The Book of Jubilees
From The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament
by R.H. Charles, Oxford: Clarendon Press,
1913.
Scanned and Edited by Joshua Williams, Northwest Nazarene
College.
Chapter 46
Prosperity of Israel in Egypt, 1-2. Death of Joseph, 3-5. War between Egypt
and Canaan during which the bones of all the sons of Jacob except Joseph are buried
at Hebron, 6-11. Egypt oppresses Israel, 12-16. (Cf. Gen. l.22, 25-6; Exod. i.6-14.)
And it came to pass that after Jacob died the children of Israel multiplied
in the land of Egypt, and they became a great nation, and they were of one accord
in heart, so that brother loved brother and every man helped his brother, and
they increased abundantly and multiplied exceedingly, ten (2242 AM) weeks
of years, all the days of the life of Joseph.
And there was no Satan nor any evil all the days of the life of Joseph which
he lived after his father Jacob, for all the Egyptians honoured the children
of Israel all the days of the life of Joseph.
And Joseph died being a hundred and ten years old; seventeen years he lived
in the land of Canaan, and ten years he was a servant, and three years in prison,
and eighty years he was under the king, ruling all the land of Egypt.
And he died and all his brethren and all that generation.
And he commanded the children of Israel before he died that they should
carry his bones with them when they went forth from the land of Egypt.
And he made them swear regarding his bones, for he knew that the Egyptians
would not again bring forth and bury him in the land of Canaan, for Makamaron,
king of Canaan, while dwelling in the land of Assyria, fought in the valley
with the king of Egypt and slew him there, and pursued after the Egyptians to
the gates of 'Ermon.
But he was not able to enter, for another, a new king, had become king of
Egypt, and he was stronger than he, and he returned to the land of Canaan, and
the gates of Egypt were closed, and none went out and none came into Egypt.
And Joseph died in the forty-sixth jubilee, in the sixth week, in the second
year, and they buried him in the land of Egypt, and (2242 AM) all his brethren
died after him.
And the king of Egypt went forth to war with the king of Canaan (2263 AM)
in the forty-seventh jubilee, in the second week in the second year, and the
children of Israel brought forth all the bones of the children of Jacob save
the bones of Joseph, and they buried them in the field in the double cave in
the mountain.
And the most (of them) returned to Egypt, but a few of them remained in
the mountains of Hebron, and Amram thy father remained with them.
And the king of Canaan was victorious over the king of Egypt, and he closed
the gates of Egypt.
And he devised an evil device against the children of Israel of afflicting
them and he said unto the people of Egypt: 'Behold the people of the children
of Israel have increased and multiplied more than we.
Come and let us deal wisely with them before they become too many, and let
us afflict them with slavery before war come upon us and before they too fight
against us; else they will join themselves unto our enemies and get them up
out of our land, for their hearts and faces are towards the land of Canaan.'
And he set over them taskmasters to afflict them with slavery; and they
built strong cities for Pharaoh, Pithom, and Raamses and they built all the
walls and all the fortifications which had fallen in the cities of Egypt.
And they made them serve with rigour, and the more they dealt evilly with
them, the more they increased and multiplied.
And the people of Egypt abominated the children of Israel.
