hebrew · religious

The Book of Jubilees

c. 160–150 BCE · Second Temple Period · Judea

Chapter 2 — The Seven Days of Creation

1For on the first day he created the heavens which are above
2And the earth and the waters and all the spirits which serve before him —
3The angels of the presence, and the angels of sanctification,
4And the angels of the spirit of fire, and the angels of the spirit of the winds,
5And the angels of the spirit of the clouds, and of darkness, and of snow and of hail,
6And the angels of the voices and of the thunder and of the lightning,
7And the angels of the spirits of cold and of heat.
8And on the second day he created the firmament in the midst of the waters.
9And on the third day he created all the plants of the earth.
10And on the fourth day he created the sun and the moon and the stars.
11And on the fifth day he created all the animals that are in the seas.
12And on the sixth day he created all the beasts of the earth,
13And man he created on the sixth day as the last work.
14And he finished all his works on the sixth day —
15Everything in the heavens and on the earth, and in the seas and in the abysses,
16And in the light and in the darkness, and in everything.
17And he gave us a great sign, this Shabbat,
18That we should work six days, but keep Shabbat on the seventh day.

Chapter 4 — The Watchers and the Fall of the Angels

19In those days the angels of God saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful:
20And they took for themselves wives from all those whom they chose,
21And they bore to them sons, and they were giants.
22And wickedness increased upon the earth.
23And God looked upon the earth: and behold it was corrupt.
24For all flesh had corrupted his way.
25And he sent his angels to instruct the sons of men to do right and justice on the earth.
26But the angels of the watchers did not obey.
27Semyaza, their leader, and his fellows, fell from heaven upon the earth.

Chapter 6 — The Covenant with Noah; the Calendar

28And on the new moon of the first month, and on the new moon of the fourth month,
29And on the new moon of the seventh month, and on the new moon of the tenth month
30Are the days of remembrance, and the days of the seasons in the four divisions of the year.
31These are written and ordained as a testimony for ever.
32And Noah ordained them for himself as feasts for the generations for ever,
33So that they have become thereby a memorial unto him.
34And on the new moon of the first month he was bidden to make for himself an ark.

Chapter 23 — The Decline of Human Life

35The days of the children of men began to be shorter in those evil days.
36In the days of the first generations, when the life of man was a thousand years,
37They learned to build cities and establish kingdoms.
38But now the days of the righteous in whom there is no sin are seventy years.
39And if some are strong, eighty years.
40But all their days are filled with trouble and pain and grief,
41And there is no peace even in those days.
42And in those days children will accuse their parents, and elders will not honour the young.
43And they will turn every man against his neighbour.
44The young will put to shame the old, and the old will arise against the young.
45There will be no fear of age, no reverence for a grey head.
46But after this the children shall begin to study the laws,
47And to seek the commandments,
48And to return to the path of righteousness.
49And the days shall begin to grow many and increase
50Amongst those children of men till their days draw nigh to a thousand years,
51And to a greater number of years than the number of the days.

notes

The Book of Jubilees is a retelling of Genesis and Exodus from the creation through the giving of the Law at Sinai, presented as a revelation delivered to Moses by the "Angel of the Presence." It was composed in Hebrew around 160–150 BCE and survives complete only in Ge'ez (Ethiopian), with Hebrew fragments discovered at Qumran. The book is notable for its insistence on a solar calendar of 364 days (52 weeks exactly), rather than the lunar calendar used by mainstream Judaism — a calendar dispute that appears to be the Book of Jubilees' central polemical concern. Its name comes from its chronological system, which organises history into "jubilees" of 49 years. The book expands the Genesis narratives with details not in the biblical text, including the names of women (often unnamed in Genesis), the fall of the Watchers, and a detailed angelology. Its influence on the Dead Sea Scrolls community (who used its solar calendar) was substantial; it was canonical for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Translation after R.H. Charles (1902). Public domain.

currently held: Ethiopian Orthodox Church; Dead Sea Scrolls fragments (Qumran)

CreationApocryphaHebrew BibleFlood NarrativeWatchers

related texts

Genesis 1–11 (Creation and Flood Narratives)hebrew · c. 900–500 BCE (written); older oral traditions

## Chapter 1 — The Creation: Six Days [1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [2] And the earth was without form, and void; [3] And darkness was upon the face of the deep. [4] And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [5] And God said, Let there be light: and ther…

The Book of Enoch (1 Enoch)hebrew · c. 300–100 BCE

## Chapters 1–5 — The Blessing of Enoch [1] The words of the blessing of Enoch, wherewith he blessed the elect and righteous, [2] Who will be living in the day of tribulation, [3] When all the wicked and godless are to be removed. [4] And he took up his parable and said — [5] Enoch a righteous man…