• Torah (T): Bereshiyt (Genesis) 25:1-34
• Prophets (P): 2 Samuel 5:17 – 6:1
• Apostolic (A): Hebrews 12:14-29
• Additional (ADD): Jubilees 19:11-29; Jubilees 20:1-13; Jubilees 23:1-10; Jubilees 24:1-13

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• 1 Chronicles 1:27-54 (T)
• Exodus 2:15-16; Exodus 3:1 (T)
• Malachi 1:1-4 (T)
• Romans 9:1-15 (T)
• Genesis 12:10-13 (T)
• Genesis 20:1-11 (T)
• Deuteronomy 7:6 (ADD)
• Leviticus 21:9; Genesis 38:24 (ADD)
• Deuteronomy 10:17 (ADD)
• Leviticus 7:27 (ADD)
• Leviticus 2:4 (ADD)
• Leviticus 3:7-11 (ADD)
• Leviticus 7:17-18; 19:6-7 (ADD)
• Leviticus 2:13 (ADD)
• Exodus 30:19-21 (ADD)
• Leviticus 17:13-14; Deuteronomy 12:23-25 (ADD)
• Numbers 35:31-34 (ADD)
• Deuteronomy 4:20 (ADD)
• Genesis 46:2-4 (ADD)
• Psalms 90:9-10 (ADD)

RELATED ADDITIONAL REA.D.INGS

• 1 Maccabees 12:20-23 (T)
• Jubilees 16:16 (T)
• Jubilees 17:13-14 (T)
• Jubilees 21:1-26 (T)
• Jubilees 22:1-30 (T)
• Jubilees 23:11-32 (T)
• Enoch 3:1 (ADD)
• Testament of Levi 4Q213 (Completed From The Cairo Geniza) Fragment 1 (ADD)
• Genesis 25:1 – 26:11 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus, 1.16.3 – 1.18.1; 12.4.10 (T)

Note: (T) means the verse relates to that week’s Torah portion. (P) means the verse relates to that week’s Prophets portion. (A) means the verse relates to that week’s Apostolic portion. (ADD) means the verse relates to that week’s Additional portion.

Torah Portion (T)

25:1 Abraham added and took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan became the father of Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. 5 Abraham gave all that he had to [his son]^(LXX) Isaac, 6 but Abraham gave gifts to the sons of Abraham's concubines. While he still lived, he sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward, to the east country. 7 These are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived: one hundred seventy-five years. 8 Abraham gave up his spirit, and died at a good old age, a bearded man, and full [of days],^{(LXX)(Syr)(SP)} and was gathered to his people. 9 Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is near Mamre, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. Abraham was buried there with Sarah, his wife. 11 After the death of Abraham, Elohim blessed Isaac, his son. Isaac lived by Beer Lahai Roi. 12 And these are the birthings of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to the order of their birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments: twelve princes, according to their nations (cf. Genesis 17:20). 17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred thirty-seven years. He gave up his spirit and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 They lived from Havilah to Shur that is before Egypt, as you go toward Assyria. He [dwelled in the face of all his brothers].^(LXX) 19 And these are the birthings of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham brought forth Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Paddan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian, to be his wife. 21 Isaac interceded to the LORD^(LXX)(mss) for his wife, because she was barren. [And his Elohim listened],^(LXX) and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The sons struggled together within her. She said, “If it is like this, why do I live?” She walked to seek [Elohim].^(LXX) 23 [He]^(LXX) said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.” 24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. 26 Afterwards, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27 The boys grew. Esau was a knowing hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a perfect man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his wild game. Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with some of that red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau devalued his birthright.

Prophets Portion (P)

5:17 When the Philistines heard that [David had been anointed]^(LXX) king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 19 David inquired of YHWH, saying, “Will I go up against the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hand?” YHWH said to David, “Go up; for I will certainly deliver [them]^(LXX) into your hand.” 20 David came to Baal Perazim, and [he]^(LXX) struck them there. Then he said, “YHWH has broken my enemies before me, like the breach of waters.” Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim. 21 They left their [elohim]^(LXX) there; and David and his men took them away. 22 The Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. 23 When David inquired of YHWH, [and YHWH said to him],^(LXX) “You will not go up. Circle around behind them, and attack them in front of the mulberry trees. 24 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then stir yourself up; for then YHWH has gone out before you to strike the army of the Philistines.” 25 David did so, as YHWH commanded him, and struck the Philistines all the way from [Gibeon]^(LXX) to Gezer. 6:1 David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

Apostolic Portion (A)

12:14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man will see the Lord, 15 looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of Elohim, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it, 16 lest there be any sexually immoral person, or profane person, like Esau, who sold [his own]^(mss) birthright for one meal. 17 For you know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance though he sought it diligently with tears. 18 For you have not come to [something]^(mss) that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and to blackness, darkness, storm, 19 the sound of a shofar, and the voice of words; which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them, 20 for they could not stand that which was commanded, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it will be stoned (cf. Exodus 19:12-13) or shot with an arrow”.^(mss) 21 So fearful was the appearance that Moses said, “I am terrified and trembling.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living Elohim, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels, 23 to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in the heavens, to Elohim the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Yeshua, the mediator of a renewed covenant (cf. Jeremiah 31:31; Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25), and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel. 25 See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the land, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from the heavens, 26 whose voice shook the land then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the land, but also the heavens.” (cf. Haggai 2:6) 27 This phrase, “Yet once more” signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, receiving a Reign that can’t be shaken, let’s have grace, through which we serve Elohim acceptably, with reverence and awe, 29 for our Elohim is a consuming fire (cf. Deuteronomy 4:24).

