Enoch and the Mosaic Torah- The Evidence of Jubilees

John C. Endres, S.J.

reach a thousand years (v. 27), seemingly the perfect age for humans (which

Adam did not attain because he had eaten of the fruit in the garden [Jub

4:30]). Then the message reaches its peak and terms that might be taken as

eschatological impulses appear in italics:

3oThen the Lord will heal his servants. They will rise and see great peace.

He will expel their enemies. The righteous will see (this), offer praise, and

be very happy forever and ever. They will see all the punishments and

curses on their enemies. 3iTheir bones will rest in the earth and their

spirits will be very happy. They will know that the Lord is one who exe­

cutes judgmentbxit shows kindnessto hundreds and thousands and to all

who love him.

These eschatological blessings include several of the categories identified

earlier as eschatological: triumph of God's people (v. 30), descriptions of the

blessings of the new age (w. 29-30, with great peace and blessing), the notion

of a final judgment with reward for the righteous (v. 30), and the triumph of

the righteous.

Another sign of the eschaton comes in Jub 23:31, which considers the

crisis of individuals who have proven faithful to the covenant. Jubilees ad­

dresses the issue of life after death for the righteous, but in very muted

terms: their bones will rest in peace in the ground, but their "spirits will be

very happy" (v. 31). VanderKam assesses the teaching of this passage thus:

"the writer does not anticipate a physical resurrection of the righteous dead

(the wicked do not come into consideration because they are destroyed) but

a continued existence for their spirits. In that form they will participate in

the new age."^37 The precise meaning of the phrase continues to elicit inter­

pretive work.

A covenant formulary seems to stand in the background of this apoca­

lypse, while its final stage, the blessings, is transformed into an eschatologi­

cal vision of a hopeful future, with an added note that the spirits of the faith­

ful ones of Israel will continue. The eschatological horizon, however,

strongly suggests a perspective for viewing their life and relationship with

God. God's friend Abraham represents the hopes of all of Jacob's descen­

dants: when they study the laws (Torah), seek out God's commands, and re­

turn/repent, they will experience a type of life characterized by all the signs

of the eschaton. The eschatological vision of this apocalypse should instill

37. VanderKam, The Book of Jubilees, 59.