The Book of Jubilees Exclusion from the Biblical Canon

The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish religious work, is not included in the biblical canon of most Christian traditions or in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). The exclusion of Jubilees from the canon reflects differing criteria for canonicity and historical developments within both Jewish and Christian communities.

For many Protestant traditions, the determination of the Old Testament canon relies on identifying which books were considered authoritative by Christ and the Apostles ^[1]. Charles Hodge, in his Systematic Theology, argues that when Christ and the Apostles refer to "the Scriptures" or "the law and the prophets," they are sanctioning the divine authority of all the books contained in the volume then recognized as such ^[1]. This perspective generally aligns with the Hebrew canon, which does not include Jubilees.

The Book of Jubilees presents a retelling of Genesis and part of Exodus, often expanding on narratives and introducing new legal material. It is sometimes referred to as "Little Genesis" due to its content ^[6]. The book dates events by "jubilees" of 49 years, a concept rooted in the biblical Jubilee year described in Leviticus 25:8-55 ^{[5, 10]}. The Jubilee year, a fiftieth year of rest and liberty, is a significant theme in the Pentateuch, involving the freeing of slaves and the return of land to its original owners ^[2].

In Jewish tradition, the canon of the Tanakh was largely settled by the rabbinic period. While some Jewish texts, like the Babylonian Talmud, discuss the intricacies of the Jubilee year and related laws ^[2], they do not cite Jubilees as an authoritative text. Rationalist Jewish commentators like Abraham Ibn Ezra focus on the plain sense of the biblical text when interpreting passages related to the census or the exclusion of certain groups from entering the land of Canaan, without reference to extra-canonical works like Jubilees ^[3]. Similarly, Nachmanides (Ramban), a Kabbalistic and philosophical commentator, interprets the census details in Numbers 26:64 based on the age criteria specified in Leviticus 27:3, not drawing from Jubilees ^[9].

The early Christian church also grappled with the extent of the Old Testament canon. Augustine, in City of God, discusses the ecclesiastical canon and the exclusion of certain ancient writings, noting that some texts were not admitted "lest through them false things should be inserted instead of true" ^[6]. He mentions Enoch as a prophet whose ark was a prophecy of his times, but does not endorse the Book of Enoch (or Jubilees) as canonical, despite the canonical Epistle of Jude referencing Enoch ^[6]. This suggests an early awareness of extra-canonical works and a deliberate process of discernment.

The Reformed tradition, as exemplified by John Calvin, emphasizes the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit as the ultimate assurance of the Scriptures' authority, rather than relying solely on the church's decree ^[4]. Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion focuses on the canonical books as the source of doctrine, such as election and the forgiveness of sins, without incorporating texts like Jubilees ^{[4, 11]}. Similarly, commentators like Matthew Henry and John Gill, representing Nonconformist/Puritan and Baptist/Reformed perspectives respectively, interpret biblical passages like Numbers 26:63 or Deuteronomy 23:2 within the framework of the established Hebrew canon ^{[7, 8]}.

The Book of Jubilees is considered pseudepigraphal by most Christian denominations, meaning it is falsely attributed to an ancient author (Moses, in this case). While it provides valuable insight into Second Temple Judaism and the beliefs of some Jewish groups during that period, its theological content and historical claims were not universally accepted as divinely inspired. Its exclusion from the canon reflects a consensus among both Jewish and most Christian traditions that it does not meet the criteria for authoritative scripture.

