditional position, or point me to one?

To be clear, I am not interested in the reasons this date is unlikely (which I already know).
There are at least two or three ways to possibly give this question a plausible answer, while at the same time safeguarding the Alexandrian Traditions' position on the subject of the Book of Enoch.

The first point to take into account is the fact that the only complete extant copy of the Book of Enoch is written in the Ge'ez language. This particular point does not answer the question, but merely shows why these Churches of North Africa are so attached to this book. The actual original language is unknown. It may have been Hebrew or Aramaic.

The next point to be made is that, as in the case with most of the different rites that were founded by one of the apostles or their disciples, there are many viable customs and traditions have been handed down to us from Time Immemorial. As such, no proof can truly be found, since it seems to possibly be in the domain of the Ethiopian Church's custom to believe that the Book of Enoch was written by Enoch himself. There are many pious customs and beliefs which cannot be verified one way or another. This one is no exception. 

The Book of Enoch was not included in the Christian canon of books in the 4th century and is regarded as Scripture in only the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Eritrean Orthodox Church. Why? I think that Tertullian (155-240) holds the key! 


  "Regarding the quotation in Jude, most of early Christianity considered it an independent quotation pre-dating the flood. Regarding the Book of Enoch itself Origen, Jerome and Augustin mention it, but as of no authority. Justin, Athenagoras, Irenaeus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Lactantius, and others borrowed an opinion out of this book of Enoch, that the angels had connection with the daughters of men, of whom they had offspring ('the giants of the past'). Tertullian, in several places, speaks of this book with esteem; and would persuade us, that it was preserved by Noah during the deluge." Taken from this Wikipedia link: Enoch (ancestor of Noah). 


And Again:


  The Epistle of Barnabas, young Origen, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian all considered 1 Enoch to be Scripture. Tertullian wrote in "Concerning The Genuineness Of 'The Prophecy Of Enoch,' I am aware that the Scripture of Enoch, which has assigned this order (of action) to angels, is not received by some, because it is not admitted into the Jewish canon either…But since Enoch in the same Scripture has preached likewise concerning the Lord, nothing at all must be rejected by us which pertains to us; and we read that 'every Scripture suitable for edification is divinely inspired.'…To these considerations is added the fact that Enoch possesses a testimony in the Apostle Jude." [Tertullian, "On the Apparel of Women,"in The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Fathers of the Third Century: Tertullian, Part Fourth; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen, Parts First and Second, ed. Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, trans. S. Thelwall, vol. 4 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1885), 15. Is Enoch Scripture? 


Hope this helps.