Purity and Impurity in the Book of Jubilees2.150: Essenes purify themselves (airoAoueaSai) after contact with neophytes KaQ&mp
aXkofyvhw ouu(j>upEVTC<c,. Cf. J. M. Baumgarten, "The Disqualification of Priests in the 4Q
Fragments of the 'Damascus Document,' a Specimen of the Recovery of Pre-Rabbinic
Halakha," in The Madrid Qumran Congress, 2:503-13; Harrington, The Purity Texts, 117-23.
- Cf. Ezek 18:6,12,15; 20:7,18,31; 22:3-4; 23:7,30; 36:18, 25; 37:23. Cf. in the context of
n'OSin 2 Kings 21:11 (cf. 1 Kings 21:26); Ezek 14:6; 16:36. - Cf. Jer 2:27; Hab 2:19; Wisd 14:21; Epistle of Jeremiah. Cf. also 1 En 91:9; 99:7-9.
- The impurity of idolatry. In Jub 21:3-5 Abraham warns Isaac against
idolatry. The Hebrew in 4Q220 1 1 (= Jub 21:5) shows that one of the words
for "idols" is D,1?'1I7J., often occurring in the context of impurity, particularly
in Ezekiel.^48 The translator readily uses "unclean things" (rekusdn) here.
Similarly, in "Ara" they had made "unclean things" (rekwsa) and other idols,
and the "spirits of the savage ones" helped to commit sins and impurity (Jub
11:4; cf. 1 En 19:1). Abandoning the covenant brings about impurity, abomi
nations, and contamination (23:17). Before Jacob travels to Bethel to build an
altar, the idols must be destroyed (31:1-2; cf. Gen 35:2-4). In Jub 22:16-18
Isaac's warning against idolatry is placed in the context of separation from
the nations; it combines established anti-idol polemic^49 with qualification of
the "actions" and "ways" of the nations as something impure, contaminated,
and abominable. Apart from Ezekiel, H has been influential, where the pro
hibition of idolatry and magic reflects Israel's obligation to be holy (Lev 19:4,
31; 20:1-8, 27; 26:1); magic is viewed as zenut (Lev 20:6, DmrlN nUT^1 ?), and
idolatry defiles the sanctuary (Lev 20:3). We find similar concerns, but more
dependence on Deuteronomy, in nQTa 60:16-21 (cf. Deut 18:9-13) and
4QMMT C 6-7 (cf. Deut 7:26).
III. Summary and Evaluation
- Jubilees acknowledges both "ritual" and "moral" purity and impurity. While
issues of "moral" (im)purity, particularly sexual morality and intermarriage,
take literary and ideological precedence, the affirmation of the laws of the
parturient, the notion of sexual intercourse as ritually defiling, "ritual" purity
as required for Passover, priestly ablutions, temporal limits for consumption
of second tithe, and dietary laws should not be overlooked. While there is no
conflation of "ritual" and "moral" impurity as claimed for Qumran by
Klawans, some items seem to fall into more than one rubric (blood when
shed defiles the land, priests must wash after sacrifice; Gentiles are genealogi
cally impure but also idolatrous, one should not eat with them).