The Book of Jubilees and the Origin of Evil
Loren T. Stuckenbruck
A consideration of "the origin of evil" in the book of Jubilees raises the ques
tion of whether this is an appropriate avenue of inquiry at all or, if so, in
what ways such an inquiry should be qualified. If the topic implies that we
are looking for a way the author(s) of Jubilees speculated about the origin of
sin as a topic in and of itself, then the investigation is misguided. After all, in
searching for references to the beginnings of evil or sin in other early Jewish
literature, we find that writers were less concerned with the problem in itself
than with more immediate matters. This avails, whether such origins were
being traced to rebellious angels (sometimes including their giant off
spring),^1 to a transgression by Adam,^2 to the disobedience of Eve,^3 to women
of antediluvian times,^4 to humanity,^5 to some combination of these stories,^6
- So Book of the Watchers (esp. 1 En 6:1-8:3), Astronomical Book (80:1-8: wayward
stars), Animal Apocalypse (85:3-87:4), Apocalypse of Weeks (93:3-4), Birth of Noah (106:13-
17), the Book of the Giants (e.g., 4Q5311:1-8); cf. 4QAges of Creation (4Q180-181) and SibOr
3:110-158. In a number of documents, the story — without an apparent (or extant) claim
about an origin of evil — functions paradigmatically, that is, as a quintessential example of
consequences to come upon those who engage in comparable activities; see 4QExhortation
Based on the Flood (4Q370 i 6); 3 Mace 2:4; Ben Sira 16:7. - Most clearly in 4 Ezra 7:116-126 and 2 Bar 54:13-22; cf. Rom 5:12.
- See Sir 25:13-26.
- TReu 5:1-6.
- See the Epistle of Enoch (1 En 98:4-8).
- See the Book of the Parables (1 En 65:1-69:29); LAE 12:1—16:3; 3 Bar 4:7-10; 2 En
30:17-31:8; and 1 Tim 2:9-15.