Book of Jubilees

Book of Jubilees 50

L. And after this law I made known to thee the days of the Sabbaths in the desert of Sinfai], which is between Elim and Sinai.5 2. And I told thee of the Sabbaths of the land on Mount Sinai, and 1 told thee of the jubilee years 6 in the sabbaths of years : but the year thereof have I not told thee till ye enter the land winch ye are to possess. 3. And the land also will keep its sabbaths while they dwell upon it,7 and they will know the jubilee year. 4. Wherefore I have ordained for thee the year-weeks8 and the years and the jubilees : there are forty-nine jubilees .from the days of Adam until this day, and one week 2410 a.m. and two years : and there are yet forty yoars to come (lit. "distant") for learning the commandments of 2450 a.m. 1 Cf. Dent. xvi. 5. 2 Read with the Latin " during its days and during." 3 Cf. Exod. xii. 11. * Cf. Exod. xv. 22. 5 Cf. Exod. xvi. 1 (" the wilderness of Sin . . . between Elim and Sinai "). e Cf. Lev. xxv. 8. 7 Cf. Lev. xxvi. 34. 8 A " year-week " = seven years. 212 THE BOOK OF JUBILEES [chap, l the Lord, until they pass over into the land of Canaan, crossing the Jordan to the west. 5. And the jubilees will pass by, until Israel is cleansed from all guilt of fornication, and uncleanness, and pollution, and sin, and error, and dwelleth with confidence in all the land, and there will be no more a Satan or any evil one, and the land will be clean from that time for evermore.1 6. And behold the commandment regarding the Sabbaths — I have written (them) down for thee — and all the judgments of its laws. 7. Six days wilt thou labour, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.2 In it ye shall do no manner of work, ye and your sons, and your men-servants and your maid-servants, and all your cattle and the sojourner also who is with you. 8. And the man that doeth any work on it shall die • 3 whoever desecrateth that day, whoever lieth with (his) wife,4 or whoever saith he will do something on it, that he will set out on a journey thereon 5 in regard to any buying or selling : 6 and whoever draweth water thereon 7 which he had not prepared for himself on the sixth day, and whoever taketh up any burden to carry it out of his tent 8 or out of his house shall die. 9. Ye shall do no work whatever on the Sabbath day save that • ye have prepared for yourselves on the sixth day, so as to eat, and drink, and rest, and keep Sabbath from all work on that day, and to bless the Lord your God, who has given you a day of festival, and a holy day : and a day of the holy kingdom for all Israel is this day among their days for ever. 10. For great is the 1 The Messianic Age is referred to; cf. 1. 29, xxiii. 26 ff. * Cf. Exod. xx. 9-10. 3 Cf. Exod. xxxv. 2. 4 This ascetic practice is still followed by the Samaritans, but not by the Jews. The exact opposite is enjoined in the Mishna; see Charles ad loo. * Cf. Exod. xvi. 29. It was allowed to go a distance of 2000 cubits by Rabbinical law; cf. the "Sabbath day's journey " of Acts i. 12. * Prohibited by Nehemiah (cf. Neh. x. 31, xiii. 16, 17). 7 This is prohibited by the Karaite Jews. 8 Cf. ii. 29. chap, l] THE BOOK OF JUBILEES 213 honour which the Lord hath given to Israel that they should eat and drink and be satisfied on this festival clay, and rest thereon from all labour * which belongeth to the labour of the children of men, save burning frankincense and bringing oblations and sacrifices before the Lord for days and for Sabbaths. II. This work alone shall be done on the Sabbath-days 2 in the sanctuary of the Lord your God ; that they may atone for Israel with sacrifice continually from day to day for a memorial well-pleasing before the Lord, and that He may receive them always from day to day according as thou hast been commanded. 12. And every man who doeth any work thereon, or goeth a journey, or tilleth (his) farm,3 whether in his house or any other place,4 and whoever lighteth a fire,6 or rideth on any beast,6 or travelleth by ship on the sea, and whoever striketh or killeth anything, or slaughter- ed 7 a beast or a bird, or whoever catcheth an animal or a bird or a fish, or whoever fastcth or maketh war on the Sabbaths : 8 13. The man who doetli any of these things on the Sabbath shall die, so that the children of Israel shall observe the Sabbaths accord- ing to the commandments regarding the Sabbaths of the land, as it is written in the tables, which He gave into my hands that I should write out for thee t lie laws of the seasons, and the seasons according to the division of their days. Herewith is completed the account of the division of the days. 1 Cf. ii. 21. * Cf. Matt. xii. 5 (Num. xxviii. 9, 10). 3 Forbidden; cf. Fxod. xxxiv. 21 (Mishna, Shabb. vii. 2). 4 Perhaps this clause should follow " any work thereon " (Charles). 6 Forbidden; Exod. xxxv. 3; cf. Num. xv. 32 f. 9 Forbidden by the Jewish oral law. 7 " Slaughtering " on the Sabbath is forbidden in the Mishna (Shahb. vii. 2). 8 This rule was at first rigidly observed in the Maccabcan wars (cf. 1 Mace. ii. 31—38), but afterwards relaxed (cf. 1 Mace. ii. 41).