Additional Portion (ADD)

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

19:11 And Abraham took to himself a third wife, and her name was Keturah, from among the daughters of his household servants, for Hagar had died before Sarah. 12. And she bare him six sons, Zimram, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah, in the two weeks of years. 13. And in the sixth week, in the second year thereof, [2046 A.M.] Rebecca bare to Isaac two sons, Jacob and Esau, and Jacob was a smooth and upright man, and Esau was fierce, a man of the field, and hairy, and Jacob dwelt in tents. 14. And the youths grew, and Jacob learned to write; but Esau did not learn, for he was a man of the field and a hunter, and he learnt war, and all his deeds were fierce.  15. And Abraham loved Jacob, but Isaac loved Esau. 16. And Abraham saw the deeds of Esau, and he knew that in Jacob should his name and seed be called; and he called Rebecca and gave commandment regarding Jacob, for he knew that she (too) loved Jacob much more than Esau. 17. And he said unto her: “My daughter, watch over my son Jacob, For he will be in my stead on the land, And for a blessing in the midst of the children of men, And for the glory of the whole seed of Shem. 18. For I know that the Lord will choose him to be a people for possession unto Himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the land. 19. And behold, Isaac my son loveth Esau more than Jacob, but I see that thou truly lovest Jacob. 20. Add still further to thy kindness to him, And let thine eyes be upon him in love; For he will be a blessing unto us on the land from henceforth unto all generations of the land. 21. Let thy hands be strong And let thy heart rejoice in thy son Jacob; For I have loved him far beyond all my sons. He will be blessed for ever, And his seed will fill the whole land. 22. If a man can number the sand of the land, His seed also will be numbered. 23. And all the blessings wherewith the Lord hath blessed me and my seed will belong to Jacob and his seed alway. 24. And in his seed will my name be blessed, and the name of my fathers, Shem, and Noaḥ, and Enoch, and Mahalalel, and Enos, and Seth, and Adam. 25. And these will serve To lay the foundations of the heavens, And to strengthen the land, And to renew all the luminaries which are in the firmament.” 26. And he called Jacob before the eyes of Rebecca his mother, and kissed him, and blessed him, and said: 27. “Jacob, my beloved son, whom my soul loveth, may Elohim bless thee from above the firmament, and may He give thee all the blessings wherewith He blessed Adam, and Enoch, and Noaḥ, and Shem; and all the things of which He told me, and all the things which He promised to give me, may He cause to cleave to thee and to thy seed for ever, according to the days of the heavens above the land. 28. And the spirits of Mastema will not rule over thee or over thy seed to turn thee from the Lord, who is thy Elohim from henceforth for ever. 29. And may the Lord Elohim be a father to thee and thou the first-born son, and to the people alway. Go in peace, my son.” 30. And they both went forth together from Abraham. 31. And Rebecca loved Jacob, with all her heart and with all her soul, very much more than Esau; but Isaac loved Esau much more than Jacob.

20:1 And in the forty-second jubilee, in the first year of the †seventh† week, [2052 A.M.] Abraham called Ishmael, and his twelve sons, and Isaac and his two sons, and the six sons of Keturah, and their sons. 2. And he commanded them that they should observe the way of the Lord; that they should work righteousness, and love each his neighbour, and act on this manner amongst all men; that they should each so walk with regard to them as to do judgment and righteousness on the land. 3. That they should circumcise their sons, according to the covenant which He had made with them, and not deviate to the right hand or the left of all the paths which the Lord had commanded us; and that we should keep ourselves from all fornication and uncleanness. 4. And if any woman or maid commit fornication amongst you, burn her with fire (cf. Leviticus 21:9), and let them not commit fornication with her after their eyes and their heart; and let them not take to themselves wives from the daughters of Canaan; for the seed of Canaan will be rooted out of the land. 5. And he told them of the judgment of the giants, and the judgment of the Sodomites, how they had been judged on account of their wickedness, and had died on account of their fornication, and uncleanness, and mutual corruption through fornication. 6. “And guard yourselves from all fornication and uncleanness, And from all pollution of sin, Lest ye make our name a curse, And your whole life a hissing, And all your sons be destroyed by the sword, And ye become accursed like Sodom, And all your remnant as the sons of Gomorrah. 7. I implore you, my sons, love the Elohim of the heavens, And cleave ye to all His commandments. And walk not after their idols, and after their uncleannesses, 8. And make not for yourselves molten or graven elohim; For they are vanity, And there is no spirit in them; For they are work of (men’s) hands, And all who trust in them, trust in nothing. Serve them not, nor worship them, 9. But serve ye the Most High Elohim, and worship Him continually: And hope for His countenance always, And work uprightness and righteousness before Him, That He may have pleasure in you and grant you His mercy, And send rain upon you morning and evening, And bless all your works which ye have wrought upon the land, And bless thy bread and thy water, And bless the fruit of thy womb and the fruit of thy land, And the herds of thy cattle, and the flocks of thy sheep. 10. And ye will be for a blessing on the land, And all nations of the land will desire you, And bless your sons in my name, That they may be blessed as I am.” 11. And he gave to Ishmael and to his sons, and to the sons of Keturah, gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, and he gave everything to Isaac his son. 12. And Ishmael and his sons, and the sons of Keturah and their sons, went together and dwelt from Paran to the entering in of Babylon in all the land which is towards the East facing the desert. 13. And these mingled with each other, and their name was called Arabs, and Ishmaelites.

23:1 And he placed two fingers of Jacob on his eyes, and he blessed the Elohim of Elohim, and he covered his face and stretched out his feet and slept the sleep of eternity, and was gathered to his fathers. 2. And notwithstanding all this Jacob was lying in his bosom, and knew not that Abraham, his father’s father, was dead. 3. And Jacob awoke from his sleep, and behold Abraham was cold as ice, and he said: “Father, father!”; but there was none that spake, and he knew that he was dead. 4. And he arose from his bosom and ran and told Rebecca, his mother; and Rebecca went to Isaac in the night and told him; and they went together, and Jacob with them, and a lamp was in his hand, and when they had gone in they found Abraham lying dead. 5. And Isaac fell on the face of his father, and wept and kissed him. 6. And the voices were heard in the house of Abraham, and Ishmael his son arose, and went to Abraham his father, and wept over Abraham his father, he and all the house of Abraham, and they wept with a great weeping. 7. And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the double cave, near Sarah his wife, and they wept for him forty days, all the men of his house, and Isaac and Ishmael, and all their sons, and all the sons of Keturah in their places, and the days of weeping for Abraham were ended. 8. And he lived three jubilees and four weeks of years, one hundred and seventy-five years, and completed the days of his life, being old and full of days. 9. For the days of the forefathers, of their life, were nineteen jubilees; and after the Flood they began to grow less than nineteen jubilees, and to decrease in jubilees, and to grow old quickly, and to be full of their days by reason of manifold tribulation and the wickedness of their ways, with the exception of Abraham. 10. For Abraham was perfect in all his deeds with the Lord, and well-pleasing in righteousness all the days of his life; and behold, he did not complete four jubilees in his life, when he had grown old by reason of the wickedness and was full of his days.

