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Book of Jubilees
Posted by Lev/Christopher on October 5, 2009 at 12:37pm
in Pseudepigrapha
The Book of Jubilees is an interesting one. I can understand why people would want it to be inspired but like the Book of Enoch it is clearly of late provenance and does contain some glaring errors. There are many things that convince me it is not inspired:
1. It denies the resurrection of the physical body;
2. It assumes an impossible solar year of 364 days;
3. It has Hasmonean elements in it, showing that it is from a far later period than Genesis (see below);
4. It calculates the Global Flood as occurring in 1307 AM, when in fact the genealogical records in Genesis 5 tell us that the Flood happened at 1656 AM. Thus we see three hundred forty-nine missing years. Interestingly, the Hillel Calendar is about two hundred forty two years shorter than Ussher's chronology, but for reasons that would not become relevant until long after the Book of Jubilees was written;
5. It records the births of Shem, Ham, and Japheth out of their likely order. Genesis 5 and Genesis 11, when compared, clearly show that Shem was not Noah's first-born. Furthermore, Jubilees' date for the birth of Arpachshad is not in accord with Shem being one hundred years old at the time, and giving birth to Arpachshad two years after the Flood. (see http://www.itsaboutthattime.net/is_jubilees_inspired.htm)
Another problem is that it's a third-hand translation at best: Hebrew > Greek > Ethiopic - we only have the Ethiopic version. The Hebrew fragments we have correspond only to a tiny portion of the original. It probably comes from the Harmonean period which is far, far removed from the time period it purportedly represents, probably being no older that ~150 BC:
"Some scholars attempt to identify alleged biblical events in the Book of Jubilees with events from the early Hasmonean period, especially battles fought with neighboring peoples (see Charles, The Book of Jubilees, lvi, lxii–lxiii; VanderKam, Textual and Historical Studies in the Book of Jubilees, 217–46). Thus, the latest possible date of an event identified would be the earliest possible date for the composition of the Book of Jubilees. R. H. Charles claims that Jub. 30:4-6, the narrative of the destruction of Schechem, actually alludes to the subjugation of the Samaritans under John Hyrcanus about four years before his death in 105 BCE (The Book of Jubilees, lxii). Thus, he concludes that the terminus a quo for the composition of the Book of Jubilees would be after that event between 109-105 BCE. It is doubtful, however, that Charles is correct in seeing the subjugation of the Samaritans in Jub. 30:4-6. J. VanderKam argues that the event described in Jub. 23:21 follows the Maccabean revolt and “could depict the appointment of Alcimus in 162 and his infidelity to the Chasidim who had accepted him” (Textual and Historical Studies in the Book of Jubilees, 254). According to VanderKam, Jub. 23:22–23 depicts “the Syrian invasions of Judea during Alcimus’ term of office” (254). J. Endres agrees that “those who have escaped and not returned from their wickedness” are the pro-Hellenistic High Priest Alcimus and his political faction, who opposed Judas and his followers, but received the support of the Hasidim (1 Macc 7:5–18; 2 Macc 14:3–10; Ant. 12.391–93) (Biblical Interpretation in the Book of Jubilees, 55–56). This allows the establishment of 161 BCE as the terminus a quo of at least this portion of the Book of Jubilees. There are, however, too few clear historical allusions in Jub. 23:21–23 to the events surrounding the appointment of Alcimus as High Priest to accept VanderKam’s hypothesis. For example, VanderKam must interpret the reference to the defilement of the Holy of Holies in Jub. 23:21 symbolically: “The reference to the Holy of Holies is probably a figurative way of saying that he had defiled his office by his conduct” (254). The more natural interpretation would be the desecration of the altar (1 Macc 1:54; 2 Macc 6:2). It is probably better to interpret the events of Jub. 23:21–23 as antedating the Maccabean revolt. Tcherikover holds that there were two rebellions, the first led by the Chasidim in response to the political and economic changes instituted in Jerusalem in 175 BCE, which was the reason for Antiochus’ intervention and imposition of his draconian measures (see 2 Macc 5:5–10), and the second, the better-known Maccabean revolt (Hellenistic Civilization and the Jews, chap. 5). Thus Jub. 23:16–20 would describe the first rebellion, Jub. 23:21–25 Antiochus’ persecution and Jub. 23:26–30 the successful Maccabean revolt just underway at the time of the author’s composition of this work. It is possible, nevertheless, that Jub. 37:1–38:14 may reflect the battle between Judas’ campaigns in 163 BCE (1 Macc 5; Ant. 12.327–53; see 2 Macc 10:14–23; 12:10–46) (VanderKam, Textual and Historical Studies in the Book of Jubilees, 230–38). - http://www.abu.nb.ca/Courses/NTIntro/InTest/Jubilees.htm
Also:
"That the Book of Jubilees was written sometime in the first half of the second century BCE is confirmed by the fact that, for the author, Hellenization still appears to be a threat; it has not yet receded into the collective memory of the Jewish people to become a past event. Polemic against Hellenizing Jews can be found in Jub. 3:31 (Against public nakedness; see 1 Macc 1.13–14) and Jub. 15.33–34 (Against not circumcising; see 1 Macc 1.15, 63; 2:20, 27; 4:10). In addition, the eschatological perspective of the Book of Jubilees presupposes that only a short period of time between the beginning of the (anticipated) national revolt and the composition of the text has elapsed. In Jub. 23.16–32, it is said that, after national apostasy (Hellenization), the younger generation will arise, and return to God; as a result, God will progressively bring about the eschatological blessings promised by the prophets. From the author’s standpoint the benefits occasioned by national repentance and renewed obedience to the Law will occur in the near future. Since these eschatological blessing did not come as expected, the author must be writing at time when the possibility that they would come still existed, that is, shortly after the beginnings of the Maccabean revolt. It is always possible, however, that Jub. 23:16–32 was composed earlier than the rest of the Book of Jubilees and was later incorporated into the larger work." (Ibid.)
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Reply by Cindy Dunlop on October 11, 2009 at 6:44am
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Reply by DR on October 11, 2009 at 7:53am
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Reply by Lev/Christopher on October 11, 2009 at 10:59am
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Reply by Cindy Dunlop on October 12, 2009 at 9:14am
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Reply by Lev/Christopher on October 12, 2009 at 11:21am
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