Jubilees 8

1In the twenty-ninth jubilee, in the first week, in its first year, Arpachshad took a wife for himself, and her name was Rasu'eja, the daughter of Susan, the daughter of Elam, and she bore him

2And she bore him a son in the third year of this week, and he called his name Kainam. And the child grew,

3And his father taught him writing. And he went to seek for himself a place where he might seize a city for himself. And he found a writing which the ancients had cut on a rock, and he read what was in it. And he copied it, and he found from what was in it that there was in it the teaching of the Watchers, by which they used to observe the omens of the sun.

4...and the moon and the stars in all the signs of heaven. And he wrote it down and said nothing about it...

5For he was afraid to tell Noah about it, lest he be angry with him because of it. And in the fifth jubilee, in the first week, in the first year, he took a wife, and her name was Melka, the daughter of Madai, the son of Japheth; and in the fourth year of it he fathered a son, and he called his name Salah.

6For he said, “I was indeed sent,” and in the fourth year Shelah was born and grew up; and he took for himself a wife, and her name was Melka, the daughter of Kebed, his father’s brother, in the first year of the fifth week of the thirty-first jubilee.

7And in the sixth year she bore him a son, and he called his name Peleg, because in his days, when he was born, the sons of Noah began to divide the earth among themselves. For this reason he called his name Peleg.

8And in the sixth year she bore him a son, and he called his name Peleg, because in the days when he was born the sons of Noah began to divide the earth among themselves; therefore he called his name Peleg.

9And they divided it secretly among themselves, and they told it to Noah.

10And it came to pass in the beginning of the thirty-third jubilee that they divided the earth into three portions for Shem and Ham and Japheth, each according to his inheritance, in the first year in the first week, while one of us who had been sent was dwelling with them.

11And he called his sons, and they came near to him, they and their children, and he divided the earth into the lots that his three sons would possess. And they stretched out their hands and took the writing from the bosom of Noah their father.

12And by lot there came out for Shem the middle of the earth, which he was to take as an inheritance for himself and for his sons for generations forever: from the middle of the mountain range of Rafa, from the mouth of the waters from the river Tina.

13And its half goes toward the west through the midst of this river, and it goes on until it approaches the waters of the abysses, from which this river comes forth; and its waters pour into the Sea Me'at. And this river goes into the Great Sea.

14And all that is toward the north belongs to Japheth, and all that is toward the south belongs to Shem. And it goes on until it approaches Karaso—this is in the bosom of the tongue that looks toward the south.

15This sea is named the tongue of the Egyptian Sea. And it extends from there northward to the mouth of the Great Sea, at the waters' edge, and it goes along toward the west to Afra, and it goes on until it approaches the waters of the Gihon River, on the north side of the waters of Gihon.

16And it goes toward the border of this river, and it goes toward the east until it approaches the garden of Eden, toward its north, to the north, and from the east of all the land of Eden, and to all the east, and it turns within the east and comes until it approaches the east of the mountain whose name is

17Rafa. And it goes down toward the north to the bank of the Tina River. This portion came out by lot.

18For Shem and for his sons to possess it forever, for his generations forever. And Noah rejoiced because this portion came forth for Shem and for his sons, and he remembered all that he had spoken with his mouth in prophecy, for he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem, and may he dwell...

19"...the LORD in the dwelling of Shem." And he knew and he knew that the Garden of Eden is the holy of holies and the dwelling of the LORD, and Mount Sinai is in the midst of the wilderness, and Mount Zion is in the midst of the navel of the earth; these three were created as holy places facing one another.

20These are the sons of Noah. And in the twenty-eighth jubilee and the seventh week, Noah began to command the ordinances and the commandments to the children of his sons, and all that he knew of justice; and he testified to his sons that they should do righteousness and cover the shame of their flesh, and bless their Creator, and honor father and mother, and love each his brother, and guard their souls from fornication,

21and the Lord forever. And he knew that a blessed portion and a blessing had come to Shem and to his sons for the generations of eternity: all the land of Edom, and all the land of the Red Sea, and all the land of the east and India, and on the Red Sea and its mountains, and all the land of Bashan, and all the land of Lebanon and the islands of Caphtor, and all the mountains of Senir and Amana, and the mountains of Asshur in the south, and all the land of Elam, Asshur, and Babylon, and Susa and Media, and all the mountains of Ararat, and all the region beyond the sea, beyond the mountains of Asshur toward the north.

22all the land of Eden, and all the land of the Erythraean Sea, and all the land of the east, and India, and on the Erythraean Sea and its mountains, and all the land of Bashan, and all the land of Lebanon and the islands of Caphtor, and all the mountains of Senir and Amana, and the mountains of Asshur in the north, and all the land of Elam, Asshur, and Babylon, and Susa and Media, and all the mountains of Ararat, and all the region beyond the sea beyond the mountains of Asshur toward the north—a blessed and spacious land, and all that is in it is very good.

