Category: Jewish Literature: Jubilees
Saturdays in Second Temple Judaism: Cain hated his brother, but loved his sister.
I remember all the way back to my middle school days wondering how humanity could come from Adam and Eve. It seemed inevitable that either (1) Adam had to reproduce with some of his own daughters and/or (2) Adam’s sons and daughters reproduced amongst themselves. I always thought that it was a bit gross either way.
I was told that I need to read through the Book of Jubilees if I am interested in the Jewish worldview of the Second Temple period. I am glad that I have begun doing so, because it answers all my childhood questions about how Moses knew what happened at creation (see here), how the serpent talked (see here), and how the human race reproduced:
“And Cain took ’Âwân his sister to be his wife and she bare him Enoch ” (IV.9)
Gross now; essential then. Thank you Book of Jubilees!
All the animals talked.
It is interesting to find how the author of the Book of Jubilees implicitly handles the question of how the serpent spoke to Eve. In III.28 he writes,
“And on that day was closed the mouth of all beasts, and of cattle, and of birds, and of whatever walketh, and of whatever moveth, so that they could no longer speak: for they had all spoken one with another with one lip and with one tongue.”
It’s kind of like Narnia! or these animals:
Well, that settles the Creation-Evolution debate!
So, you may have been wondering how Moses knew the details to the six days of creation. There is an answer and it should finally put this silly Creation-Evolution debate to rest:
“And the angel of the presence spake to Moses according to the word of the Lord, saying: Write the complete history of the creation, how in six days the Lord God finished all His works and all that He created, and kept Sabbath on the seventh day and hallowed it for all ages, and appointed it as a sign for all His works” (Book of Jubilees, II.1)
An angel told him, directly! Darwin didn’t have any angelic visitations. I think the following formula settles the matter:
Moses learned about creation directly from angels + Darwin studied birds and turtles = Creationism wins!
Now that this debate has concluded what shall we do….
