The Book of Jubilees

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The Book of Jubilees

Part A. Adam and Eve

Compare Jub. 3: 1-3 and compare with Gen. 2:18-20. How are they similar and different? Then look at Gen. 1. How has the author of Jubilees added details from Gen. 1 to rewrite Gen. 2:18-20? Why do you think the author did this?

The author states that the animals and the birds came into being on the 6^th day of the second week. The Bible says that the animals were created from the earth, while Jubilees states that angels brought them. I think the author wants to make the creation of man from dust a unique thing separate from that of animals.

How do verses 8-11 explain the laws of impurity after childbirth that are outlined in Leviticus 12:1-8 (read these verses from the NRSV at the website mentioned above). Why do you think the author might have been interested in such a matter?

To show that Eden was not a place of uncleanliness. If Eve had entered the garden while unclean, she would have defiled it and made it unworthy for the angels and God to walk in it.

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According to v. 27, what did Adam and Eve do on the day they left the Garden of Eden? Is this detail found in Genesis? What do you think the author is trying to tell us in writing this? Now compare this verse with Exodus 30:1-9 and 34-38. How does this change or confirm your original impression?

Adam and Eve offered a sweet incense sacrifice to the Lord when they left the garden. This detail is not found in Genesis. The author wanted to show that man still had communion with God even after being banned from the garden. The verses in Exodus also show that God wanted to commune with man by offering sweet incense.

How do verses 28-29, compare with the account in Gen. 3. How are these verses an interpretation of Gen. 3:1-2?

In both Jubilees and Genesis, man is driven away from the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3:1-2, the serpent is able to talk. Jubilees show that all animals were able to talk.

Does verse 31 give you any hint of when Jubilees might have been written? Does it remind you of anything we studied in class?

Yes, at the time that Moses was receiving the law. The law of the Lord was written in tablets and was given to Moses.

Part B. Noah

What does the author of Jubilees say about the demons {FYI, Watchers in v. 5 also refers to evil spirits]? How do you think this understanding played a role in his view of the world? How would that fit into what you have learned about the ideology of the Qumranites?

The Watchers were leading people astray, and they were allowed to continue to do so because man was condemned to die from sin. Jubilees asserts that evil spirits propelled sin in man because of man’s disobedience. The Qumran viewed prayer as a way of righteousness, just as Noah prayed.

In Hebrew, the word Mastema means “hostility.” What is the role of Mastema in this chapter? What is his other name?

Mastema is the leader of the evil spirits that were allowed to lead some people astray and into wickedness. His other name is Satan (Michalak, 2012).

Read Genesis 5:18-24 and say who Enoch was. How is use made of his reputation in Jubilees 10?

Enoch was the son of Jared, and because of his righteousness, he did not die, but God took him. In Jubilees, Enoch is used to show that man could live a righteous life; he was to warn generations to come of their evil deeds and the condemnation to come.

In early Judaism a book was written in Enoch’s name, and today we call it 1 Enoch. Copies of this book were found in Aramaic at Qumran as well as a few fragments in Hebrew.  

How does the account you just read align with Jubilees 10?

Canaan desired a land that was not his inheritance and settled therein. He was, however, cursed by his father and siblings. The curse stated that his descendants would fall by sedition. In 1 Enoch, the angels lusted over the daughters of men, which was prohibited, and with that came the destruction of man and the environment by the nation of giants.

How does the story of the Tower of Babel in Jubilees expand on the story in Genesis? How is the story here parallel to the situation in Jub. 3:28-29. Do you think this accidental?

In Jubilees, it is recorded that a wind blew on the tower of Babel, and it fell and was then named Overthrow. In Jubilees, man and animals were scattered from the Garden of Eden and to other places created for them. Yes, this is accidental because, in the account of creation, there was no mention of different parts created for animals.

How does the account of verses 27-36 in Jubilees 3 differ from the material in Gen. 10 and 11? Can you think of any reasons why this might have been important to what occurs later in the Bible’s story? Can you think of any reasons this might have been important to the author?

In Jubilees, Adam and Eve were commanded to cover themselves and be different from animals. Those who are righteous are those who cover themselves. The people who built the tower of Babel were seen as Gentles as they were unafraid to unite and build what the Lord would not approve. The people were later scatted both in the account of Jubilees and Genesis. This was important to the author as he may have wanted to show that the Gentiles were the ones who built the tower of Babel, and this brought God’s judgment.

