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or The Little Genesis
foreword by: R. A. Gilbert Ibis Press 2005 ISBN #0-89254-137-7 The Book of Jubilees is part of the Ibis Western Mystery Tradition series. This series is based on the premise that the heritage of all of Western spirituality lies in one single source, the Judeo-Christian religion, with its roots in the distinctive religious faiths of the great civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia. The one goal that these religions have in common is the spiritual regeneration of humanity. The goal of this series is to bring to light the texts that have been, for whatever reason, hidden, neglected or unrecognized. It is from rare printed texts, and the study of these texts, that the Ibis series is drawn. This particular book was translated from the Ethiopic text by Robert Henry Charles. In his foreword, R.A. Gilbert speaks of the reasoning behind certain texts being left out of officially accepted church literature. It was not that the texts that were left out were being condemned, but that they fell into the category of literature that was considered to be of historical, critical or spiritual value, but that were not divinely inspired. The Book of Jubilees falls under the heading of "Pseudopigrapha" (writings with false superscription), and the subcategory of "wisdom and philosophical literature". In essence, it is the retelling of the Creation, the Fall, and the lives of the patriarchs from the books of Genesis or Exodus. According to Gilbert, the Proluge sets the tone for the context of this work, describing it as "the account of the division of the days of the Law and of the testimony, of the events of the years, of their (year) weeks, of their jubilees, throughout all the years of the world, as the Lord spoke to Moses on mount Sinai ..." The book was composed, by an unknown author, around the middle of the second century B.C. This was a time of change, and a time when Hellenistic thought was proving to be a threat to Judaic beliefs and practices. The Book of Jubilees was intended to counter this threat by reinforcing the divine ordering of time, reminding the people of Israel about the most significant aspects of the Law, stressing the details of their observance, and using the patriarchs as perfect exemplars of absolute obedience to the Law. For me, the proluge sets the tone for what is to follow. From the book: "This is the history of the division of the days of the law and of the testimony, of the events of the years, of their (year) weeks, of their jubilees throughout all the years of the world, as the Lord speaks to Moses on Mount Sinai when he went up to receive the tables of the law and of the commandment, according to the voice of God as He said unto him "Go up to the top of the mount." The words of this book purport to have come to Moses, from God, through the medium of an angel, and cover the time period from Creation to the coming of Moses. The language (translation) of this book has been done in such a manner that it is easily understood and assimilated. While certainly falling under the category of reference material, it covers material that relates to real life, and can be read and understood by anyone. This book could easily be used for private study, but it also lends itself to group study (formal or informal). Browsing through the Table of Contents gives us sections such as "God's Revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai", "The Fall of the Angels and Their Punishment", "The Death and Burial of Sarah", "Isaac at the Well of Vision", "Levi's Dream at Bethel", and "The Death of Joseph". One could work their way through the book, following the timeline, or go to specific sections of interest. This is an excellent addition to any library.
Bonnie Cehovet
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