Book of Jubilees turns to Noah at the Temple.
Then, a few months later, on the new moon of the first month, something even more profound happened: "the earth became visible." The waters were receding. We find this echoed in (Genesis 8:13), which also notes the revealing of the earth's surface. But Jubilees provides that extra layer of chronological detail.
The timeline gets even more specific. In the fifth week of the seventh year – – the verse says "the waters disappeared from above the earth." And on the seventeenth day of the second month, the earth was finally, completely dry.
What followed next? Noah didn't rush. He waited. Waited until the twenty-seventh of the month. That's when "he opened the ark, and sent forth from it beasts, and cattle, and birds, and every moving thing." scene. The unleashing of life back onto the planet. The air filled with the sounds of animals, the ground teeming with creatures. A new beginning for all living things.
Finally, on the new moon of the third month, Noah himself emerged from the ark. And his very first act? He "built an altar on that mountain." An offering of gratitude. A recognition of the divine hand that guided them through the storm.
Jubilees gives us more than just dates; it gives us a sense of the emotional weight of these events. The anticipation, the gradual revealing of the world, and ultimately, the act of thanksgiving.
It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What altars are we building in our own lives? What acts of gratitude are we offering after weathering our own storms? The story of Noah isn't just a tale of survival, but a reminder of the importance of recognizing and appreciating the new beginnings in our lives.