Jubilees and the Samaritan Tradition
Lester L. Grabbe
One of the research delights with which many have occupied themselves in
recent years is "comparative midrash," "comparative haggadah," and inter
pretative tradition. The most interesting focus of such work is the book of
Genesis, which has so often been the basis for haggadic traditions.^1 A prime
example of "rewritten Bible," the book of Jubilees cries out for comparison
with other traditions relating to Genesis. Because the Samaritan tradition is
still not very well known, though, little seems to have been done about com
paring the Jubilees traditions with those among the Samaritans. A compre
hensive, detailed comparison is beyond the scope of the present article, but
my aim is to look at some main areas where parallels exist and ask whether
Jubilees and the Samaritan tradition spring from common roots.
The only study of which I am aware in this area came to negative con
clusions: the book of Jubilees is definitely not Samaritan.^2 It indeed seems
- In the late 1970s I proposed a project to compile a catalogue of interpretative tradi
tions on Genesis. The idea was presented to a meeting of Philo scholars brought together by
Professor Burton Mack of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity at Claremont, to a fair
amount of skepticism as to the feasibility of such a project. I nevertheless discussed it with
several specialists who agreed to take part, but my own academic situation was overtaken by
events: I moved to the U.K., my time was taken up with a new academic post, and my re
search interests moved down new paths. I am not sure I have ever given up the idea, but the
task would be a huge one, even if one stopped at 70 c.E. — if it went forward into the rab
binic and patristic periods, it would be enormous.
- R. Pummer, "The Book of Jubilees and the Samaritans," EgT 10 (1979): 147-78. This
article did not come to my attention until my research on the present paper was virtually
