The Book of Jubilees is a Jewish writing from the time of the Maccabees in the second century BC. It belongs to a group of ancient writings called pseudepigrapha (books written under someone else’s name). Jubilees is an important source for understanding Jewish life and beliefs just before the beginning of the Christian era. Along with the Book of Enoch and the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, it is one of the most valuable Hebrew or Aramaic works from that time. Like the two other works, Jubilees was also translated into Greek and used by the church fathers.
Jubilees was probably first written in Hebrew. It claims that Moses wrote it, and it reflects strong Jewish nationalism during the Maccabean period. Ten Hebrew fragments of the book found at Qumran support the idea that Hebrew was its original language.
Titles and Translations
Later Greek writers followed Hebrew sources and called it "Jubilees" and "the little (lesser) Genesis." It is also known by other names, such as The Apocalypse of Moses and The Testament of Moses. In revised forms, it is known as The Book of Adam’s Daughters and The Life of Adam.
Complete, fifty-chapter manuscripts have survived in six Ethiopic texts. The best of these are the manuscripts from the fifth and sixth centuries. The Latin text is valuable but incomplete, and only a few fragments of the Greek version remain. The Hebrew fragments found at Qumran are especially important because they date from the period of the original writing. The Bibliothèque Nationale in France holds “Éthiopien 51” and “Éthiopien 160.” The British Museum has Kufale, or Liber Jubilaeorum, and Enoch.
What Does the Book of Jubilees Teach?
Jubilees claims to record teachings that God gave Moses when he was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law. God communicated to Moses through the "Angel of the Presence," telling him: "Write for Moses from the beginning of creation until my sanctuary is built among them forever" (1:27). The book presents this as a supplement to the "first law" (6:22).
After a brief introduction, Jubilees follows the same sequence of events and stories as the biblical accounts from Genesis 1:1 to Exodus 14:31. However, it makes many changes to reinterpret the Pentateuch. It uses a style called midrash (Jewish commentary or interpretation) to show that the patriarchs (such as Adam, Noah, and Abraham) already lived according to the Law before Moses received it. The author intends to strengthen traditional Jewish faith to combat the strong influence of Hellenistic culture among the Jewish people of his time. To do this, he removed stories that showed the weaknesses of the patriarchs and added legends that made them appear more faithful. The book even credits them as founders of human culture: Enoch discovered writing, Noah discovered medicine, and Abraham invented plowing.
Based on Leviticus 25:8–12, Jubilees emphasizes the importance of the number seven. It divides history from Adam to Moses into cycles of seven, called “jubilees.” According to the book, God revealed this pattern to Moses at Mount Sinai and commanded him to record it. This way of organizing history shows how God rules with complete authority, especially over Israel. The author teaches that God’s relationship with Israel is unique. Other nations are ruled by angels, but Israel belongs directly to God and is under his personal care (Jubilees 15:31 and following).
The Book of Jubilees opposes the Jewish use of the lunar calendar (6:36–38) and supports religious use of the solar calendar instead. This is part of a larger effort to reform and cleanse Israel. Israel must become dedicated to God in every way. This includes not marrying or sitting at a table with gentiles. The book is surprisingly demanding with regard to Sabbath observance (50:1–13). It prescribes that Jews who travel, buy or sell, draw water, carry burdens, trap animals, or have marital relations on the Sabbath must be put to death. These rules go far beyond the biblical requirements. They are similar to the kind of rules the Qumran community and the Essenes used.
Hope for the Future
The Angel of Presence's message includes a vision of the end times, but it reveals only a small amount about what will happen. The Book of Jubilees expects that the messianic age (the time when God’s chosen one will rule) will begin soon. However, the main focus of the book is not on predicting the future. Instead, it emphasizes how people should live. It emphasizes moral behavior and faithfulness to Jewish traditions.
See also Apocrypha.