24:1 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that the Lord blessed Isaac his son, and he arose from Hebron and went and dwelt at the Well of the Vision in the first year of the third week of this jubilee, seven years. [2073 A.M.] 2. And in the first year of the fourth week [2080 A.M.] a famine began in the land, besides the first famine, which had been in the days of Abraham. 3. And Jacob sod lentil pottage, and Esau came from the field hungry. And he said to Jacob his brother: “Give me of this red pottage.” And Jacob said to him: “Sell to me thy birthright and I will give thee bread, and also some of this lentil pottage.” 4. And Esau said in his heart: “I will die; of what profit to me is this birthright?” And he said to Jacob: “I give it to thee.” 5. And Jacob said “Swear to me, this day,” and he sware unto him. 6. And Jacob gave his brother Esau bread and pottage, and he ate till he was satisfied, and Esau devalued his birthright; for this reason was Esau’s name called Edom, on account of the red pottage which Jacob gave him for his birthright. 7. And Jacob became the elder, and Esau was brought down from his dignity. 8. And the famine was over the land, and Isaac departed to go down into Egypt in the second year of this week, and went to the king of the Philistines to Gerar, unto Abimelech. 9. And the Lord appeared unto him and said unto him: “Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land that I will tell thee of, and sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and bless thee. 10. For to thee and to thy seed will I give all this land, and I will establish My oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and will give unto thy seed all this land. 11. And in thy seed will all the nations of the land be blessed, because thy father obeyed My voice, and kept My charge and My commandments, and My laws, and My ordinances, and My covenant; and now obey My voice and dwell in this land.” 12. And he dwelt in Gerar three weeks of years. [2080-2101 A.M.] 13. And Abimelech charged concerning him, and concerning all that was his, saying: “Any man that will touch him or aught that is his will surely die.”

Related Scriptures

1 Chronicles 1:27-54 (T)

1:27 Abram, also called Abraham. 28 The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. 29 These are their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael. 32 The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan: Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Midian: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. 34 Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. 35 The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, and Qorach. 36 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, Kenaz, Timna, and Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. 38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 39 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam; and Timna was Lotan’s sister. 40 The sons of Shobal: Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. 41 The son of Anah: Dishon. The sons of Dishon: Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 43 Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the sons of Israel: Bela the son of Beor; and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 44 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 45 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 46 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. 47 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 48 Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his place. 49 Shaul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 50 Baal Hanan died, and Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pai: and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51 Then Hadad died. The chiefs of Edom were: chief Timna, chief Aliah, chief Jetheth, 52 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 53 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 54 chief Magdiel, and chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom.

Exodus 2:15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well. 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

Exodus 3:1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to Elohim’s mountain, to Horeb.

1:1 A revelation, the word of YHWH to Israel by Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says YHWH. Yet you say, “How have you loved us?” “Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says YHWH, “Yet I loved Jacob; 3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Whereas Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places;” YHWH of Armies says, “They will build, but I will throw down; and men will call them ‘The Wicked Land,’ even the people against whom YHWH shows wrath forever.”

9:1 I tell the truth in Messiah. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Messiah for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh 4 who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Messiah as concerning the flesh, who is over all, Elohim-blessed forever. Amen. 6 But it is not as though the word of Elohim has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel. 7 Neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children. But, “your seed will be accounted as from Isaac.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs. 9 For this is a word of promise, “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” 10 Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac. 11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of Elohim according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.” 13 Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14 What will we say then? Is there unrighteousness with Elohim? May it never be! 15 For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

Genesis 12:10-13 (T)

12:10 There was a famine in the land. Abram went down into Egypt to live as a stranger there, for the famine was severe in the land. 11 When he had come near to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman to look at. 12 It will happen that when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ They will kill me, but they will save you alive. 13 Please say that you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that my soul may live because of you.”

Genesis 20:1-11 (T)

20:1 Abraham traveled from there toward the land of the South, and lived between Kadesh and Shur. He sojourned in Gerar. 2 Abraham said about Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. 3 But Elohim came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man, because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man’s wife.” 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her. He said, “Lord, will you kill even a righteous nation? 5 Didn’t he tell me, ‘She is my sister’? She, even she herself, said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.” 6 [The Elohim]^(MTT) said to him in the dream, “Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this, and I also withheld you from sinning against me. Therefore I didn’t allow you to touch her. 7 Now therefore, return the man’s wife. For he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If you don’t return her, know for sure that you will die, you, and all who are yours.” 8 Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ear. [All]^(LXX) the men were very scared. 9 Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought on me and on my reign a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done!” 10 Abimelech said to Abraham, “What did you see, that you have done this thing?” 11 Abraham said, “Because I thought, ‘Surely the fear of Elohim is not in this place. They will kill me for my wife’s sake.’

7:6 For you are a holy people to YHWH your Elohim. YHWH your Elohim has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples who are on the face of the land.

Leviticus 21:9 The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, she profanes her father. She will be burned with fire.

Genesis 39:24 About three new moons later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has whored. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”

10:17 For YHWH your Elohim, he is Elohim of Elohim and Lord of lords, the great Elohim, the mighty, and the awesome, who doesn’t respect persons or take bribes.

7:27 Whoever it is who eats any blood, that soul will be cut off from his people.

2:4 When you offer an offering of a grain offering baked in the oven, it will be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

3:7 If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he will offer it before YHWH; 8 and he will lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the Appointed Tent. Aaron’s sons will sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 9 He will offer from the slaughter of peace offerings an offering made by fire to YHWH; its fat, the entire tail fat, he will take away close to the backbone; and the fat that covers the entrails, and all the fat that is on the entrails, 10 and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the hips, and the cover on the liver, with the kidneys, he will take away. 11 The priest will burn it on the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire to YHWH.

Leviticus 7:17 but what remains of the meat of the slaughter on the third day will be burned with fire. 18 If any of the meat of the slaughter of his peace offerings is eaten on the third day, it will not be accepted, and it will not be credited to him who offers it. It will be an abomination, and the soul who eats any of it will bear his iniquity.