Part C. Abraham

What is the role of Mastema here? Do you see any recurring pattern in conjunction with what you saw in Jub. 10?

Mastema is the one who proposes testing Abraham’s faithfulness by saying that it can only be proven if he willingly sacrifices his son Isaac. Yes, the Lord grants Mastema his wishes to torment the sons of men.

Now read Job 1. How does Jub. 18 compare to that?

In both accounts, the evil one is present before the Lord and is requesting that the faithfulness of Job be tested in the same way the faithfulness of Abraham is to be put to the test. In both cases, the Lord agrees for the evil one to do as he pleases, to test both Job’s and Abraham’s faithfulness.

According to Gen 22:2, where does the binding of Isaac take place? Where does it take place according to Jubilees (see also verse 7)? Why is this significant in light of the later history of Israel as we studied it earlier in the semester?

In Genesis, Isaac is bound at the mountaintop of Moriah next to the altar. In Jubilees, Abraham and Isaac go to the high country, and at the altar, the father ties up the son next to the altar. The Jubilee’s account shows that the sacrifice was done at the base of the mountain. This is where the Israelites would stand and wait for Moses to come down and tell them what the Lord had said concerning His people.

In verses 18-19 of this chapter, Jubilees connects this holiday to another holiday later in the Torah. Which one is it and how does the author make the connection? To figure this out, you need to read Jub. 17:15-18 and Jub. 18:3 and then compare with Leviticus 23:4-8. In what ways do you think this is significant?

The feast of Passover. This is significant because the Passover signified the time the Lord rescued his people from their slavery in Egypt. After Abraham passed the test, God promised him that He would bless him with many descendants. The Lord saved Isaac during the Passover, and He blessed Abraham. The Israelites were saved and eventually given the land of Canaan.

Conclusion

The Book of Jubilees is seen as an addition to the accounts in Genesis. It gives a more detailed account of the different occurrences in the times of Adam, Abraham, and Noah, among others. However, some changes alter the narrative. Specifically, the Book negates the power of God’s word to create the world and instead asserts that angels were involved in the creation process. Nevertheless, the main ideas are retained in Jubilees as they are in Genesis.

Works Cited

Michalak, Aleksander R. Angels as Warriors in Late Second Temple Jewish Literature. Vol. 330. Mohr Siebeck, 2012.

NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) Bible
https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-Revised-Standard-Version-NRSV-Bible/

The Book of Jubilees. http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/jubilees/index.htm

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The Book of Jubilees

The Book of Jubilees
Jubilees is a Jewish writing from Second Temple times that was known before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in various languages such as Greek and Latin. However, the only language in which the complete text was preserved was Ethiopic. Fourteen copies were found at Qumran, all in the original Hebrew, although fragmentary.

Jubilees retells the story of the Bible as found in Genesis and the early chapters of Exodus, in other words, it describes events from the creation of the world until the time of Moses. The author of Jubilees sometimes expands events, sometimes sticks very closely to the text of the Bible, and sometimes omits events. Obviously, the events expanded upon were of special interest to the author who added details in an imaginative way or sought to connect the statements in Genesis with other parts of the Bible, as you will see. The purpose of this assignment is to study how the author of Jubilees went about interpreting the Bible and also to try to understand why certain features of Genesis were so important to the author and to the readers addressed.

Just a few more items to know before you begin. First, Jubilees presents itself as a revelation from the angels to Moses while he was on Mount Sinai. Therefore, when you read Jubilees, the person who speaks in the “I” voice is usually the angel. Second, the book gives a much more definite chronology according to weeks and jubilees.

The Book of Jubilees

The weeks are weeks of years so that one week equals seven years. Jubilees are longer and last 49 years (there was some disagreement in ancient Judaism about whether the Jubilee year was the 49th year or the 50th year, but for the author of Jubilees, it is 49 years not 50). Thirdly, Jubilees states that the Law existed in Heaven before the time of Moses. In other words, it did not come into existence at the time of Moses, but was already decreed from the beginning of time. Therefore, you will see some attempt on the part of the author to show that godly people before the time of Moses were already keeping the Torah.

