Enoch (Idrīs) and Ezra (ʿUzayr) in Abrahamic Traditions: An AI-Assisted Intertextual Study with Insights from Brill’s Encyclopaedia of Islam

Abstract

Enoch and Ezra occupy prominent yet nuanced positions within the Abrahamic intellectual and theological landscape. Known in Islamic tradition as Idrīs and ʿUzayr, these figures exemplify the intersections of prophecy, scriptural authority, and divine knowledge across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic contexts. This study undertakes an AI-assisted intertextual analysis, integrating insights from classical sources and modern scholarship, including the Brill Encyclopaedia of Islam. By examining these figures across textual traditions, the research highlights recurring motifs such as heavenly ascent, mystical knowledge, scribal authority, and community restoration.Enoch’s transformation from a brief biblical mention to a central figure in Jewish apocalyptic literature illustrates the dynamics of scriptural elaboration, wherein he becomes a mediator of divine knowledge and cosmic secrets. Ezra’s role as a priest-scribe and restorer of the Torah similarly _{emph asizes} textual preservation and communal identity. Islamic traditions reinterpret these narratives through the figures of Idrīs and ʿUzayr, embedding them in Qurʾānic theology and exegetical discourse.AI-assisted intertextual analysis facilitates systematic comparisons, uncovering patterns and conceptual parallels previously obscured by linguistic and cultural distance. The study demonstrates that Enoch and Ezra serve as symbolic embodiments of divine wisdom, prophetic insight, and textual guardianship. These narratives illuminate the enduring interconnectivity of Abrahamic traditions and underscore the value of computational methods in contemporary religious studies.