Enoch and the Mosaic Torah- The Evidence of Jubilees

The Chronologies of the Apocalypse of Weeks and the Book of Jubilees

things are in heaven and have been from the beginning. Thus, for instance,
the Festival of Weeks reinstituted at Sinai (Jub 6:19) was originally given to
Noah after the flood (w. 16-17), although it "had been celebrated in heaven
from the time of creation until the lifetime of Noah" (v. 18), in accordance
with the ordinance written on the heavenly tablets (v. 17).

As apocalypses, both the Apocalypse of Weeks and the book of Jubilees
share a worldview that includes a deterministic view of history. In other
words, events proceed in accordance with a divine plan that is foreordained
in heavenly tablets. Hence, the apocalyptic worldview of these two writings
is clearly foundational to the chronological schemes contained in each.
Both the Apocalypse of Weeks and the book of Jubilees appeal to the
antediluvian knowledge of Enoch to establish the validity of their chrono­
logical systems. Thus, in the Epistle of Enoch (1 En 92-105), the antediluvian
Enoch introduces his ten-"week" chronology in the Apocalypse of Weeks
with the words, "Concerning the sons of righteousness, and concerning the
chosen of eternity, and concerning the plant of truth, these things I say to
you and I make known to you, my sons, I myself, Enoch. The vision of
heaven was shown to me, and from the words of the watchers and holy ones
I have learned everything, and in the heavenly tablets I read everything and I
have understood" (93:2). Similarly, Jubilees credits Enoch as the first who es­
tablished both calendar and chronology (Jub 4:17-19). With respect to chro­
nology, Jubilees reports:

(18) He [sc. Enoch] was the first to write a testimony. He testified to

mankind in the generations of the earth: The weeks of the jubilees he re­

lated, and made known the days of the years; the months he arranged,

and related the sabbaths of the years, as we [sc. the angels of the pres­

ence] had told him. (19) While he slept he saw in a vision what has hap­

pened and what will occur — how things will happen for mankind dur­

ing their history until the day of judgment. He saw everything and

understood. He wrote a testimony for himself and placed it upon the

earth against all mankind and for their history.

The similar wording of these passages is remarkable: the "vision" and revela­
tion to Enoch through angelic mediation encompassed "everything." In­
deed, Nickelsburg and VanderKam have suggested that Jubilees alludes to
the Apocalypse of Weeks at this point,^11 although van Ruiten has countered

11. Cf. Scott, On Earth, 128 with n. 129.