Jubilees

Jubilees 1

God commands Moses on Mount Sinai to receive two tablets containing the law and all future history. God reveals Israel's future apostasy and exile, followed by repentance and restoration, while the Angel of the Presence records the divisions of years and jubilees from creation to eternity.

Jubilees 2

The angel of the presence instructs Moses to record God's six-day creation account, detailing the heavens, earth, waters, celestial bodies, sea creatures, animals, and humanity, culminating in the sanctification of the Sabbath. This establishes the Sabbath as an eternal sign for Israel, distinguishing them as God's chosen people who alone are commanded to observe this holy day.

Jubilees 3

God brings animals to Adam for naming, then creates Eve from Adam's rib as his helper. The chapter details the Fall of Man when the serpent tempts Eve to eat from the forbidden tree, leading to humanity's expulsion from Eden and the divine curses on serpent, woman, and man.

Jubilees 4

Cain murders Abel; God rejects Cain's offering but accepts Abel's. Adam and Eve mourn, then bear Seth. The chapter traces genealogy from Adam through Enoch, highlighting Enoch's arrival in Jared's days when the Watchers descend to teach humanity, and Enoch's subsequent ascension to Eden as recorder of judgment.

Jubilees 5

The Watchers (angels) lust after human women and father giants; corruption spreads until God determines to destroy humanity. Noah alone finds grace, the Watchers are bound eternally, their offspring are slain, and God commands Noah to build an ark as the flood begins.

Jubilees 6

Noah exits the ark, offers sacrifices, and receives God's covenant promising no future floods and establishing natural cycles. God grants dominion over animals, prohibits blood consumption, and institutes the Feast of Weeks as an eternal covenant celebration observed by Noah, Abraham, and Israel.

Jubilees 7

Noah plants vines on Mount Lubar, produces wine, and celebrates with sacrifice. After becoming drunk, Ham sees Noah naked; Shem and Japheth cover him, prompting Noah to curse Canaan and bless Shem and Japheth. Noah's sons establish three cities and receive his instructions on righteousness, while Noah explains the flood resulted from Watcher corruption and violence.

Jubilees 8

Kainam discovers an ancient Watcher inscription teaching astronomical divination and secretly transcribes it; Noah then divides the earth among his three sons (Shem, Ham, Japheth) by lot, with detailed geographical boundaries for each inheritance, while Noah rejoices that Shem's portion includes Eden and holy sites.

Jubilees 9

Noah's three sons—Ham, Shem, and Japheth—divide the post-flood world among their descendants by lot in Noah's presence. Noah binds them with an oath and curse against seizing others' portions, and all swear this covenant will endure until the day of judgment.

Jubilees 10

Noah prays against demons leading astray humanity; God imprisons most demons but allows Mastema to retain a tenth for testing mankind. Noah records medicinal knowledge and transmits it to Shem. The chapter concludes with the Tower of Babel's construction and God's confounding of languages, dispersing humanity across nations.

Jubilees 11

Reu's descendants multiply and turn to idolatry, warfare, and sin under demon influence; Abram is born to Terah and Edna, and at age fourteen miraculously repels ravens devouring seeds, then invents the seed-covering plow mechanism, earning great renown.

Jubilees 12

Abram rejects idolatry and urges his father Terah to worship the God of heaven. After burning the idol house (killing his brother Haran), Abram receives God's call to leave Ur for Canaan, is granted Hebrew speech by the angel, and studies his fathers' books.

Jubilees 13

Abram journeys to Canaan, receives God's covenant promise of the land, and experiences famine leading to Egypt. After returning and Lot's separation, Abram defeats Chedorlaomer's coalition to rescue Lot, establishes the tithe ordinance, and refuses spoils from Sodom's king.

Jubilees 14

God promises Abram innumerable offspring and confirms the covenant with the land of Canaan through a vision and sacrificial ceremony. Abram believes and is counted righteous; God reveals Egypt's future bondage of Abram's descendants, and Abram fathers Ishmael through Hagar.

Jubilees 15

God appears to Abram, establishes His covenant, changes his name to Abraham, and institutes circumcision as an eternal covenant sign. Abraham is promised descendants and the land of Canaan; Sarah will bear Isaac, and Ishmael will father twelve princes, though the covenant continues through Isaac.

Jubilees 16

Angels announce Isaac's birth to Abraham and Sarah at Mamre; God destroys Sodom while saving Lot, and Isaac is born and circumcised as the covenant heir. Abraham celebrates the first Feast of Tabernacles at the Well of the Oath, establishing an eternal festival for Israel with elaborate sacrifices and thanksgiving.

Jubilees 17

Isaac is weaned and Abraham celebrates; Sarah demands Hagar and Ishmael's expulsion, which God approves. An angel rescues the thirsty Ishmael in the wilderness, and Abraham is tested regarding his faithfulness while the prince Mastema proposes the binding of Isaac as the ultimate trial.

