Today, let's talk about the number seventy. Specifically, the seventy souls of Jacob’s family who went down to Egypt. It's a seemingly simple statement, isn’t it? "And all the souls of Jacob which went into Egypt were seventy souls." But hidden within that verse, as recounted in the Book of Jubilees, lies a story of loss, lineage, and a subtle connection to the world beyond Israel.
The Book of Jubilees, an ancient Jewish text of the Second Temple period, retells the stories of Genesis and Exodus, often adding details and interpretations that aren't found in the biblical text itself. It's like getting the director's cut of a beloved film, with extra scenes and behind-the-scenes insights.
So, what does Jubilees 45 tell us? It confirms that seventy souls descended into Egypt with Jacob, later known as Israel. These were "his children and his children's children, in all seventy." A good, round, biblically significant number. But here's where it gets interesting. The text adds a little twist, a note of sadness. It tells us that five members of Jacob’s family died in Egypt before Joseph, and crucially, they "had no children." These weren't just numbers on a list; they were individuals whose lives were cut short, whose potential lineage was never realized.
And the Book of Jubilees doesn't stop there. It also reminds us that back in Canaan, two of Judah’s sons, Er and Onan, also died without offspring. This detail, found in Genesis 38, emphasizes the importance of procreation in ancient Israelite society. To die childless was a tragedy, a break in the chain of generations.
But here’s the really intriguing part: "and the children of Israel buried those who perished, and they were reckoned among the seventy Gentile nations." What does this mean? It's a bit cryptic, isn’t it? On the surface it seems to be just saying that those who died were buried by the Israelites. But why the reference to the seventy Gentile nations?
Some understand this to mean that these deceased individuals, though part of Israel, were in some way "counted among" or "associated with" the seventy nations of the world. Perhaps their untimely deaths and lack of descendants placed them in a different category, separate from the continuing lineage of Israel. It's a subtle suggestion of a connection between individual fate and the larger tapestry of humanity. It almost suggests that even within the chosen people, there are echoes of the wider world, a reminder that they are not entirely separate from the fate of all nations.
Finally, the passage grounds this pivotal moment in time: "And Israel went into the country of Egypt, into the land of Goshen, on the new moon of the fourth month, in the second year of the third week of the forty-fifth jubilee." The Book of Jubilees is obsessed with precise dating according to its own unique calendar system. This detail underscores the text's concern with placing events within a specific historical and theological framework. It’s like saying, "This isn't just a story; this really happened, at this very specific point in time."
So, what can we take away from this brief passage in the Book of Jubilees? It's more than just a headcount of Jacob’s family. It's a reminder of the fragility of life, the importance of lineage, and the interconnectedness of Israel with the rest of the world. It's a reminder that even in moments of great historical significance, like the descent into Egypt, there are individual stories of loss and unfulfilled potential. And perhaps, it's a reminder that we are all, in some way, connected to the larger story of humanity.