Book of Jubilees: The Book of Jubilees: The Patriarchs from Adam to Noah; Life of Enoch; Death of Adam and Gain (iv. 13-33).
The Patriarchs from Adam to Noah (cf. Gen. v.); Life of Enoch; Death of Adam and Gain (iv. 13-33).
7 And in the seventh jubilee in the third week Enos took Nôâm his sister to be his wife, and she bare
8 his sister to be his wife, and she bare him a son in the ninth jubilee,
9 for in his days the angels of the Lord descended on
1 those who are named the Watchers, 2 that they should instruct the children of men, 3 and that they should do judgment and uprightness on the earth. 16. And in the eleventh jubilee Jared took to himself
4 17. And he 5 was the first among men that are born on earth who learnt writing and knowledge and wisdom 6 and who wrote down the signs of heaven according to the order of their months in a book, 7 that men might know the seasons of the years according to the order of their separate months. 18. And he was the first to write a testimony, and he testified to the sons of men among the generations of the earth, and recounted the weeks of the jubilees, and made known to them the days of the years, 8 and set in order the months and recounted
1 of his sleep, as it will happen to the children of men throughout their generations until the day of judgment; he 2 saw and understood everything, and wrote his testimony, and placed the testimony on earth for all the children of men and
4 21. And he was moreover with the angels of God these six jubilees of years, and they showed him everything which is on earth 5 and in the heavens, the rule of the sun, and he wrote down everything. 22. And he testified to the Watchers, who had sinned with the daughters of men; for these had begun to unite themselves, so as to be defiled, with the daughters of men, and Enoch testified against (them) all. 23. And he was taken from amongst the children of men, and we conducted him into the Garden of Eden 6 in majesty and honour, and behold there he writeth down the condemnation and judgment of the world, and all the wickedness of the children of men. 7 24. And on account of it (God) brought the waters of the flood 8 upon all the land of Eden; for there he was set as a sign and that he should testify against all the children of men, that he should recount all the deeds of the generations until the day of
1 25. And he burnt the incense of the sanctuary, (even) sweet spices, 2 acceptable before the Lord on the Mount. 26. For the Lord hath four places 3 on the earth, the Garden of Eden, and the Mount of the East, 4 and this mountain on which thou art this day, Mount Sinai, and Mount Zion (which) will be sanctified in the new creation for a sanctification of the earth; through it will the earth be sanctified from all (its) guilt and its uncleanness throughout the generations of the world. 5 27. And in the fourteenth
6 28. And in the fifteenth jubilee in the third week
7 29. And at the close of the nineteenth jubilee, in the seventh week in the sixth year thereof, Adam died, and all
8 and he was the first to be buried 9 in the earth. 30. And he lacked seventy years of one thousand years; for one thousand years are as one day in the testimony
1 For this reason he did not complete the years of this day; for he died during it. 31. At the close of this jubilee Cain was killed after him in the same year; for his house fell upon him and he died in the midst of his house, and he was killed by its stones, for with a stone he had killed Abel, and by a stone was he killed in righteous judgment. 32. For this reason it was ordained on the heavenly tables: "With the instrument with which a man killeth his neighbour with the same shall he be killed; after the manner that he wounded him, in like manner shall they deal with him." 2 33. And in
53:1 This last line looks like a quotation from 1 Enoch vi. 6 ("who descended in the days of Jared"). Note the play in Hebrew on the name Jared (yāred) and "descended" (Heb. yārĕdû). The myth of the descent of the angels was based on Gen. vi. 1-4, but was rejected by the Rabbis, who rendered "sons of God" (i. e. angels) "sons of the judges."
53:2 This name is given to angels in Dan. iv. 13, 17, 23; in 1 Enoch it is applied especially to the fallen angels (cf. 1 Enoch i. 5, x. 9, 15 and often).
53:3 This statement is interesting. It describes what was probably the original commission by God to the angelic watchers, who, however, fell when they descended to the earth. According to 1 Enoch, Enoch acquired his supernatural knowledge from the instruction of angels.
53:5 The passage that follows about Enoch (17-23) implies knowledge on the part of the author of Enochic writings. Charles infers that these were 1 Enoch vi-xvi., xxiii.-xxxvi., and lxxii.-xc.
53:6 Cf. the phrase "Scribe of righteousness" applied to Enoch in 1 Enoch xii. 4, xv . 1.
53:7 Probably a reference to 1 Enoch lxxii.-lxxxii. ("The Book of the courses of the Heavenly Luminaries ").
53:8 There is nothing in 1 or 2 Enoch about "jubilees," etc. This statement is probably due solely to the author of Jubilees, who wished to invest the institution with a spurious antiquity.
54:1 The reference is probably to the "Dream-Visions" (1 Enoch lxxxiii.-xc.).
54:2i. e. Enoch. The writings of Enoch are mentioned elsewhere (1 Enoch, Test. XII. Patriarchs).
55:3 Three of these places are connected with critical events in the history of the world; Eden (with Adam), Sinai (with Moses), Zion (with David).
55:4 The exact identification is uncertain; possibly the mount above Eden, where the Scthites live, is meant. Other suggestions are Mt. Ephraim, which would imply a Samaritan authorship, and Lubar, on Ararat, which would connect well with the history of Noah.
55:9 This implies the view that Abel's body was not buried before Adam's. According to Pirḳe de R. Eliezer (xxi.), Adam was at first uncertain what to do, but then buried Abel's corpse.
56:1 Cf. Gen. ii. 14. Notice that "day" here is interpreted as = 1000 years--a belief early current among Jews and Christians (cf. Ber. rabba xix. on Gen. iii. 8), 2 Pet. iii. 8. Justin Martyr, Trypho. lxxxi; cf. also Pirḳe de R. Eliezer xviii.
56:2 The lex talionis; cf. Exod. xxi. 24 ("eye for eye, tooth for tooth"); Lev. xxiv. 19. Similar examples are given in 2 Macc. v. 19 f., xv. 32 f. The rigorous application of this "law" was upheld by the Sadducees, as against the Pharisees.
56:3 Cf. Gen. V. 22. Note that Shem is represented as the eldest; cf. Gen. x. 21 (R.V.).
