The Concept of Covenant in Jubilees
the information that Jacob was hesitant to continue down to Egypt, and that
he waited at Beer Sheva for some kind of divine response to his anxiety. This
addition serves to explain the theophany that occurs there. In Jubilees, it
comes as God's response to Jacob's hesitation. But there is more. While waiting
for an answer to his concerns, Jubilees tells us, Jacob celebrated the festival of
the firstfruits of wheat (using old grain, since the famine made it impossible to
get new grain). Faithful to his role as the bearer of the covenantal relationship,
Jacob observes the covenantal festival, which renews the covenant (Jub 6:17).
Then, on the sixteenth of the month, the day after the festival, God speaks to
Jacob (44:5). The pattern is familiar: the covenant festival is observed, and then
God appears to enact or affirm the covenant. In this case, the connection with
past covenantal theophanies is reinforced by a change the author makes to the
base text. In Genesis (46:2), God speaks to Jacob in a dream. But in Jubilees
(44:5), God appears to Jacob (hh-tCh?"), just as he had appeared to Abraham
(cf. Jub 15:3 and Gen 17:1). Jacob experiences the same direct communication
his grandfather did. While the term "covenant" does not occur in this passage,
covenant is clearly its focusing concern, and this focus is affirmed by the au
thor's reworking of the biblical source so that God's direct theophany comes,
as in the past, in response to the covenantal festival.
VII. Distinctive Features of Jubilees' Concept of Covenant
The attention given to covenant in Jubilees indicates its importance to the
work's author. At the same time, however, Jubilees insists that the covenant
does not create God's unique relationship with Israel. Rather, it enacts that
relationship, which preexists the covenant. Indeed, the relationship even
preexists the people with whom the covenant is made. The offspring of Ja
cob are designated by God to hold the status of God's firstborn son — the
heir — at the culmination of creation. Being God's son makes Israel like
God. Israel's sanctification is at once a condition and result of the unique re
lationship. Covenant brings the relationship into temporal expression and
provides the means of realizing the necessary sanctification of Israel.
The Noachic covenant is the first iteration of covenant and the basis of
subsequent covenants, which are therefore not new covenants, but simply
reiterations of that original covenant. What this means is that a covenant
made — in theory — with all humankind becomes a covenant only with Is
rael. God's universal commitment to the whole of creation finds expression
in a special commitment to one part of humanity. This commitment will
