The Book of Jubilees and the Origin of Evil
B. The Murder of Abel by Cain (4:1-6,9,31-32)
The text of Jubilees implies that Cain killed his brother out of jealousy that
the sacrifice of Abel, and not his own, was found acceptable to the angels
(4:2). The immediate outcome of this act was, obviously, that "the Lord
blamed Cain" (4:4) and that, for this, Cain himself was killed (4:31). In the
text, however, the story is told to substantiate two regulations attributed to
the heavenly tablets (4:5-6,31-32). The first explains the curse placed upon
Cain (cf. Gen 4:11) as one upon "the person who beats his companion mali
ciously"; in addition, anyone who sees such activity and does not testify about
it is to be cursed as well (Jub 4:5). This, in turn, is taken as an explanation for
Garden all along (3:16) or were in fact in the Garden and had to be expelled with Adam and
the woman (3:29).
- The text does not know anything of an Adamic fall.
not found in Genesis. After the couple's departure the animals' common
means of communication are dissolved; moreover, in an allusion to what
Genesis describes as circumstances before the incident of disobedience (see
Gen 1:25; 2:19-20), the text states that the animals are dispersed according to
their kinds to separate spaces created for them (Jub 3:29).
In Jubilees the situation of Adam (and his wife) is thus distinguished
from that of the animals: after Adam's dismissal from the Garden, the ani
mals no longer share one language and remain naked while Adam is alone
among living creatures in being permitted to have clothing to cover his
shame (3:30). Adam's distinction is explained as a law on the tablets that en
joins "those who know the judgement of the law" to "cover their shame and
not uncover themselves as the nations uncover themselves" (3:31). Thus,
rather than having consequences for any human proclivity to sin again,^14
Adam's expulsion from the Garden serves as a warrant for why faithful Jews
should reject the practice of nudity among Gentiles. If anything, the result of
Adam and Eve's transgression is less evidenced in what they themselves do
afterward than it has ramifications for the animals and, by transference, for
Gentiles and those who adhere to their ways. As for Adam, he continues to
till the land "as he had been taught in the Garden of Eden" (3:35). In this way,
the activities attributed to the first couple before their disobedience are in
Jubilees more openly paradigmatic for Jewish piety (3:8-16) than is apparent
from Genesis.