23and a man his neighbor. And everyone sold himself to do iniquity and to shed much blood.

24And the earth was filled with violence. And after this, they sinned against the beasts and the birds and everything that moves and everything that walks on the earth, and much blood was shed on the earth.

25The thoughts and desire of man imagine vanity and evil continually, and the Lord destroyed everything from the face of the earth because of their evil deeds and because of blood.

26which they shed in the midst of the earth, He destroyed everything; and I and you, my children, and all who entered with us into the ark were left. And now, behold, I see before me your deeds, that you are not walking in righteousness, for you have begun to walk in the path of corruption, and you are separating, each one from his neighbor, and are jealous of one another, and are not united together.

27For I see, and behold, the demons have begun to lead you and your children astray. And now I fear for you, that after my death you will shed human blood upon the earth, and you too will be destroyed from the face of the earth.

28And he blessed the God of gods, who had put the word of the Lord in his mouth.

29The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.

30And the sons of Ham: Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan.

31And Noah began to command his sons' sons with ordinances and commandments and all the judgments that he knew, and he testified to his sons that they should do righteousness, and cover the shame of their flesh, and bless their Creator, and honor father and mother, and love each his brother, and guard their souls from fornication and uncleanness and all injustice.

32For because of these three things the flood came upon the earth—namely, because of the fornication by which the Watchers defiled themselves with the daughters of men, taking for themselves wives from all whom they chose, and they made a beginning of uncleanness;

33and they begot sons: the Naphidim. And they were all unlike one another, and they devoured one another; and the giant killed the Naphil, and the Naphil killed the Elyo, and the Elyo humankind, and one man another.

34And everyone sold himself to do injustice and to pour out much blood, and the earth was filled with injustice.

35And after this they sinned against the beasts and the birds and everything that moves and everything that walks upon the earth, and much blood was shed on the earth; and every imagination and desire of man imagined vanity and evil continually.

36And Yahweh destroyed everything from the face of the earth because of the wickedness of their deeds and because of the blood which they had poured out in the midst of the earth; he destroyed everything.

37Before the altar that is accepted. And in the fifth year make a release, so that you may release it.

38You, in righteousness and uprightness, shall be righteous, and all your plantings shall prosper. For thus Enoch, the father of your father, commanded Methuselah his son, and Methuselah his son Lamech, and Lamech...

39He commanded me all that his fathers had commanded him. And I also command you, my children, according to how Enoch commanded his son in the first jubilees, while he was alive, in the seventh generation; he commanded and testified to his son and to his son's children until the day of his death.

40For everyone who sheds the blood of man, and everyone who eats the blood of any flesh, all of them will be destroyed from the earth.

41And no man who eats blood or who sheds the blood of man on the earth will be left; nor will seed or descendants remain for him under heaven.

42For they will go down into Sheol, and into the place of judgment they will descend, and into the darkness of the deep they will all go by a violent death.

43Let no blood appear upon you from all the blood that there shall be in all the days in which you slaughter any beast or cattle or bird or whatever moves upon the earth.

44And do a good deed for your souls by covering what is poured out on the face of the earth.

45And do not be like one who eats with the blood, but be careful that they do not eat blood before you. Cover the blood, for thus I have been commanded to testify to you and to your children together with all flesh.

46And do not eat blood with the flesh, lest your blood, which is your life, be required from the hand of all flesh that sheds blood on the earth.

47For the earth will not be cleansed from the blood that is shed upon it; only by the blood of the one who shed it will the earth be cleansed throughout all its generations.

48And now, my children, listen: do justice and righteousness, so that you may be planted in righteousness over the face of the whole earth, and your glory may be lifted up before my God, who saved me from the waters of the flood.

49And behold, you shall go and build for yourselves cities, and plant in them every plant that is on the earth, and every fruit-bearing tree.

50For three years the fruit of anything that is eaten shall not be gathered; but in the fourth year its fruit shall be holy, the firstfruits acceptable before the Most High LORD, who created heaven and earth and everything.

51Let them bring up in abundance the first of the wine and oil as firstfruits to the altar of Yahweh, who receives it; and what is left let the servants of the house of Yahweh eat before the altar that receives it.

52And in the fifth year you shall make its release, so that you may release it in righteousness and uprightness, and you will be righteous, and all your planting will prosper.

53For thus Enoch, your father's father, commanded Methuselah his son, and Methuselah commanded Lamech his son, and Lamech commanded me all the things that his fathers commanded him.

54And I also command you, my sons, as Enoch commanded his son in the first jubilees while he was still alive, in the seventh generation. He commanded and testified to his son and to his sons' sons until the day of his death.