Leviticus 19:6 It will be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day. If anything remains until the third day, it will be burned with fire. 7 If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination. It will not be accepted

2:13 Every offering of your grain offering you will season with salt. You will not allow the salt of the covenant of your Elohim to be lacking from your grain offering. With all your offerings you will offer salt.

30:19 Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and their feet in it. 20 When they go into the Appointed Tent, they will wash with water, that they not die; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to YHWH. 21 So they will wash their hands and their feet, that they not die. This will be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his descendants throughout their generations.

Leviticus 17:13 Whatever man there is of the sons of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who takes in hunting any animal or bird that may be eaten, he will pour out its blood, and cover it with dust. 14 For as to the life of all flesh, its blood is with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, “You will not eat the blood of any kind of flesh; for the life of all flesh is its blood. Whoever eats it will be cut off.”

Deuteronomy 12:23 Only be sure that you don’t eat the blood; for the blood is the life. You will not eat the life with the meat. 24 You will not eat it. You will pour it out on the land like water. 25 You will not eat it, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, when you do that which is right in the eyes of YHWH.

35:31 Moreover you will take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death. He will surely be put to death. 32 You will take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may come again to dwell in the land before the death of the priest. 33 So you will not pollute the land where you live; for blood pollutes the land. No atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, but by the blood of him who shed it. 34 You will not defile the land which you inhabit, where I dwell; for I, YHWH, dwell among the sons of Israel.

4:20 But YHWH has taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as it is today.

46:2 Elohim spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob!” He said, “Here I am.” 3 He said, “I am Elohim, the Elohim of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of you a great nation. 4 I will go down with you into Egypt. I will also surely bring you up again. Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”

90:9 For all our days have passed away in your wrath. We bring our years to an end as a sigh. 10 The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away.

Related Additional Readings​

12:20 Arius king of the Spartans (Lacedemonians) to Onias the chief priest, greeting: 21 It has been found in writing, concerning the Spartans (Lacedemonians) and the Jews, that they are kindred, and that they are of the stock of Abraham: 22 and now, since this is come to our knowledge, you will do well to write to us of your prosperity. 23 And we moreover do write on our part to you, that your cattle and goods are ours, and ours are yours. We do command therefore that they make report to you on this wise.

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

16:16 “And we returned in the seventh new moon, and found Sarah with child before us] and we blessed him, and we announced to him all the things which had been decreed concerning him, that he should not die till he should beget six sons more, and should see (them) before he died; but (that) in Isaac should his name and seed be called”

17:13. And the child grew and became an archer, and Elohim was with him; and his mother took him a wife from among the daughters of Egypt. 14. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Nebaioth; 3 for she said, “The Lord was nigh to me when I called upon him.”

21:1 And in the sixth year of the †seventh† 1 week of this jubilee [2057 A.M. or 2050 A.M.?) Abraham called Isaac his son, and commanded him, saying: “I am become old, and. know not the day of my death, and am full of my days. 2. And behold, I am one hundred and seventy-five years old, and throughout all the days of my life I have remembered the Lord, and sought with all my heart to do His will, and to walk uprightly in all His ways. 3. My soul hath hated idols, (and I have despised those that served them, and I have given my heart and spirit) that I might observe to do the will of Him who created me. 4. For He is the living Elohim, and He is holy and faithful, and He is righteous beyond all, and there is with Him no accepting of (men’s) persons and no accepting of gifts (cf. Deuteronomy 10:7); for Elohim is righteous, and executeth judgment on all those who transgress His commandments and despise His covenant. 5. And do thou, my son, observe His commandments and His ordinances and His judgments, and walk not after the abominations and after the graven images and after the molten images. 6. And eat no blood at all of animals or cattle, or of any bird which flieth in the heavens. 7. And if thou dost slay a victim as an acceptable peace-offering, slay ye it, and pour out its blood upon the altar, and all the fat of the offering offer on the altar with fine flour (and the meat-offering) mingled with oil (cf. Leviticus 2:4), with its drink-offering–offer them all together on the altar of burnt offering; it is a sweet savour before the Lord (cf. Leviticus 3:7-10). 8. And thou wilt offer the fat of the slaughter of thank offerings on the fire which is upon the altar, and the fat which is on the belly, and all the fat on the inwards and the two kidneys, and all the fat that is upon them, and upon the hips and liver thou shalt remove together with the kidneys (cf. Leviticus 3:9-10). 9. And offer all these for a sweet savour acceptable before the Lord, with its meat-offering and with its drink-offering, for a sweet savour, the bread (or food cf. Leviticus 3:11) of the offering unto the Lord, 10. And eat its meat on that day and on the second day, and let not the sun on the second day go down upon it till it is eaten, and let nothing be left over for the third day; for it is not acceptable and let it no longer be eaten, and all who eat thereof will bring sin upon themselves; for thus I have found it written in the books of my forefathers, and in the words of Enoch, and in the words of Noaḥ. 11. And on all thy oblations thou shalt strew salt, and let not the salt of the covenant be lacking in all thy oblations before the Lord (cf. Leviticus 2:13). 12:1 And as regards the wood of the slaughters, beware lest thou bring (other) wood for the altar in addition to these: cypress, dêfrân, sagâd, pine, fir, cedar, savin, palm, olive, myrrh, laurel, and citron, juniper, and balsam. (cf. Enoch 3:1) 13. And of these kinds of wood lay upon the altar under the slaughter, such as have been tested as to their appearance, and do not lay (thereon) any split or dark wood, (but) hard and clean, without fault, a sound and new growth; and do not lay (thereon) old wood, for there is no longer fragrance in it as before. 14. Besides these kinds of wood there is none other that thou shalt place (on the altar), for the fragrance is dispersed, and the smell of its fragrance goeth not up to the heavens. 15. Observe this commandment and do it, my son, that thou mayst be upright in all thy deeds. 16. And at all times be clean in thy body, and wash thyself with water before thou approachest to offer on the altar, and wash thy hands and thy feet before thou drawest near to the altar; and when thou art done slaughtering, wash again thy hands and thy feet (cf. Exodus 30:19-21). 17. And let no blood appear upon you nor upon your clothes; be on thy guard, my son, against blood, be on thy guard exceedingly; cover it with dust (cf. Leviticus 17:13). 18. And do not eat any blood, for it is the soul; eat no blood whatever (cf. Leviticus 17:14, Deuteronomy 12:23). 19. And take no gifts for the blood of man, lest it be shed with impunity, without judgment; for it is the blood that is shed that causeth the land to sin, and the land cannot be cleansed from the blood of man save by the blood of him who shed it (cf. Numbers 35:33). 20. And take no present or gift for the blood of man: blood for blood, that thou mayest be accepted before the Lord, the Most High Elohim; for He is the defense of the good: and that thou mayest be preserved from all evil, and that He may save thee from every kind of death.. 21. I see, my son, That all the works of the children of men are sin and wickedness, And all their deeds are uncleanness and an abomination and a pollution, And there is no righteousness with them. 22. Beware, lest thou shouldest walk in their ways And tread in their paths, And sin a sin unto death before the Most High Elohim. Else He will give thee back into the hands of thy transgression, And root thee out of the land, and thy seed likewise from under the heavens, And thy name and thy seed will perish from the whole land. 23. Turn away from all their deeds and all their uncleanness, And observe the ordinance of the Most High Elohim, And do His will and be upright in all things. 24. And He will bless thee in all thy deeds, And will raise up from thee the plant of righteousness through all the land, throughout all generations of the land, And my name and thy name will not be forgotten under the heavens for ever. 25. Go, my son, in peace. May the Most High Elohim, my Elohim and thy Elohim, strengthen thee to do His will, And may He bless all thy seed and the residue of thy seed for the generations for ever, with all righteous blessings, That thou mayest be a blessing on all the land.” 26. And he went out from him rejoicing.

