The Book of Jubilees

The Book of Jubilees is a book by R. H. Charles, first published in 1902. Also known as the "Lesser Genesis," this ancient Jewish text offers a retelling and chronological reordering of the events of Genesis and Exodus, structured around periods of forty-nine years or "jubilees." Believed to have been written in the second century BCE, the book emphasizes themes of divine law, covenant, and angelic mediation. R. H. Charles' translation brought this once-obscure work to wider scholarly attention, helping to place it within the broader tradition of apocalyptic literature. While not part of the standard biblical canon in most traditions, it holds particular significance within Ethiopian Christianity and has been influential in understanding the development of early Jewish thought and the milieu from which Christian eschatology emerged.