Enoch and the mosaic Torah : the evidence of Jubilees

When scholars from around the world gathered at the fourth Enoch Seminar to consider the differences between early Enoch literature and Jubilees, four tendencies emerged from the discussion. Some scholars claimed that Jubilees was a direct product of Enochic Judaism and Mosaic features were simply subordinated to Enoch ideology. Some suggested that Jubilees was a conscious synthesis of Enochic and Mosaic tradition, yet remaining autonomous from both. Some asserted that Jubilees was essentially a Mosaic text with some Enochic influence. And others questioned the very existence of a gulf between Enochic and Mosaic traditions as competing forms of Judaism at the time of Jubilees. Gabriele Boccaccini and Giovanni Ibba have carefully collected the countervailing views into this volume. Contributors: Veronika Bachmann, Kelley Coblentz Bautch, Jonathan Ben-Dov, John Bergsma, Gabriele Boccaccini, Lutz Doering, John C. Endres, Esther Eshel, William K. Gilders, Lester L. Grabbe, Betsy Halpern-Amaru, Matthias Henze, Martha Himmelfarb, David Jackson, Helge S. Kvanvig, Erik Larson, Hindy Najman, Isaac W. Oliver, Andrei Orlov, Annette Yoshiko Reed, Michael Segal, Lawrence Schiffman, James Scott, Michael Segal, Aharon Shemesh, Loren T. Stuckenbruck, David Suter, James VanderKam, Jacques van Ruiten, Benjamin Wright. Preface: The enigma of Jubilees and the lesson of the Enoch Seminar / Gabriele Boccaccini -- Jubilees and its literary context -- The manuscript tradition of Jubilees / James C. VanderKam -- The composition of Jubilees / Michael Segal -- The relationship between Jubilees and the early enochic books (astronomical book and book of the watchers) / John S. Bergsma -- Daniel and Jubilees / Matthias Henze -- The chronologies of the Apocalypse of weeks and the book of Jubilees / James M. Scott -- The Aramaic Levi document, the genesis Apocryphon, and Jubilees : a study of shared traditions / Esther Eshel -- The book of Jubilees and the Temple Scroll / Lawrence H. Schiffman -- Jubilees, Sirach, and sapiential tradition / Benjamin G. Wright III -- The heavenly counterpart of Moses in the book of Jubilees / Andrei A. Orlov -- Jubilees and the Aamaritan tradition / Lester L. Grabbe -- The melting of mosaic and enochic traditions -- Enochic Judaism : a Judaism without the Torah and the temple / Helge S. Kvanvig -- The concept of covenant in Jubilees / William K. Gilders -- From a movement of dissent to a distinct form of Judaism : the heavenly tablets in Jubilees as the foundation of a competing Halakah / Gabriele Boccaccini -- Abram's prayer : the coherence of the pericopes in Jubilees 12:16-27 / Jacques van Ruiten -- Reconsidering Jubilees : prophecy and exemplarity / Hindy Najman -- Jubilees between Enoch and Qumran -- 4Q265 and the authoritative status of Jubilees at Qumran / Aharon Shemesh -- Purity and impurity in the book of Jubilees / Lutz Doering -- Tradition and innovation in the calendar of Jubilees / Jonathan Ben-Dov -- The book of Jubilees and the origin of evil / Loren T. Stuckenbruck -- The festivals of Pesaf and massot in the book of Jubilees / Betsy Halpern-Amaru -- Eschatological impulses in Jubilees / John C. Endres -- Amplified roles, idealized depictions : women in the book of Jubilees / Kelley Coblentz Bautch -- Enochic and mosaic traditions in Jubilees : the evidence of angelology and demonology / Annette Yoshiko Reed -- Worship in Jubilees and Enoch / Erik Larson -- The book of Jubilees and early Jewish mysticism / Martha Himmelfarb -- Where does Jubilees belong? -- Jubilees, the temple, and the Aaronite priesthood / David W. Suter -- Jubilees and enochic Judaism / David R. Jackson -- Jubilees, Qumran, and the Essenes / Eyal Regev -- The book of Jubilees : a bibliography, 1850-present / Veronika Bachmann and Isaac W. Oliver The early Enoch literature does not refer to the Mosaic Torah or emphasize the distinctively Mosaic laws designed for Israel. But the book of Jubilees gives room to both Mosaic and Enochic traditions within the Sinaitic revelatory framework. What, then, should we make of such differences? This question and related speculations were on the minds of scholars gathered from around the world at the fourth Enoch Seminar at Camaldoli, Italy, in July 2007. Four tendencies emerged from the discussion at the seminar. Some scholars claimed that Jubilees was a direct product of Enochic Judaism with subordinated Mosaic features. Some suggested that Jubilees was a conscious synthesis of Enochic and Mosaic tradition, yet remaining autonomous from both. Some asserted that Jubilees was essentially a Mosaic text with some Enochic influence. And others questioned the very existence of a gulf between Enochic and Mosaic traditions as competing forms of Judaism at the time of Jubilees. Gabriele Boccaccini and Giovanni Ibba have carefully collected the countervailing views into this volume. What readers will find here is a lively debate among the most distinguished international specialists, together striving for a better understanding of a puzzling ancient d o c u m e nt. Contributors Veronika Bachmann Kelley Coblentz Bautch Jonathan Ben-Dov John S. Bergsma Gabriele Boccaccini Lutz Doering John C. Endres, S.J. Esther Eshel WilliamK. Gilders LesterL. Grabbe Betsy Halpern-Amaru Matthias Henze Martha Himmelfarb David R. Jackson HelgeS. Kvanvig Erik Larson Hindy Najman IsaacW. Oliver Andrei A. Orlov Annette Yoshiko Reed Eyal Regev Lawrence H. Schiffman James M. Scott Michael Segal Aharon Shemesh LorenT. Stuckenbruck David W. Suter James C. VanderKam Jacques van Ruiten Benjamin G. WrightIII