22:1 And it came to pass in the †first† week in the †forty-fourth† jubilee, in the †second† year, that is, the year in which Abraham died, that Isaac and Ishmael came from the Well of the Oath to celebrate the feast of weeks–that is, the feast of the first fruits of the harvest–to Abraham, their father, and Abraham rejoiced because his two sons had come. 2. For Isaac had many possessions in Be’ersheba, and Isaac was wont to go and see his possessions and to return to his father. 3. And in those days Ishmael came to see his father, and they both came together, and Isaac offered a slaughter for a burnt offering, and presented it on the altar of his father which he had made in Hebron. 4. And he offered a thank offering and made a feast of joy before Ishmael, his brother: and Rebecca made new cakes from the new grain, and gave them to Jacob, her son, to take them to Abraham, his father, from the first fruits of the land, that he might eat and bless the Creator of all things before he died. 5. And Isaac, too, sent by the hand of Jacob to Abraham a best thank offering, that he might eat and drink. 6. And he ate and drank, and blessed the Most High Elohim, Who hath created the heavens and land, Who hath made all the fat things of the land, And given them to the children of men That they might eat and drink and bless their Creator. 7. “And now I give thanks unto Thee, my Elohim, because Thou hast caused me to see this day: behold, I am one hundred three score and fifteen years, a bearded man and full of days, and all my days have been unto me peace. 8. The sword of the adversary hath not overcome me in all that Thou hast given me and my children all the days of my life until this day. 9. My Elohim, may Thy mercy and Thy peace be upon Thy servant, and upon the seed of his sons, that they may be to Thee a chosen nation and an inheritance from amongst all the nations of the land from henceforth unto all the days of the generations of the land, unto all the ages.” 10. And he called Jacob and said My son Jacob, may the Elohim of all bless thee and strengthen thee to do righteousness, and His will before Him, and may He choose thee and thy seed that ye may become a people for His inheritance according to His will always. And do thou, my son, Jacob, draw near and kiss me.” 11. And he drew near and kissed him, and he said: “Blessed be my son Jacob And all the sons of Elohim Most High, unto all the ages: May Elohim give unto thee a seed of righteousness; And some of thy sons may He sanctify in the midst of the whole land; May nations serve thee, And all the nations bow themselves before thy seed. 12. Be strong in the face of men, And exercise authority over all the seed of Seth. Then thy ways and the ways of thy sons will be justified, So that they will become a holy nation. 13. May the Most High Elohim give thee all the blessings Wherewith he hath blessed me And wherewith He blessed Noaḥ and Adam; May they rest on the sacred head of thy seed from generation to generation for ever. 14. And may He cleanse thee from all unrighteousness and impurity, That thou mayest be forgiven all (thy) transgressions; (and) thy sins of ignorance. And may He strengthen thee, And bless thee. And mayest thou inherit the whole land, 15. And may He renew His covenant with thee, That thou mayest be to Him a nation for His inheritance for all the ages, And that He may be to thee and to thy seed an Elohim in truth and righteousness throughout all the days of the land. 16. And do thou, my son Jacob, remember my words, And observe the commandments of Abraham, thy father: Separate thyself from the nations, And eat not with them: And do not according to their works, And become not their associate; For their works are unclean, And all their ways are a pollution and an abomination and uncleanness. 17. They offer their slaughters to the dead  And they worship evil spirits, And they eat over the graves, And all their works are vanity and nothingness. 18. They have no heart to understand And their eyes do not see what their works are, And how they err in saying to a piece of wood: ‘Thou art my Elohim,’ And to a stone: ‘Thou art my Lord and thou art my deliverer.’ [And they have no heart.] 19. And as for thee, my son Jacob, May the Most High Elohim help thee And the Elohim of the heavens bless thee And remove thee from their uncleanness and from all their error. 20. Be thou ware, my son Jacob, of taking a wife from any seed of the daughters of Canaan; For all his seed is to be rooted out of the land. 21, For, owing to the transgression of Ham, Canaan erred, And all his seed will be destroyed from off the land and all the residue thereof, And none springing from him will be saved on the day of judgment. 22. And as for all the worshipers of idols and the profane 9(b) There will be no hope for them in the land of the living; (e) And there will be no remembrance of them on the land; (c) For they will descend into Sheol, (d) And into the place of condemnation will they go, As the children of Sodom were taken away from the land So will all those who worship idols be taken away. 23. Fear not, my son Jacob, And be not dismayed, O son of Abraham: May the Most High Elohim preserve thee from destruction, And from all the paths of error may He deliver thee. 24. This house have I built for myself that I might put my name upon it in the land: [it is given to thee and to thy seed for ever], and it will be named the house of Abraham; it is given to thee and to thy seed for ever; for thou wilt build my house and establish my name before Elohim for ever: thy seed and thy name will stand throughout all generations of the land.” 25. And he ceased commanding him and blessing him. 26: And the two lay together on one bed, and Jacob slept in the bosom of Abraham, his father’s father and he kissed him seven times, and his affection and his heart rejoiced over him. 27. And he blessed him with all his heart and said: “The Most High Elohim, the Elohim of all, and Creator of all, who brought me forth from Ur of the Chaldees, that He might give me this land to inherit it for ever, and that I might establish a holy seed–blessed be the Most High for ever.” 28. And he blessed Jacob and said: “My son, over whom with all my heart and my affection I rejoice, may Thy grace and Thy mercy be lift up upon him and upon his seed alway. 29. And do not forsake him, nor set him at nought from henceforth unto the days of eternity, and may Thine eyes be opened upon him and upon his seed, that Thou mayest preserve him, and bless him, and mayest sanctify him as a nation for Thine inheritance; 30. And bless him with all Thy blessings from henceforth unto all the days of eternity, and renew Thy covenant and Thy grace with him and with his seed according to all Thy good pleasure unto all the generations of the land.”

