The Book of Jubilees or The Little Genesis

Description

The Book Of Jubilees, or, as it is sometimes called, "the little Genesis," purports to be a revelation given by God to Moses through the medium of an angel and contains a history, divided up into 'jubilee periods' of 49 years, from the creation to the coming of Moses. Although the actual narrative of events is only carried down to Moses' birth and early career, its author envisages the events of a later time and, in particular, certain events of special interest at the time when he wrote, which was probably in the latter years of the 2nd century B.C. This work, though it contains one or two passages of an apocalyptic character, is quite unlike the typical apocalypses. It is largely a narrative based upon the historical narratives in Genesis and Exodus, interspersed with legends, and emphasising certain legal practices (such as the strict observance of the Sabbath, circumcision, etc.). The author's main object was to inculcate a reform in the regulation of the calendar and festivals, in place of the intercalated lunar calendar, which he condemns. He proposes to substitute for this a solar calendar consisting of 12 months and containing 364 days. The result of such a system is to make all festivals, except the Day of Atonement, fall on a Sunday, a radical idea for its day. With notes clarifying the translation, this is an important text for students of the origins of Christianity and Essene teachings.