Erik Larson
In this instance, the words of the prayer are not given, but sacrifice is speci
fied once again. More importantly, the author twice mentions Abraham to
emphasize the continuation between the practices of Isaac and his father.
The fact that no such connections are made between the calling of Enosh
and that of Abraham/Isaac invites speculation. It could be that he was aware
of the tradition found in the later rabbinic writings that Gen 4:26 actually
describes the beginning of idolatry.^6 But the fact that he acknowledges that
Enosh called on the Lord would mean that he did not agree with that inter
pretation. This is further supported by the fact that in Jub 19:24-25, a passage
not paraphrasing Genesis, Abraham describes his lineage as running
through Shem, Noah, Enoch, Malaleel, Enos, Seth, and Adam.
Enoch plays a significant role in Jubilees, as is well known. About his
worship Jub 4:25 states, "He [Enoch] burned the evening incense of the
sanctuary which is acceptable before the Lord on the mountain of incense!'^7
The context indicates that this mountain is in or near Eden. Jub 4:26 goes on
to say that there are four places on earth where the Lord will accept sacrifice:
the Garden of Eden, the mountain of the east (probably Mount Lubar, where
the ark comes to rest in Jub 5:28 and where Noah will sacrifice),^8 Mount Si
nai, and Mount Zion. Clearly Enoch is a priest. The offering up of incense
connects his activity with that of Adam. The complementary nature of their
worship is shown by the fact that Adam burned his incense in the morning
(Exod 30:7) while Enoch offers incense in the evening (Exod 3o:8).^9
The author of Jubilees certainly knew about several of the texts that- Cf. Fraade, "Enosh," 74-80 and 81 n. 71.
- R. H. Charles (The Book of Jubilees or the Little Genesis [London: Adam 8c Charles
Black, 1902], 39) suggested, and O. Wintermute ("Jubilees," in OTP 2:63 n. n) attempted to
demonstrate, that Enoch offered incense on the mount of the east. Charles further proposed
as one possibility that this mount was close to Eden. Wintermute on the other hand leaned
toward Taima/Teiman in Arabia due to its connections with the spice trade. But since Jub
3:27 already has Adam burning precisely incense in Eden, we should not rule out Eden since
4:23-24 clearly locates him there. If Enoch is in Eden, then we can see the mount of the east
as another place, and I prefer Ararat since it is where Jubilees has Noah offer his sacrifice.
This is another of Charles's alternatives. For a full discussion of the view that Enoch is in
Eden, cf. J. C. VanderKam, Enoch and the Growth of an Apocalyptic Tradition, CBQMS 16
(Washington, D.C.: Catholic Biblical Association, 1984), 184-88. - That the mountain of the east is not near the other three places mentioned here is
also indicated from Jub 8:19, which says that Eden, Mount Sinai, and Mount Zion all face
each other. The only one not mentioned is the mountain of the east, which is most likely
Mount Ararat referred to in 8:21. - For the textual problem regarding the phrase "evening incense of the sanctuary," cf.
the discussion in VanderKam, The Book of Jubilees, 28.