lethargic_man | Tuesday, November 24th, 2015

Chapter 31

In Gen. 35:2, Jacob tells his household to put away their foreign gods. The narrative continues (v.4) ( They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods in their possession, and all the earrings in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak by Shechem. )For the author of Jubilees, with his attitude towards righteousness, this isn't good enough:

( Read more... )

Note that this is the first mention of Rachel stealing her father's teraphim; the story of Rachel taking them and sitting on them so Laban couldn't find them when he searched her possessions is completely missing, presumably so as to miss the implication that Rachel was actually taking them for use in worship.

When Jacob had many years earlier tricked his father into giving him the blessing intended for Esau, we were told Isaac's eyes had grown dim in his old age. ( What happens afterwards in Jubilees )

Isaac then blesses these grandsons of his, and once again the narrative imputes justification from the patriarchal age for something which actually arose much later: ( Read more... ) Having returned to Bethel, where God had appeared to him before he fled, now Jacob performs lots of sacrifices, for which Jubilees gives dates corresponding with the later festival of Succoth. ( Read more... )

Rebecca went and returned to her house to his father Isaac, and Jacob sent by her hand rams and sheep and billy-goats that she should prepare a meal for his father such as he desired.

Sound familiar?

And he went after his mother till he came to the land of Kabratan, and he dwelt there.

Where? This book explains, which perhaps I should read;^* it looks like it has better commentary than the copy of Jubilees I read.

* Subtext: If I want to turn this blog series into a talk for Limmud the way I did my Samaritan Torah notes. I'm making no promises about this, though!