Jubilees 18

God commands Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac on Mount Zion. Abraham obeys faithfully, but the angel intervenes, revealing Abraham's fear of God; a ram replaces Isaac as the offering, and God blesses Abraham's seed with covenant promises.

Jubilees 19

Abraham settles near Hebron, where Sarah dies at 127 years old. Abraham purchases the Cave of Machpelah for her burial, demonstrating patience in his tenth trial. He then arranges Isaac's marriage to Rebecca and takes Keturah as wife, fathering six sons. Rebecca bears Jacob and Esau to Isaac, and Abraham, recognizing Jacob's worthiness, charges Rebecca to favor Jacob as heir to the covenant promises.

Jubilees 20

Abraham gathers Ishmael, Isaac, and sons of Keturah to command observance of God's ways, circumcision, sexual purity, and avoidance of Canaanite wives, warning against idolatry and fornication through examples of giants and Sodomites. He gifts Ishmael and Keturah's sons separately, sending them eastward while Isaac inherits everything; these descendants settle from Paran toward Babylon and become known as Arabs and Ishmaelites.

Jubilees 21

Abraham, at 175 years old, charges Isaac with detailed commandments about sacrificial law, ritual purity, blood prohibition, and ethical conduct. He warns against idolatry and sin, promises divine blessing and an eternal righteous lineage if Isaac obeys, then blesses him and departs.

Jubilees 22

Abraham, aged 175, blesses his sons Isaac and Ishmael at the Feast of Weeks, then calls Jacob near to pronounce extensive blessings upon him as his chosen heir. Abraham declares Jacob's seed will inherit the earth, become God's holy nation, and commands him to avoid Canaanite wives and idolatrous practices.

Jubilees 23

Abraham dies at 175 years and is buried by Isaac and Ishmael in the double cave. The chapter then describes the decline of human lifespans and the coming age of wickedness, followed by eschatological restoration when the righteous shall see peace and healing.

Jubilees 24

After Abraham's death, Isaac settles at the Well of the Vision and later dwells among the Philistines during a famine, where he prospers greatly despite conflicts over wells with Abimelech's people. Meanwhile, Jacob obtains Esau's birthright through lentil stew; Isaac receives God's covenant renewal at Beer-sheba and curses the Philistines for their enmity toward his descendants.

Jubilees 25

Rebecca instructs Jacob to marry only from her father's kinsmen, not Canaanite women like Esau did. Jacob vows his obedience, prompting Rebecca to invoke the spirit of righteousness and bless him with promises of numerous righteous descendants, eternal possession of the promised land, and an enduring covenant.

Jubilees 26

Isaac, tricked by Rebecca and Jacob, blesses Jacob instead of his firstborn Esau, giving him lordship over his brothers and abundant prosperity. When Esau discovers the deception, he receives only a lesser blessing, establishing Jacob's superiority through divine dispensation that clouded Isaac's perception.

Jubilees 27

Rebecca warns Jacob of Esau's murderous intent and orchestrates his departure to Mesopotamia. Isaac blesses Jacob at Bethel with the Abrahamic covenant, and Jacob vows to God, establishing the sacred pillar and promising tithes.

Jubilees 28

Jacob marries Leah (deceived by Laban), then Rachel, serving fourteen years total. Leah bears Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Rachel's handmaids bear Dan and Naphtali; Leah's handmaid bears Gad and Asher; Leah bears Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah; Rachel finally bears Joseph. Jacob then negotiates wages with Laban, whose flocks miraculously multiply in Jacob's favor, causing Laban's envy.

Jubilees 29

Jacob flees Laban with his wives and possessions, crossing the Jabbok river. Laban pursues but God prevents him from harming Jacob; they reconcile at Gilead and establish a covenant. Jacob then encounters and reconciles with Esau, settles in Canaan, and faithfully provides for his aging parents Isaac and Rebecca.

Jubilees 30

Shechem defiles Dinah, daughter of Jacob, and Simeon and Levi massacre the men of Shechem in vengeance. The text establishes divine law prohibiting intermarriage with Gentiles and records the sons of Jacob's act as righteousness on heavenly tablets.

Jubilees 31

Jacob purifies his household, destroys foreign idols, and journeys to Bethel to fulfill his vow. He visits his dying father Isaac, who blesses Jacob's sons Levi and Judah with prophetic blessings, establishing Levi's priestly role and Judah's royal lineage.

Jubilees 32

At Bethel, Jacob tithes all his possessions and ordains Levi as priest; God appears to Jacob, renames him Israel, and an angel delivers seven tablets revealing his future and instructing him to go to Egypt. This establishes the laws of tithing and the second tithe on the heavenly tablets while confirming Israel's covenant promises and his destined death in Egypt.

Jubilees 33

Reuben sleeps with Bilhah, his father's concubine, defiling her; Jacob learns of this transgression and becomes angry. The angel reveals this act violates heavenly law, establishing that such illicit relations warrant death—a law now formally given to Moses for Israel's observance as a holy nation.

