Lost Scripture? Jubilees (Missing Book of the Bible?)
Jul 5, 2024
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Biblical scholar Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss the Book of Jubilees, an ancient text dating back to 150 BC, featuring rewritten Bible stories, revelations to Moses, and narratives on creation, Noah's flood, Tower of Babel, and biblical figures like Abraham. The podcast explores the book's unique views on angels, demons, and religious history.
The Book of Jubilees offers alternative perspectives on biblical events and introduces a unique chronological framework based on Jubilee periods.
The Book of Jubilees was highly regarded by certain ancient Jewish and Christian groups, such as the Essenes and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
The podcast challenges conventional practices by advocating for a lunar-solar calendar and emphasizes the importance of precise dates and feasts in religious observances.
The Book of Jubilees portrays Noah as a righteous figure entrusted with healing knowledge by angels, highlighting the significance of preserving this wisdom for future generations.
Deep dives
The Mysterious Book of Jubilees
The Book of Jubilees is explored in this episode, shedding light on ancient scriptures that were not included in the Bible. These lost scriptures, including 1st Enoch and the Proto-Evangelium of James, provide insights into the beliefs of different ancient Jewish and Christian groups.
Authorship and Content of Jubilees
The Book of Jubilees, written around 150 BC during the Second Temple era, rewrites parts of Genesis and Exodus. It introduces a chronological framework based on Jubilee periods, offering a unique perspective on the world's creation and the roles of angels.
Canonical Status of Jubilees
The Book of Jubilees was highly regarded by the Essenes, as evidenced by its extensive presence among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church also includes Jubilees in its canon, reflecting its canonical status in certain Christian groups.
Scriptural Interpretation and Lunar-Solar Calendar
The episode delves into the interpretation of scriptures and challenges conventional practices, such as using a lunar-solar calendar instead of a 364-day calendar for religious observances. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining precise dates and feasts.
Demons and Angelic Influence
The presence of demons known as Watchers and Mastema, representing Satan, influences human actions post-Flood. God allows a tenth of the demons to remain on Earth, guided by Mastema, to test humanity's righteousness and obedience.
Healing Knowledge and Legacy of Noah
Noah is entrusted with healing knowledge by angels to counteract the potential evils plaguing humanity. He passes this wisdom to his son Shem, emphasizing the importance of preserving and utilizing this healing wisdom for the benefit of future generations.
The Influence of Angels on the Mosaic Law
The podcast discusses how the Book of Jubilees presents angels, specifically the angels of the presence, as playing a significant role in the giving of the Mosaic Law to Moses. This suggests that the angels were intermediaries in transmitting the divine instructions regarding circumcision, feasts, and other legal aspects to Moses. The Jubilees' narrative highlights a unique perspective on the divine transmission of laws through angelic beings, shedding light on the spiritual significance attributed to the angelic hierarchy.
Noah's Righteousness and the Tower of Babel Incident
The episode delves into the portrayal of Noah's exceptional righteousness in the Book of Jubilees, positioning him as second only to Enoch in moral stature. Additionally, the podcast examines the Tower of Babel incident as described in Jubilees, focusing on the detailed construction process of the tower using bricks and bitumen. The portrayal of diverse languages emerging from God's intervention highlights the divine dispersion of humanity and the subsequent scattering into different nations based on linguistic divisions.
Throughout history, there have been books some people considered scripture and others didn't. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli discuss one of those books, Jubilees. What was does it say? Could any of it be true? What should Christians today think of it?