In this assignment, you will look at some episodes from the Book of Jubilees dealing Adam and Eve, Noah, and Abraham. I have written some specific questions for you to answer in order to guide you and help you think about the passages. Please write out a sentence or two answering these questions in order.

P.S. You will find a translation of Jubilees here:
http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/jubilees/index.htm (Links to an external site.)
Just click on the chapter you would like to read.

For the text of the Bible, you are free to use any translation you like. But I usually use the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) which you can find here:

https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-Revised-Standard-Version-NRSV-Bible/ (Links to an external site.)

Just type Genesis 3 in the search box (or whatever book and chapter you need), hit enter, and the text will appear.

Part A. Adam and Eve
Read Jubilees 3 and compare with Gen. 2-3. Notice whatever similarities and differences you can. Then answer the questions below:

1. Compare Jub. 3: 1-3 and compare with Gen. 2:18-20. How are they similar and different? Then look at Gen. 1. How has the author of Jubilees added details from Gen. 1 to rewrite Gen. 2:18-20? Why do you think the author did this [Note: Your answer doesn’t have to be anything deep or theological so don’t stress too much about this; I’m just trying to get you to think]?
2. How do verses 8-11 explain the laws of impurity after childbirth that are outlined in Leviticus 12:1-8 (read these verses from the NRSV at the website mentioned above). Why do you think the author might have been interested in such a matter?
3. According to v. 27, what did Adam and Eve do on the day they left the Garden of Eden? Is this detail found in Genesis? What do you think the author is trying to tell us in writing this? Now compare this verse with Exodus 30:1-9 and 34-38. How does this change or confirm your original impression?
4. How do verses 28-29, compare with the account in Gen. 3. How are these verses an interpretation of Gen. 3:1-2? Note: we will come back to the topic of a universal language again in Part B of this assignment where you will study Jub. 10 and find an interesting parallel among humans!
5. Does verse 31 give you any hint of when Jubilees might have been written? Does it remind you of anything we studied in class?

Part B. Noah
Read: Jubilees 10 and compare with Gen. 6 and 10-11. Notice whatever similarities and differences you can. Then answer the questions below:

1. What does the author of Jubilees say about the demons {FYI, Watchers in v. 5 also refers to evil spirits] ? How do you think this understanding played a role in his view of the world? How would that fit into what you have learned about the ideology of the Qumranites?
2. In Hebrew, the word Mastema means “hostility.” What is the role of Mastema in this chapter? What is his other name?
3. Read Genesis 5:18-24 and say who Enoch was [Note that Enoch lived before Noah]. How is use made of his reputation in Jubilees 10?
4. In early Judaism a book was written in Enoch’s name, and today we call it 1 Enoch. Copies of this book were found in Aramaic at Qumran as well as a few fragments in Hebrew. Read the short chapters 6-8 here: https://www.ccel.org/c/charles/otpseudepig/enoch/ENOCH_1.HTM (Links to an external site.)
   1. How does the account you just read align with Jubilees 10?
5. How does the story of the of the Tower of Babel in Jubilees expand on the story in Genesis? How is the story here parallel to the situation in Jub. 3:28-29. Do you think this accidental?
6. How does the account of verses 27-36 in Jubilees 3 differ from the material in Gen. 10 and 11? Can you think of any reasons why this might have been important to what occurs later in the Bible’s story? Can you think of any reasons this might have been important to the author?

Part C. Abraham
Read: Jubilees 17:15-18 and all of 18 and compare with Gen. 22. Notice whatever similarities and differences you can. Then answer the questions below:

1. What is the role of Mastema here? Do you see any recurring pattern in conjunction with what you saw in Jub. 10?
2. Now read Job 1. How does Jub. 18 compare to that?
3. According to Gen 22:2, where does the binding of Isaac take place? Where does it take place according to Jubilees (see also verse 7)? Why is this significant in light of the later history of Israel as we studied it earlier in the semester?
4. In verses 18-19 of this chapter, Jubilees connects this holiday to another holiday later in the Torah. Which one is it and how does the author make the connection? To figure this out, you need to read Jub. 17:15-18 and Jub. 18:3 and then compare with Leviticus 23:4-8. In what ways do you think this is significant?

Conclusion: