Book of Jubilees

Book of Jubilees 8

VIII. In the twenty-ninth jubilee, in the first week, in the beginning thereof Arpachshad took to himself a wife and her name was RasijJLjJu [the daughter of Susan,] the daughter of ElamTand she bare him a son in the third year in this week, and he called his name Kainam.5 2. And the son grew, and his father taught . 1 i. e. the priests. Later Judaism directed that the rest of the fruit should be eaten by the owners within the walls of Jerusalem. The view of the text is supported by the Samaritans, the Karaite Jews and Ibn Ezra. • Charles suspects a lacuna in the text here. • Or render " (In the seventh year) ye will let it (the land) rest and lie fallow" (Charles). 4 Cf. 1 Enoch lx. 8, xciii. 3; Jude 14. • This name occurs in the LaX of Gen. xi. 13, but not in the MT or other Versions. It also occurs in the genealogy in Luke iii. 36. 72 THE BOOK OF JUBILEES [chap, vm him writing, and he went to seek for himself a place where he might seize for himself a city. 3. And he found a writing which former (generations) had carved on the rock, and he read what was thereon, and he transcribed it and sinned owing to it ; for it contained the teaching of the Watchers in accordance with which they used to observe the omens of the sun and moon and stars in all the signs of heaven.1 4. And he wrote it down and said nothing regarding it ; for he was afraid to speak to Noah about it lest he should be angry with him on account of it. 5. And in the thirtieth jubilee, in the second week, in the 1 429 a.m. first year thereof, he took to himself a wife, and her name was MSlka^ the daughter of Madai. the son of 1432 a.m. Japheth, and in the tourth year he begat a son, and called his name Shelah ; ■ for he said : " Truly I have been sent." 8 6. [And in the fourth year he was born], and Shelah grew up and took to himself a wife, and her name was Mu'ak. the^daughter of KfiS&j his father's brother, in the one and "Ihirtieth- 1499 A.M. jubilee, in the fifth week, in the first year thereof. 7. And she bare him a son in the fifth year thereof, and he called his name Eber : and he took unto him- 1503 a.m. self a wife, and her name was 'Azurad,4 the daughter 1564 a.m. ofNebr6d, in the thirty-second Jubilee, in the seventh week, irftne third year thereof. 8. And in the sixth 1567 A.M. year thereof, she bare him a son, and he called his name Peleg; for in the days when he was born the children of Noah began to divide the earth amnngst themselves : for this reason Re called his name Peleg.6 9. And they divided (it) secretly • amongst themselves, 1 Cf. Josephus, Ant. i. 2, 3, who assigns this wisdom not to the Watchers, but to the children of Seth. ■ Cf. Gen. x. 24. • A paronomasia is implied in the original Hebrew here. • Read 'Aztrd. 6 There is a play (in the original Hebrew) on the meaning of the name Peleg here. • The secret division of the earth is followed by an authori- tative one by Noah, and made binding on his descendants, Canaan is included in Shem's lot. Hence, the Israelite con- ;. f chap, vni] THE BOOK OF JUBILEES 73 and told it to Noah. 10. And it came to pass in the beginning of the thirty-third jubilee that they divided the earth into three parts, for Shem and flam and Japheth, according to the inheritance of each, in the first year in the first week, when one of us,1 who had been sent, was with them. 11. And he called his sons, and they drew nigh to him, they and their children, and he divided the earth into the lots, which his three sons were to take in possession, and they reached forth their hands, and took the writing out of the bosom of Noah, their father. 12. And. there came forth on the writing as Shem's lot * the middle of the earth 8 which he should take as an inheritance for himself and for his sons for the genera-V tions of eternity, from the middle of the mountain! range of Rafa,4 from the mouth of the water from the\ river Tina,8 and his portion goeth towards the west through the midst of this river, and it extendeth till it reacheth the water of the abysses, out of which this river goeth forth and poureth its waters into the sea M£'at,6 and this river rfoweth into the great sea. And all that is towards the north is Japheth's, and all that is towards the south belongeth to Shem. 13. And it extendeth till it reacheth gaiflsfllL1 this is in the bosom of the tongue 8 which looketh towards the south. 14. quest later is justified. Noah's, djyioinn nf thf* earth ;t — alluded tojnj?jfke de R. Eliezer xxiii "*" * t. B. oueof the arigefe 1 For the countries included in Shem's lot, see 21, ix. 2-6, 136. According to Epiphanius it extended from Persia and Bactria to India, to Rhinocurura (between Egypt and Palestine). 8 According to Ezek. xxxviii. 12 (1 Enoch xxvi. 1) Palestine was the " navel " of the earth. * Probably the Rhipaean mountains (identified sometimes with the Ural mountains). • i.e. the river Tanais or Don. * i.e. the Maeotis or Sea of Azov. T i.e. (?) the Rhinocurura ( = "the torrent of Egypt") on the confines of Egypt and Palestine (Charles) ; cf. Isa. xxvii. 12. • i.e. either promontory of land, or bay. „ 74 THE BOOK OF JUBILEES [chap, vm And his portion extendeth along the great sea, and it extendeth in a straight line till it reacheth the west of the tongue which looketh towards the south ; l for this sea is named the tongue of the Egyptian Sea.2 15. And it turneth from here towards the south towards the mouth of the great sea 8 on the shore of (its) waters, and it extendeth to the west to ' Af ra,* and it extendeth till it reacheth the waters of the river Gihon, and to the south of the waters of Gihon,* to the banks of this river. 16. And it extendeth towards the east, till it reacheth the Garden of Eden, to the south thereof, [to the south] and from the east of the whole land of Eden and of the whole east, it turneth to the feast,! * and proceedeth till it reacheth the east of the mountain named Rafa, and it descendeth to the bank of the mouth of the river Tina. 17. This portion came forth by lot for Shem and his sons, that they should possess it for ever unto his generations for evermore. 18. And Noah rejnirrd that thi^ p^rti^p ^?m» fr)rjiifnr lthaTTTe-* "and for hig son*; and he remembered all had spoken with his mouth in prophecy ; for he had said : " Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, And may the Lord dwell in the dwelling of Shem/' 7 19. And he knew that the Garden of Eden is the holy of holies, and the dwelling of the Lord, and Mount Sinai the centre of the desert, and Mount Zion — the centre of the navel of the earth : these three 8 were created as holy places facing each other. 20. And he blessed the God of gods, who had put the word of the Ldrd into his mouth, and the Lord for evermore. 21. And he knew that a blessed portion 1 i.t. (?) the promontory on which Mt. Sindi is situated. • *'. e. the Gull of Akaba; cf. Isa. xi. 15. • ? the northern waters of the Red Sea. • i. e. Africa in the restricted 6ense of the Roman province which included Egypt and the other northern parts of Africa bordering the Mediterranean. • i. e. the Nile. • ? read " west." ' Cf. vii. 11. • These three holy places fall within ^hern's lot. • w4**. chap, vin] THE BOOK OF JUBILEES 75 and a blessing had come to Shem and his sons unto the generations for ever — the whole land of Eden' and the whole land of the Red Sea, and the whole land of the east, and India, and on the Red Sea and the mountains thereof, and all the land of Bashan, and all the land of Lebanon and the islands of Kaftur,1 and all the mountains of Sanir * and 'Amana,8 and the mountains of Asshur in the north, and all the land of Elam, Asshur, and Babel, and Sflsan and Ma'gdai,4 and all the mountains of Ararat, and all the region beyond the sea, which is beyond the mountains of Asshur towards the north, a blessed and spacious land, and all that is in it is very good. 22. 5 And for Ham came forth the second portion, beyond the Gihon towards the south to the right ■ of the Garden, and it extendcth towards the south and it extendeth to all the mountains of fire,7 and it extendeth towards the west to the sea of 'Atel 8 and it extendeth towards the west till it reacheth the sea of Ma'uk • — that (sea) into which feverything which is not de- stroyed descendethj.10 23. And it goeth forth towards the north to the limits of Gadir,11 and it goeth forth to the coast of the waters of the sea to the waters of the great sea till it draweth near to the river Gihon, and goeth along the river Gihon till it reacheth the right of the Garden of Eden. 24. And this is the land which came forth for Ham as the portion which he was to occupy for ever for himself and his sons unto their I ? Crete. The ancient Versions identify Caphtor with Cappadocia. ■ i. e. Senir (Deut. iii. 9; Etek. xxvii. 5) = Hermon. ? Mt. Amanus in N. Syria. t. e. Media; cf. x. 35. 22-24 &ve details of Ham's portion, which includes all Africa and certain parts of Asia. I. e. to the south. Cf. 1 Enoch xviii. 6—9, xxiv. 1-3. ♦ . *. the Atlantic. ? The great ocean stream in the extreme west. The text may be corrupt. Render, perhaps, " if any thing descends into it, it perishes " (Charles). II t. e. Cadiz. 76 THE BOOK OF JUBILEES [chap, vm generations for ever. 25. 1 And for Japheth came forth the third portion beyond * the river Tina ■ to the north of the outflow of its waters, and it extendeth north-easterly to the whole region of Gog4 and to all the country east thereof. 26. And it extendeth northerly to the north, and it extendeth to the moun- tains of Qelt * towards the north, and towards the sea of Ma'uk, and it goeth forth to the east of Gadir as far as the region of the waters of the sea. 27. And it extendeth until it approacheth the west of Fara • and it returneth towards 'Affirag,7 and it extendeth easterly to the waters of the sea of Mft'at.8 28. And it extendeth to the region of the river Tina in a north- easterly direction until it approacheth the boundary of its waters towards the mountain Rafa,9 and it turneth round towards the north. 2Q. This is the land which came forth for Japheth and his sons as the portion of his inheritance which he should possess tor himself and his sons, for their generations for ever; five great islands,10 and a great land in the north. 30. But it is cold, and the land of Ham is hot, and the land of Shem is neither hot nor cold, but it is of blended cold and heat. Subdivision of the Three Portions amongst the Grandchildren : Oath taken by Noah's Sons (ix. 1-15 ; cf. Gen. x. partly).