23:11. And all the generations which will arise from this time until the day of the great judgment will grow old quickly, before they complete two jubilees, and their knowledge will forsake them by reason of their old age [and all their knowledge will vanish away]. 12. And in those days, if a man live a jubilee and a half of years, they will say regarding him: “He hath lived long, and the greater part of his days are pain and sorrow and tribulation, and there is no peace: 13. For calamity followeth on calamity, and wound on wound, and tribulation on tribulation, and evil tidings on evil tidings, and illness on illness, and all evil judgments such as these, one with another, illness and overthrow, and snow and frost and ice, and fever, and chills, and torpor, and famine, and death, and sword, and captivity, and all kinds of calamities and pains.” 14. And all these will come on an evil generation, which transgresseth on the land: their works are uncleanness and fornication, and pollution and abominations. 15. Then they will say: “The days of the forefathers were many (even), unto a thousand years, and were good; but, behold, the days of our life, if a man hath lived many, are three score years and ten, and, if he is strong, four score years, and those evil and there is no peace in the days of this evil generation.” 16. And in that generation the sons will convict their fathers and their elders of sin and unrighteousness, and of the words of their mouth and the great wickednesses which they perpetrate, and concerning their forsaking the covenant which the Lord made between them and Him, that they should observe and do all His commandments and His ordinances and all His laws, without departing either to the right hand or to the left. 17. For all have done evil, and every mouth speaketh iniquity and all their works are an uncleanness and an abomination, and all their ways are pollution, uncleanness and destruction. 18. Behold the land will be destroyed on account of all their works, and there will be no seed of the vine, and no oil; for their works are altogether faithless, and they will all perish together, beasts and cattle and birds, and all the fish of the sea, on account of the children of men. 19. And they will strive one with another, the young with the old, and the old with the young, the poor with the rich, and the lowly with the great, and the beggar with the prince, on account of the law and the covenant; for they have forgotten commandment, and covenant, and feasts, and new moons, and Sabbaths, and jubilees, and all judgments. 20. And they will stand (with bows and) swords and war to turn them back into the way; but they will not return until much blood hath been shed on the land, one by another. 21. And those who have escaped will not return from their wickedness to the way of righteousness, but they will all exalt themselves to deceit and wealth, that they may each take all that is his neighbour’s, and they will name the great name, but not in truth and not in righteousness, and they will defile the holy of holies with their uncleanness and the corruption of their pollution. 22. And a great punishment will befall the deeds of this generation from the Lord, and He will give them over to the sword and to judgment and to captivity, and to be plundered and devoured. 23. And He will wake up against them the sinners of the Nations, who have neither mercy nor compassion, and who will respect the person of none, neither old nor young, nor any one, for they are more wicked and strong to do evil than all the children of men. And they will use violence against Israel and transgression against Jacob, And much blood will be shed upon the land, And there will be none to gather and none to bury. 24. In those days they will cry aloud, And call and pray that they may be saved from the hand of the sinners, the Nations; But none will be saved. 25. And the heads of the children will be white with grey hair, 3 And a child of three weeks will appear old like a man of one hundred years, And their stature will be destroyed by tribulation and oppression. 26. And in those days the children will begin to study the laws, And to seek the commandments, And to return to the path of righteousness. 27. And the days will begin to grow many and increase amongst those children of men, Till their days draw nigh to one thousand years, And to a greater number of years than (before) was the number of the days. 28. And there will be no bearded man Nor one who is not satisfied with his days, For all will be (as) children and youths. 29. And all their days they will complete and live in peace and in joy, And there will be no Satan nor any evil destroyer; For all their days will be days of blessing and healing, 30. And at that time the Lord will heal His servants, And they will rise up and see great peace, And drive out their adversaries. And the righteous will see and be thankful, And rejoice with joy for ever and ever, And will see all their judgments and all their curses on their enemies. 31. And their bones will rest in the land, And their spirits will have much joy, And they will know that it is the Lord who executeth judgment, And showeth mercy to hundreds and thousands and to all that love Him. 32. And do thou, Moses, write down these words; for thus are they written, and they record (them) on the heavenly tables for a witness for the generations for ever.

3:1 Observe and see how (in the winter) all the trees ⌈⌈seem as though they had withered and shed all their leaves, except fourteen trees, which do not lose their foliage but retain the old foliage from two to three years till the new comes.

Numerous small fragments representing the Aramaic Testament of Levi from Cave 4 all date to the mid-first century B.C. Part of the Testament of Levi involves Levi being taken to the heavens and promised the priesthood forever, and then seven angels physically give him the insignia of the priesthood (as described in Exodus). This part parallels the beginning and end of a vision in the Aramaic Levi Document, whence the body of the vision is now lost; and is thought to preserve that part of the text.

