Unsettled Christianity

Jason is going to look at Adam in the Apocrypha (which one?) but I thought that I might give a look at Adam in the Book of Jubilees. This is not in depth and nor is it meant to be. It is just a few snippets of the book which has been used by Christians – and still is in some parts of the world:

There (were) two and twenty heads of mankind from Adam to Jacob, and two and twenty kinds of work were made until the seventh day; this is blessed and holy; and the former also is blessed and holy; and this one serves with that one for sanctification and blessing. (JUB 2:23 OTP)

Interesting… So the genealogy is representative of kings or dynasties. So why not Adam in some what? After all, the Jubilant author is using other traditions to write his work. He may be trying to redact earlier traditions to reflect his theological understanding or the polemical nature of his work. It has been proposed by current Christian thinkers that the genealogy of Genesis should represent dynasties. I don’t see a real reason why not (although there may in fact be good reasons why not).

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OPE  Jubilees 3:9 On the forty-sixth day of the creation of the world, on the fourth day of the seventh week, Pachon fourteenth, May ninth, the sun being in Taurus and the moon in Scorpio, according to diameter, in the rising of Pleiades, God led Adam into Paradise on the fortieth day since his creation. On the eighth day of the making of the world, on the forty-fourth day of the making of Adam, on the Lord’s Day, Pachon eighteenth, May thirteenth, after three days since his entrance into Paradise, the sun being in Taurus and the moon in Capricorn, God commanded Adam to avoid eating from the Tree of Knowledge. On the ninety-third day of creation, on the second day of the fourteenth week, during the summer season, the sun and moon being in Cancer, on the twenty-fifth day of the month of June, Epeiph first, Eve, helper of Adam, was led by God into Paradise, on the eightieth day since her creation.

OTP  Jubilees 3:9 And after Adam had completed forty days in the land where he had been created we brought him into the garden of Eden to till and keep it, but his wife they brought in on the eightieth day,

I’ve included both manuscript traditions here. Note that the author doesn’t force Adam into the sixth day scheme, but, throughout this book, stretches the early accounts over years. There is no command here to be ‘literal’ and in fact, early Christian commentators referenced the Book of Jubilees.

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Jubilees 3:11 And for the birth of a female eighty days. Since also Adam in the fortieth day since his creation had been taken into Paradise, where for the sake of the things produced on the fortieth day they offer to the temple, according to the Law. But for a female she is unclean for eighty days, because of her entrance into Paradise on the eightieth day and on account of the uncleanness of the female in contrast to the male. (JUB 3:11 OPE)

Just some interesting views….

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