The Relationship between Jubilees and the Early Enochic Books
tion of the giants in BW can be explained as a development of the story of Gen
6:1-4. The dual descent — angelic and human — of the giants is simply an
exegetical conclusion from Gen 6:4. The fact that they were gigantic may be
derived from interpreting Gen 6:4 in light of Num 13:3. Being of gigantic stat
ure and the sons of wicked angels, their behavior, one would assume, was
highly consumptive, oppressive, and violent. Thus, there is no reason to invoke
the diadochoi as the specific inspiration for these characteristics.
Even though there are no clear allusions to any specific Hellenistic rul
ers in BW, a Hellenistic influence is present. This influence indicates a date in
the very late fourth century at the earliest (terminus a quo). The lack of any
reflection of the crisis under Antiochus IV suggests a terminus ad quern in
the early second century B.C.E.
- Internal Evidence. The latter part of the book (1 En 33-36) seems to
summarize AB. The last few chapters of BW paraphrase the content of AB:
1 En 33:2-4 summarizes 1 En 72:3 and 75:1-4; 1 En 34-36 paraphrases 1 En 75-
- One may conclude that AB was known to the author/editor of BW. It is
interesting to note, however, that the larger portion of AB is taken up with
the cycles of the sun and moon, and neither is mentioned in the last chapters
of BW (1 En 33-36). Instead, stars and winds — which are of lesser concern
to AB — are the focus of attention.
The combined data make it likely that BW was composed no later than
the end of the third, and no earlier than the end of the fourth century B.C.E.
C. The Date of Jubilees
The date of composition of the book of Jubilees is estimated by VanderKam
at circa 160-150 B.C.E. based on the following data:^16
- Manuscript Evidence. The oldest Qumran manuscript (4Q216) dates
from 125 to 100 B.C.E. A total of fifteen manuscripts of Jubilees were discov
ered at Qumran. Here our only concern need be with the oldest, 4Q216,
which preserves a fair amount of text from Jub 1-2 and dates from the last
quarter of the second century B.C.E. Since 4Q216 is almost certainly not the
autograph, the terminus ad quern for the composition of Jubilees probably
lies in the third quarter of the second century.^17
- The best discussion remains J. C. VanderKam, Textual and Historical Studies on the
Book of jubilees, HSM 14 (Missoula: Scholars Press, 1977), 207-85.
- See J. A. T. G. M. van Ruiten, "A Literary Dependency of Jubilees on 1 Enoch?" in