… [And] I [instruct you, my sons, and I will show to you, my loved ones, the truth.] The chief of all your deeds will be [truth, and it will be with you for ever.] Righteousness and truth … you will bring in a blessed harvest. He who sows good will bring in good, and he who sows evil, his sowing will turn against him. And now teach your sons letters, doctrine and wisdom, and wisdom will be with you for everlasting honour. He who studies wisdom will be honoured, but he who despises wisdom will be turned into scorn and disdain. My sons, look at Joseph, my brother, who has studied letters and wise doctrine for glory and greatness and for kings … Do not be remiss in the study of wisdom … Everyone who studies wisdom … To every land and province to which he goes as a brother … and he is not like a stranger, nor as a … all will grant him honour on its account because all wish to learn wisdom. Those who love him are many and His well-wishers are great in number. They will make him sit on a throne of honour to hear his words of wisdom. Wisdom is great wealth of honour for those who know it, and a good treasure for those who buy it. If powerful kings come and a big crowd [and horsemen and many chariots will be with them, they will carry away the wealth of a country and of a province, and plunder everything in them, they will not plunder the treasuries of wisdom, and will not find] …

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Genesis 25:1 – 26:11 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (T)

Composed in Talmudic Israel (c.150 – c.250 AD). Targum Pseudo-Jonathan is a western targum (translation) of the Torah (Pentateuch) from the land of Israel (as opposed to the eastern Babylonian Targum Onkelos). Its correct title was originally Targum Yerushalmi (Jerusalem Targum), which is how it was known in medieval times. But because of a printer’s mistake it was later labeled Targum Jonathan, in reference to Jonathan ben Uzziel. Some editions of the Pentateuch continue to call it Targum Jonathan to this day. Most scholars refer to the text as Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. This targum is more than a mere translation. It includes much Aggadic material collected from various sources as late as the Midrash Rabbah as well as earlier material from the Talmud. It is effectively a combination of a commentary and a translation. In the portions where it is pure translation, it often agrees with the Targum Onkelos. The date of its composition is disputed. It cannot have been completed before the Arabic conquest as it refers to Mohammad’s wife Fatimah, but might have been initially composed in the 4th Century AD. However, some scholars date it in the 14th Century.

Chapter 25 And Abraham added and took a wife, and her name was Keturah; she is Hagar, who had been bound to him from the beginning. [JERUSALEM. She is Hagar, who had been tied to him from the beginning.] And she bare to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midyan, and Yishbak, and Shovack. And Jokshan begat Sheva and Dedan; and the sons of Dedan were merchants, and negotiators, and chiefs of peoples. [JERUSALEM. Merchants, and artificers, and chiefs of peoples.] And the sons of Midyan, Eipher, and Ephher, and Honok, and Abida, and Aldaah, all these were the sons of Keturah. And Abrahm gave the gift of all he had to Izhak. And to the sons of the concubines of Abraham gave Abraham riches and moveable property as gifts, and sent them away from Izhak his son while he (yet) lived; and they went and dwelt eastward in the land of the orient.

And this is the number of the days of the life of Abraham, who lived a hundred and seventy and five years. And Abraham expired, and died in a good old age, aged and satisfied with all good. (Also Ishmael wrought repentance in his days, and afterwards was gathered to his people.) And Izhak and Ishmael his sons buried him in the double cavern, at the field of Ephran bar Zochar, the Hittite, which is before Mamre; the field that Abraham purchased of the sons of Hittah: there was Abraham buried and Sarah his wife.

And because Abraham had not designed to bless Ishmael, therefore he blessed not Izhak; for had he blessed Izhak and not Ishmael, it would have kept them in enmity. But, after the death of Abraham, the Lord blessed Izhak; and Izhak dwelt near the well at which was revealed the glory of the Living and Eternal One, who seeth and is not seen.

And these are the generations of Ishmael bar Abraham, whom Hagar the Mizreitha, the handmaid of Sarah, bare unto Abraham. And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their names, according to their generations. The firstborn of Ishmael, Neboi, and Arab, and Abdeel, and Mibsham,–Hearing, Silence, Patience, and Sharpness: and Tema, Yetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these their names in their villages, and in their fenced dwellings, twelve chiefs of their peoples. And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he was coverted in repentance, and expired, and was gathered to his people. And they dwelt from Hindiki unto Chalutsa, which is in face of Mizraim from going up to Athur. Before the face of all his brethren he dwelt in his possession. [JERUSALEM. In their villages, and in their fenced dwellings (or encampments). Twelve chiefs of their peoples. And they dwelt from Hindekaia unto Chalutsa, which is by the side of Mizraim, from thy going up towards Arthur. Before all his brethren he dwelt.]

These are the generations of Izhak bar Abraham. And because the appearance of Izhak resembled the appearance of Abraham, the sons of men said, In truth Abraham begat Izhak. And Izhak was the son of forty years when he took Rivekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramite, who was of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramite, unto him for a wife. And Izhak went to the mountain of worship, the place where his father had bound him. And Izhak in his prayer turned the attention of the Holy One, blessed be He! from that which He had decreed concerning him who had been childless. And he was enlarged, and Rivekah his wife was with child. And the children pressed in her womb as men doing battle. And she said, If this is the anguish of a mother, what then are children to me? And she went into the school of Shem Rabba to supplicate mercy before the Lord. [JERUSALEM. And the children pressed in her womb, and she said, If such be the anguish of a mother, what now is life, that children are to be mine? And she went to supplicate mercy before the Lord in the beth midrash of Shem Rabba.] And the Lord said to her, Two peoples are in thy womb, and two reigns from thy womb will be separated; and one reign will be stronger than the other, and the elder will serve the younger, if the children of the younger will guard the commandments of the Law.

And the two hundred and seventy days of her being with child were completed to bring forth; and, behold, twins were in her womb. And the first came forth wholly red, as a garment of hair: and they called his name Esau, because he was born altogether complete, with the hair of the head, and the beard, and teeth, and grinders. [JERUSALEM. And the first came forth wholly red, as a garment of hair: and they called his name Esau.] Afterward came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on the heel of Esau. And they called his name Jakob (Yaakov). And Izhak was a son of sixty years when he beget them.

And the lads grew; and Esau was a man of idleness to catch birds and beasts, a man going forth into the field to kill lives, as Nimrod had killed, and Hanok his son. But Jakob was a man peaceful in his words, a minister of the instruction-house of Eber, seeking instruction before the Lord. And Izhak loved Esau, for words of deceit were in his mouth; but Rivekah loved Jakob.

