The Book of Jubilees 3.2.3

The Book of Jubilees and the Holy Bible

The Book of Jubilees, dated to the 2nd century B.C.E., presents an alternate narrative of Biblical history from creation to the time of Moses. It structures time into periods known as 'Jubilees,' each lasting 49 years. While predominantly echoing the familiar themes found in Genesis, it offers supplementary details, such as the names of Adam and Eve's daughters, and introduces a demonic figure named 'Mastema' who plays an active role in the events described.

The anonymous author exhibits a notable preoccupation with calendar reform, utilizing the text to advocate for a solar calendar consisting of 364 days and 12 months. This proposal would represent a significant deviation from the traditional lunar-based Jewish calendar. Additionally, the text contains a few messianic and apocalyptic passages, although such elements are less pronounced compared to those found in the Book of Enoch.

Currently, the only complete version of the Book of Jubilees exists in Ethiopian; however, substantial fragments are also available in Greek, Latin, and Syriac. It is widely believed that the work was originally composed in Hebrew. The impression that one is engaging with an early draft of Genesis is supported by notable Biblical scholars such as R.H. Charles, who suggested that Jubilees serves as a reinterpretation of the Pentateuch, portions of which may have been integrated into the earliest Greek version of the Jewish Bible known as the Septuagint.