Sources

CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 40: Word of God. When we refer to the Bible as 153 of divine authority, we refer to it as a volume and recognize all the writings which it contains as given by the inspiration of the Spirit. In like manner when Christ or his Apostles quote the “Scriptures,” or the “law and the prophets,” and speak of the volume then so called, they give their sanction to the divine authority of all the books which that volume contained. All, therefore, that is necessary to determine for Christians the canon of the Old Testament, is to ascertain what books wer”
Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 9b.7: The Gemara asks: Granted, this is clear according to Rabbi Yosei, as he has stated his reasoning. But according to Rabbi Yehuda, what is the reason that the indispensable criterion for the Jubilee Year is sending free the slaves? The Gemara explains: The verse states: “And you shall proclaim liberty [ deror ] throughout all the land to all its inhabitants,” and immediately afterward it says: “It shall be a Jubilee for you.” And Rabbi Yehuda holds that a verse may be expounded in reference to the immediately preceding clause, but not in reference to the cl”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Numbers 14:24: BUT MY SERVANT CALEB. Caleb alone 38 Joshua, the kohanim , and Levites are not mentioned in this verse even though they entered the land. is mentioned because he stilled the people (Num. 13:30). The Levites and the kohanim are not included in the oath, 39 Mentioned in verses 21-23. for no prince from among them went to spy out the land. Furthermore, Scripture states, all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number (v. 29). 40 Scripture explicitly states that God’s decree was limited to those who were numbered. Since the kohanim and the Levites w”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 77: to the secret counsel of God, are excluded by the use of the terms purpose and election . 5. Why should men attempt to darken these statements by assigning some place in election to past or future works? This is altogether to evade what the Apostle contends for—viz. that the distinction between the brothers is not founded on any ground of works, but on 2217 the mere calling of God, inasmuch as it was fixed before the children were born. Had there been any solidity in this subtlety, it would not have escaped the notice of the Apostl”
Leviticus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Leviticus 27:21: 27:21 Year of Jubilee: See 25:8-55. • specially set apart: An acceptable vow devoting something to the Lord made it holy; it could not be redeemed.”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP.38.--THAT THE ECCLESIASTICAL CANON HAS NOT ADMITTED CERTAIN WRITINGS ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR TOO GREAT ANTIQUITY, LEST THROUGH THEM FALSE THINGS SHOULD BE INSERTED INSTEAD OF TRUE. (part 1): If I may recall far more ancient times, our patriarch Noah was certainly even before that great deluge, and I might not undeservedly call him a prophet, forasmuch as the ark he made, in which he escaped with his family, was itself a prophecy of our times.(2) What of Enoch, the seventh from Adam? Does not the canonical epistle of the Apostle Jude d”
Numbers (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Numbers 26:63: That which is observable in this conclusion of the account is the execution of the sentence passed upon the murmurers (Num 14:29), that not one of those who were numbered from twenty years old and upwards (and that the Levites were not, but either from a month old or from thirty years old to fifty) should enter Canaan, except Caleb and Joshua. In the muster now made particular directions, no doubt, were given to those of each tribe that were employed in taking the account, to compare these rolls with the former, and to observe whether there were any now left of ”
Deuteronomy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Deuteronomy 23:2: A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord,.... That is born of whoredom, as the Targum of Jonathan; and for the sake of avoiding whoredom and deterring from it was this law made, according to Maimonides (h), that adulterers might see, as he observes, that they affect their whole family with an irreparable stain, should they commit such an infamous action; though the Jews commonly interpret it of one that is born of any of those incestuous copulations forbidden in Lev 18:1 which they gather from this following upon, and being near unto one of tho”
Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Numbers 26:64: BUT AMONG THESE THERE WAS NOT A MAN OF THEM THAT WERE NUMBERED BY MOSES AND AARON THE PRIEST. For Joshua and Caleb [who were amongst those who were numbered at the first census] were not [included] now in this census, because they were over sixty years old, and the census was only of [people] aged between twenty and sixty, which [years] are the principal ones of a man’s life, similar to that which is stated in [the law of] Valuations, 156 Leviticus 27:3. and it is then [in those years] that he goes forth to war in Israel , 157 Above, Verse 2. and not afte”
Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 25:11: A JUBILEE SHALL THAT FIFTIETH YEAR BE. Since it is the year of Jubilee you shall not sow.”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 59: to them that are bound;” “to comfort all that mourn.” 336 336 Mt. 11:28 ; Is. 59:1 ; Luke 4:18 . 537 Hence the Pharisees were excluded, because, full of their own righteousness, they acknowledged not their own poverty; and despisers, because, regardless of the divine anger, they sought no remedy for their wickedness. Such persons neither labour nor are heavy laden, are not broken-hearted, bound, nor in prison. But there is a great difference between teaching that forgiveness of sins is merited by a full and complete contrition (whi”

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