The Book of Jubilees: The Torah Calendar eBook - Book - Page 201
3 7 : E S A U
W A R S
CHAPTER 37:
Esau And His Sons Wage
War With Jacob (37:1-25)
2162 A.M.
The legend
of the wars
between
the sons
of Jacob
and Esau
contained in
chaps. 37-38
here seems
to be ancient.
It is also
found in Test.
Judah 9 and
in the Jewish
Midrashic
literature. Our
text contains
the oldest
form.
This explains
how Edom
and Israel
became
rivals after
the brothers
reconciled.
Edom is at
odds with
Israel after
Jacob all
the way until
the very
end times.
Now we
know what
happened.
This
representation gives
a favourable
view of
Esau’s own
attitude. In
the later
form of the
legend (in the
Yalut) this
is altered to
Esau’s disadvantage.
An example
of Pharisees
changing the
Bible.
1 And on the day that Isaac
the father of Jacob and Esau
died, the sons of Esau heard
that Isaac had given the
portion of the elder to his
younger son Jacob and they
were very angry. 2 And they
strove with their father, saying:
“Why hath thy father given
Jacob the portion of the elder
and passed over thee, although
thou art the elder and Jacob
the younger?” 3 And he said
unto them “Because I sold
my birthright to Jacob for a
small mess of lentils; and on
the day my father sent me to
hunt and catch and bring him
something that he should eat
and bless me, he came with
guile and brought my father
food and drink, and my father
blessed him and put me under
his hand. 4 And now our
father hath caused us to swear,
me and him, that we shall not
mutually devise evil, either
against his brother, and that
we shall continue in love and
in peace each with his brother
and not make our ways
corrupt.” 5 And they said unto
him, “We shall not hearken
unto thee to make peace with
him; for our strength is greater
W I T H
J A C O B
than his strength, and we are
more powerful than he; we
shall go against him and slay
him, and destroy him and his
sons. And if thou wilt not go
with us, we shall do hurt to
thee also. 6 And now hearken
unto us: Let us send to Aram
and Philistia and Moab and
Ammon, and let us choose for
ourselves chosen men who are
ardent for battle, and let us go
against him and do battle with
him, and let us exterminate
him from the earth before he
groweth strong.” 7 And their
father said unto them, “Do
not go and do not make war
with him lest ye fall before
him.” 8 And they said unto
him, “This too, is exactly
thy mode of action from thy
youth until this day, and thou
art putting thy neck under his
yoke. We shall not hearken to
these words.” 9 And they sent
to Aram, and to ’Adurâm to
the friend of their father, and
they hired along with them
one thousand fighting men,
chosen men of war. 10 And
there came to them from
Moab and from the children
of Ammon, those who were
hired, one thousand chosen
men, and from Philistia, one
thousand chosen men of war,
and from Edom and from the
Horites one thousand chosen
199
Philistia with
Nephilim
among
them were
long-time
enemies.
Moab and
Ammon, the
sons of lot
were also nto
allies much of
the time.
An
Aramaean;
cf. 38:3.