Jubilees 34

Jacob defeats seven Amorite kings threatening his sons' flocks near Shechem, imposing tribute and building cities. A year later, Jacob's sons sell Joseph to Ishmaelite merchants in Dothan; they deceive Jacob with Joseph's bloody coat, causing Jacob, Bilhah, and Dinah to die of grief, establishing the Day of Atonement (10th of 7th month) as commemorative fast.

Jubilees 35

Rebecca calls Jacob to honor his father and brother, then reveals to Isaac her impending death and Esau's wickedness. She secures oaths from both Esau and Jacob to love each other and bury her near Sarah, then dies at 155 years old, buried by her sons in the cave of Machpelah.

Jubilees 36

Isaac calls his sons Esau and Jacob, commands them to practice righteousness and reject idolatry, makes them swear a great oath to love one another, divides his possessions with the larger portion to Jacob, and dies at 180 years old. After Isaac's death, Esau settles in Edom while Jacob dwells in Hebron; later Leah dies and Jacob mourns her deeply.

Jubilees 37

Isaac dies, and Esau's sons demand he join them in attacking Jacob to seize the birthright. Despite their father's refusal and warnings, they assemble a massive coalition army from Aram, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, Edom, and the Kittim. Jacob, warned by Hebron's men, prepares for battle as Esau declares irreconcilable enmity through impossible conditions for peace.

Jubilees 38

Jacob kills Esau and defeats surrounding enemies with his sons organizing a coordinated assault from four sides of a tower. The sons of Jacob subjugate Edom, placing it under permanent tributary servitude, followed by a genealogical list of Edomite kings.

Jubilees 39

Joseph, sold to Egypt at seventeen, prospers in Potiphar's house until falsely accused by Potiphar's wife; imprisoned, he gains favor with the chief jailer and correctly interprets dreams for Pharaoh's butler and baker, though the butler forgets him. Joseph's righteousness, rooted in Abraham's teachings about sexual purity, sustains him through trials orchestrated by divine providence.

Jubilees 40

Pharaoh dreams of famine and summons Joseph from prison to interpret his two dreams. Joseph explains seven years of plenty will be followed by severe famine, advises storing grain, and is appointed second-in-command over Egypt at age thirty, while his father Isaac dies.

Jubilees 41

Judah's sons Er and Onan die for wickedness; Judah later unknowingly lies with his daughter-in-law Tamar, who bears twins Perez and Zerah. After recognizing Tamar's righteousness and his transgression, Judah repents and receives divine forgiveness, establishing his seed for future generations.

Jubilees 42

A severe famine strikes Canaan while Egypt has grain stored by Joseph. Jacob's ten sons travel to Egypt twice, where Joseph recognizes them but tests their character by detaining Simeon, demanding they bring Benjamin. On the second journey with Benjamin, Joseph reveals his identity and reconciliation begins.

Jubilees 43

Joseph orchestrates the cup-planting scheme, arrests Benjamin, and tests his brothers' loyalty. When Judah offers himself as surety for Benjamin, Joseph reveals his identity, weeps, and invites Jacob's household to Egypt to survive the remaining five years of famine.

Jubilees 44

Jacob travels from Haran to Egypt after God appears to him at the Well of the Oath, reassuring him not to fear. The chapter details Jacob's journey with all his sons and grandsons, providing genealogical lists of the seventy souls who entered Egypt with him.

Jubilees 45

Jacob's family settles in Egypt's land of Goshen under Joseph's care during the seven-year famine. Jacob dies at 147 years old after blessing his sons and prophesying their future, with his remains buried in Canaan while his books pass to Levi.

Jubilees 46

After Joseph's death at 110 years old, Israel multiplies peacefully in Egypt during his lifetime. A new Pharaoh then oppresses the Israelites with slavery, forcing them to build Pithom and Raamses, initiating the bondage that precedes the Exodus.

Jubilees 47

Moses is born during Pharaoh's infanticide decree against Hebrew males; his mother Jochebed hides him, places him in an ark, and Pharaoh's daughter Tharmuth rescues him. Moses is raised in the Egyptian court, learns writing from his father Amram, and later flees after killing an Egyptian taskmaster and encountering Hebrew conflict.

Jubilees 48

Moses recounts God's deliverance from Egypt, describing the ten plagues executed through his hand against Pharaoh and his people, while Prince Mastema opposed Israel but was ultimately bound during the Exodus and Red Sea crossing.

Jubilees 49

Moses receives detailed instructions on observing Passover annually on the fourteenth of the first month, commemorating the deliverance from Egypt when the Lord's powers slew the firstborn while passing over marked houses. The ordinance is eternal, requiring unleavened bread for seven days and sacrifice at the sanctuary, with strict requirements on preparation, timing, and location of observance.

Jubilees 50

God reveals to Moses the laws of Sabbaths and jubilee years, establishing a chronological framework from Adam to the conquest of Canaan. Strict Sabbath observance is mandated with severe penalties for violation, with only sanctuary sacrifices permitted on the holy day.