On the day that Abraham died, Jakob dressed pottage of lentils, and was going to comfort his father. And Esau came from the wilderness, exhausted; for in that day he had committed five transgressions: he had worshipped with strange worship, he had shed innocent blood, he had gone in unto a betrothed damsel, he had denied the life of the world to come, and had despised the birthright. And Esau said to Jakob, Let me now taste that red pottage, for I am faint,–therefore he called his name Edom. And Jakob said, Sell to-day, as (on this very) day, what thou wouldst hereafter appropriate, thy birthright, unto me. And Esau said, Behold, I am going to die, and in another world I will have no life; and what then to me is the birthright, or the portion in the world of which thou speakest? And Jakob said, Swear to me to-day that so it will be. And he sware to him, and sold his birthright to Jakob. And Jakob gave to Esau bread and pottage for lentils. And he ate and drank, and arose and went. And Esau scorned the birthright, and the portion of the world that commeth. [JERUSALEM. And he arose, and went. And Esau despised the birthright, and vilified the portion in the world that cometh, and denied the resurrection of the dead.]

Chapter 26 And there was a mighty famine in the land of Kenaan, besides the former famine which had been in the days of Abraham; and Izhak went to Abimelek king of the Philistaee at Gerar. It had been in Izhak’s heart to go down to Mizraim; but the Lord appeared to him, and said, Go not down to Mizraim; dwell in the land as I have told thee; sojourn in the land, and My Word will be for thy help, and I will bless thee; for to the end to thy sons will I give all these lands, and I will establish the covenant which I have covenanted with Abraham thy father. And I will multiply thy sons as the stars of the heavens, and will give to thy sons all these lands, and through thy sons will all the nations of the earth be blessed; on account that Abraham obeyed My word, and kept the keeping of My word, My statutes, My covenants, and My laws. And Izhak dwelt in Gerar. And the man of the place inquired concerning his wife; and he said, She is my sister: for he reasoned in his heart, Lest the men of the place should kill me for Rivekah, because she was of beautiful appearance. And it was when days had increased to him in abiding there, that Abimelek the king of the Philistaee looked from a window, and beheld, and Izhak was disporting with Rivekah his wife. [JERUSALEM. And he looked.] And Abimelek called Izhak, and said, Nevertheless she is thy wife; and why hast thou said, She is my sister? And Izhak answered him, Because I said in my heart, Lest they kill me on her account. And Abimelek said, Why hast thou done this to us? It might have been that the king, who is the principal of the people, had lain with thy wife, and thou wouldst have brought guilt upon us. [JERUSALEM. And Abimelek said to him, What is this that thou hast done to us? Very possibly might one of the young men have lain with thy wife, and there would have been great guilt brought upon us.]

And Abimelek instructed all the people, Whoever will go near to injure this man or his wife, will verily be put to death.

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Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 AD in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jewish law and studied with the Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Essenes, eventually aligning himself with the Pharisees. In 62 AD he went to Rome to free some imprisoned priests. After accomplishing this mission through the intercession of Nero’s wife, Poppaea, he returned to Jerusalem in 65 AD to find the country in revolt against Rome. Josephus shrewdly reinterpreted the Messianic prophecies. He predicted that Vespasian would become the ruler of the ‘entire world’. His prophecy became true in 68 AD when Nero committed suicide and Vespasian became Ceasar. As a result, Josephus was freed; he moved to Rome and became a Roman citizen, taking the Vespasian family name Flavius. Vespasian commissioned Josephus to write a history of the war, which he finished in 78 AD, the Jewish War. His second major work, the Antiquities of the Jews, was completed in 93 AD. The extant manuscripts of the book Antiquities of the Jews contain two references to Yeshua of Nazareth (18.3.3. and 20.9.1.) and one reference to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist (18.5.2.).

1.16.3. …Accordingly Isaac married her, the inheritance being now come to him; for the children by Keturah were gone to their own remote habitations.

1.17.1. A little while after this Abraham died. He was a man of incomparable virtue, and honored by Elohim in a manner agreeable to his piety towards him. The whole time of his life was one hundred seventy and five years, and he was buried in Hebron, with his wife Sarah, by their sons Isaac and Ismael.

1.18.1. Now Isaac’s wife proved with child, after the death of Abraham; and when her belly was greatly burdened, Isaac was very anxious, and inquired of God; who answered, that Rebeka should bear twins; and that two nations should take the names of those sons; and that he who appeared the second should excel the elder. Accordingly she, in a little time, as Elohim had foretold, bare twins; the elder of whom, from his head to his feet, was very rough and hairy; but the younger took hold of his heel as they were in the birth. Now the father loved the elder, who was called Esau, a name agreeable to his roughness, for the Hebrews call such a hairy roughness [Esau, or] Seir; but Jacob the younger was best beloved by his mother. 2. When there was a famine in the land, Isaac resolved to go into Egypt, the land there being good; but he went to Gerar, as Elohim commanded him. Here Abimelech the king received him, because Abraham had formerly lived with him, and had been his friend.

12.4.10. At this time Seleucus, who was called Soter, reigned over Asia, being the son of Antiochus the Great. And [now] Hyrcanus’s father, Joseph, died. He was a good man, and of great magnanimity; and brought the Jews out of a state of poverty and meanness, to one that was more splendid. He retained the farm of the taxes of Syria, and Phoenicia, and Samaria twenty-two years. His uncle also, Onias, died [about this time], and left the high priesthood to his son Shimon. And when he was dead, Onias his son succeeded him in that dignity. To him it was that Areus, king of the Lacedemonians, sent an embassage, with an epistle; the copy whereof here follows:

“Areus, King Of The Lacedemonians, To Onias, Sendeth Greeting.”

“We have met with a certain writing, whereby we have discovered that both the Jews and the Lacedemonians are of one stock, and are derived from the kindred of Abraham 14 It is but just therefore that you, who are our brethren, should send to us about any of your concerns as you please. We will also do the same thing, and esteem your concerns as our own, and will look upon our concerns as in common with yours. Demoteles, who brings you this letter, will bring your answer back to us. This letter is four-square; and the seal is an eagle, with a dragon in his claws.”

Footnote: Whence it comes that these Lacedemonians declare themselves here to be of kin to the Jews, as derived from the same ancestor, Abraham, I cannot tell, unless, as Grotius supposes, they were derived from Dores, that came of the Pelasgi. These are by Herodotus called Barbarians, and perhaps were derived from the Syrians and Arabians, the posterity of Abraham by Keturah.