John S. Bergsma
- Some narratives in Jubilees have been shaped to reflect events of the
Maccabean period. As VanderKam states it, "the battles of Jacob and his sons
in Jubilees are probably literarily re-structured accounts of Judas Maccabeus'
most important battles and campaigns."^18 The two examples are Jacob's war
with the seven Amorite kings in Jub 34:2-9, which parallels Judas Maccabe-
us's victory over Nicanor and his allies in 161 B.C.E., and Jacob's war with
Esau and allies in Jub 37:1-38:14, corresponding to Judas's defeat of the
Idumeans and allied forces circa 163 B.C.E.^19 The evidence for the first exam
ple is especially compelling, and would establish the terminus a quo for the
composition of Jubilees at circa 160 B.C.E. - Jubilees does not reflect the schism between proponents of the solar cal
endar and the rest of Judaism. Later Qumran documents do reflect this
schism. VanderKam and others place the break between the forebears of the
Qumran community (solar calendar advocates) and establishment (i.e.,
Jerusalemite) Judaism during the reign of the Maccabean high priests Jona
than (152-142 B.C.E.) or Simon (142-134 B.C.E.). Of these two, Jonathan
seems the more likely. If the author of Jubilees had written as late as circa 140
B.C.E., one would expect reference to more recent events,^20 and less adula
tion of the priesthood in light of the corruption of the Maccabean high
priests.^21
On the basis of this data, VanderKam establishes the date of the com
position of Jubilees in the rather narrow window 160-150 B.C.E.
II. The Relationship of the Astronomical Book and Jubilees
The discussion of the dating of AB and Jubilees above demonstrates that it is
highly likely that Aramaic AB was in existence prior to the composition of
Jubilees. One could argue to the contrary only by denying that 4QEnastra
ever formed a part of a larger Aramaic AB, which would lower the
paleographic terminus ad quern to the mid-first century B.C.E. (4QEnastrc).
But such a denial seems unwarranted. Moreover, the lack of Hellenistic in-
Enoch and Qumran Origins: A New Light on a Forgotten Connection, ed. G. Boccaccini
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005), 90-93.
- VanderKam, Textual and Historical Studies, 217.
- VanderKam, Textual and Historical Studies, 218-38.
- Judas Maccabeus's victory over Nicanor in 161 B.C.E. is the last datable event to
which Jubilees clearly alludes. - See VanderKam, Textual and Historical Studies, 284.