Enoch and the Mosaic Torah- The Evidence of Jubilees

Jubilees, Qumran, and the Essenes

Hence, this tradition is much clearer and more developed in Jubilees than

the abridged account in the Temple Scroll, and it seems that here the Temple

Scroll is dependent on Jubilees.

Jubilees and the homiletic section (C) of MMT share the association

of sin with impurity. In MMT the authors argue, "we have separated our­

selves from the multitude of the people [and from all their impurity]."^58

This impurity is probably moral, since the fragmentary continuation of this

passage relates to moral sins: "and concerning... [the malice] and the

treachery... and fornication [some] places were destroyed."... "no] treach­

ery or deceit or evil can be found in our hand."^59 Similar accusations are as­

cribed to the "evil generation" in Jub 23:14: (moral) impurity and contami­

nation, sexual impurity (which parallels MMT's fornication) and detestable

actions (which parallel MMT's malice, treachery, and deceit). Further on,

similar accusations are attributed to "the elders" in Jubilees: "they have acted

wickedly... everything they do is impure... all their ways are contamina­

tion," "cheating through wealth... they will defile the holy of holies with the

impure corruption of their contamination."^60

I am not arguing here that the MMT's Multitude of the People is iden­

tical with Jubilees' "evil generation." Rather, the fact that both are described

in the same manner shows that both documents share the belief that sin de­

files and use it as a fundamental conceptualization of their own social posi­

tion in comparison to their adversaries.

Jubilees and MMT col. C also share the belief that the messianic age is

at hand. The authors of MMT declare: "And we are aware that part of the

blessings and curses have occurred that are written in the b[ook of Mos]es.

And this is the End of Days, when they will return in Israel to the L[aw...]

and not turn bac[k] and the wicked will act wickedly... ."6I Jub 23:26-31 en­

visions that the "children" will take over after the punishment from the na­

tions, return to the right way of the laws and commands, and an age of great

rificial laws that may be identified with the Temple Scroll's reference to Jacob's covenant. Ja­

cob was commanded not to build an eternal temple in Bethel (Jub 32). This implies that, al­

though the priestly cult officially originated in Bethel, Jerusalem is holier. Note that there

was a major sanctuary in Bethel during the first and early second temple period; see

J. Schwartz, "Jubilees, Bethel, and the Temple of Jacob," HUCA 56 (1985): 63-85.

58. MMT C 7-8.

59. MMT C 4-6,8-9. See Regev, "Abominated Temple," 249-51.

60. Jub 23:17,21 respectively. For further examples of moral impurity in Jubilees, see

Doering's article in this volume.

61. MMT C 20-22.