Daniel and JubileesWhat Levenson describes for the doctrine of resurrection holds true for the
reuse of prophetic language in Daniel in general. Reusing prophetic pro
nouncements and reapplying them to his own situation, the author of Daniel
shows his indebtedness to Scripture and places his own work squarely in the
prophetic tradition, not because he found it obscure but because he found it
congenial. The language of Isaiah and of the other prophets was ideally suited
to describe Daniel's revelatory experiences not least because of its rich escha
tological connotations. In many respects, the book of Daniel and the apoca
lyptic ideas it espouses form the logical extension of biblical prophecy.
Biblical exegesis is a key factor in the book of Jubilees as well, though
of a different sort altogether.^24 Two aspects in particular are relevant for our
present inquiry, both of which underscore the differences in the use of the
Bible in Daniel and Jubilees. First, Jubilees belongs to a sizable group of early
Jewish texts that are concerned with the patriarchal period. Their purpose is
to paraphrase and rework Genesis-Exodus. These compositions were partic
ularly popular at Qumran and were found there in significant numbers. The
key figure, in Jubilees as in many of the other compositions, is Moses.^25 By
choosing Moses as the pseudonymous hero of the book, the author of Jubi
lees carefully places his work in a stream of second temple writings that are
part of an ongoing "Mosaic discourse."^26 This is rather different from the
book of Daniel. And second, Jubilees has a developed interest in Jewish law.
Much of the rewriting of Genesis-Exodus is motivated by the author's urge
to solve a specific halakic problem, having to do, inter alia, with the calendar,
particularly with the Sabbath, and with several priestly and Levitical matters.
The halakic portions of Jubilees can be profitably compared with other Jew
ish, particularly early rabbinic, texts. In short, whereas much of the exegesis
in Daniel serves a larger, eschatological purpose, the author of Jubilees is
more concerned with solving legal problems. Here, eschatology is conspicu
ous by its absence.
- J. Endres, Biblical Interpretation in the Book of Jubilees, CBQMS 18 (Washington,
D.C.: Catholic Biblical Association, 1987); G. J. Brooke, "Exegetical Strategies in Jubilees 1-2,"
in Studies in the Book of Jubilees, 179-205; J. C. VanderKam, "The Scriptural Setting of the
Book of Jubilees," DSD 13 (2006): 61-72. - G. J. Brooke, "'The Canon within the Canon' at Qumran and in the New Testa
ment," in The Scrolls and the Scriptures: Qumran Fifty Years After, ed. S. E. Porter and C. A.
Evans (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997), 242-66, and his "Genesis, Commentary
on," in EDSS, 300-302; D. K. Falk, "Moses, Texts of," in EDSS, 577-81. - H. Najman, Seconding Sinai: The Development of Mosaic Discourse in Second Tem
ple Judaism, JSJSup 77 (Leiden: Brill, 2003), 41-69.