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In Luke, Jesus describes heavenly books that record human deeds, a tradition found in the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East. Jubilees also follows this tradition and describes how Levi’s actions are written on the heavenly tablets.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Jubilees 30:19
Pseudepigrapha, Hebrew Bible Expansions
18 And the descendants of Levi were chosen for the priesthood, and to be Levites, so that they might serve before the Lord, as we, continually, and that Levi and his sons may be blessed forever; for he was zealous to execute righteousness and judgment and vengeance on all those who rose against Israel. 19 And so they inscribe as a testimony in his favor on the heavenly tablets blessing and righteousness before the God of all: 20 And we remember the righteousness which the man fulfilled during his life, at all periods of the year; until a thousand generations they will record it, and it will come to him and to his descendants after him, and he has been recorded on the heavenly tablets as a friend and a righteous man.
Date: 170–125 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Luke 10:20
New Testament
18 So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.” 21 On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. 22 All things have been given to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.”
Date: 75–85 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The gods in Mesopotamia were considered the determiners of destiny, and they wrote their decisions on 'tablets of destiny' (tuppi simati). Nabu, the divine scribe, was in possession of these records, and kings frequently offered their prayers to him ... Such records of divine scribal activity are also alluded to several times in the Bible ... Citations for this belief in post-biblical literature are also found in the Pseudepigrapha, the Apocalypse of Zephania, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament, and in Talmudic literature ..."
Shalom M. Paul, “Heavenly Tablets and the Book of Life,” JANES 5 (1973): 345–354.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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