Erik Larson
Noah's actions in Jubilees are much more explicit than what we find in Gen
esis. He makes atonement for the sins of the earth.^11 He offers sacrifices of
only the animals that are later prescribed by the Torah. And the details about
the wine, oil, and frankincense are likewise in accord with what is found in
the Torah (cf. Exod 29:40). Clearly Noah joins the ranks of the pre-Mosaic
priests along with Adam and Enoch.^12
The connection between Noah and Enoch is particularly stressed by
the author of Jubilees. In Jub 7:38-39 Noah says the agricultural laws he gave
to his sons in the preceding verses came originally from Enoch. And in Jub
21:10, where Abraham instructs Isaac about the proper way to sacrifice, he
says, "All who eat it [a peace offering left until the third day] will bring guilt
on themselves because this is the way I found (it) written in the book of my
ancestors, in the words of Enoch and the words of Noah." Priestly knowledge
comes to the chosen people via Enoch and Noah.
The sacrifice of Noah is followed by the well-known prohibition of eat
ing meat with blood in it. In Jubilees, not only is Noah given this command,
but he and his sons swear that they will keep it as a covenant forever (Jub
6:10), a detail not found in Genesis. This covenant with Noah, as those with
Abraham (14:20) and Moses (1:1), is placed in the third month. As a yearly re
newal of it, Noah and his sons kept the Feast of Weeks (6:17-18). But when
Noah died, his sons both left off observing the feast and violated the prohibi
tion of eating meat with blood. The Feast of Weeks would be observed again
only when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob revived it (6:19). The implication seems
to be that now only the Israelites have the right to celebrate this festival (as al
ready indicated in 6:14). This is similar to the sentiment expressed earlier in
Jubilees about the Sabbath. Jub 2:30-33 begins by saying that the Sabbath has
been given to all humanity, but quickly changes to say that God "did not sanc
tify any people(s) and nations to keep Sabbath on it except Israel alone."
So does this mean that the author of Jubilees saw no worship of God
fitting for Gentiles? Were they completely shut out? Apparently not. Jub 7:20
states: "During the twenty-eighth jubilee Noah began to prescribe for his
grandsons the ordinances and the commandments — every statute which he
knew. He testified to his sons that they should do what is right, cover the
shame of their bodies, bless the one who had created them, honor father and
- lQapGen 10:13 als° refers to Noah atoning for the earth.
- D. Dimant, "Noah in Early Jewish Literature," in Biblical Figures outside the Bible,
142, notes the association of Noah with proper calendar and calendrical calculation in Jubi
lees and concludes, "Noah was, then, the one best qualified for celebrating festivals, namely,
for functioning as a priest."