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Pseudo Jonathan Genesis

About this book
Chapter 5

1 This is the record of the genealogical line of Adam. On the day that the Lord created Adam, in the likeness of the Lord he made him. 2 Male and female he created them. He blessed them in the name of his Memra, and called their name Adam on the day they were created. 3 When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he begot Seth, who resembled his image and likeness. For before that, Eve had borne Cain, who was not from him and who did not resemble him. Abel was killed by Cain, and Cain was banished, and his descendants are not recorded in the book of the genealogy of Adam. But afterward, he begot one who resembled him and he called his name Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred. 5 ... 6 ... 7 ... and seven years, and he begot sons and daughters. 8 All the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died. 9 Enosh lived ninety years and begot Kenan. 10 After he had begotten Kenan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and he begot sons and daughters. 11 All the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died. 12 Kenan lived seventy years and begot Mahalalel. 13 After he had begotten Mahalalel, Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years, and he begot sons and daughters. 14 All the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died. 15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years and begot Jared. 16 After he had begotten Jared, Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years, and he begot sons and daughters. 17 All the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died. 18 Jared lived a hundred and sixty-two years, and he begot Enoch. 19 After he had begotten Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters. 20 All the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died. 21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and he begot Methuselah. 22 Enoch worshiped in truth before the Lord after he had begotten Methuselah three hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters. 23 All the days of Enoch with the inhabitants of the earth were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 Enoch worshiped in truth before the Lord, and behold, he was not with the inhabitants of the earth because he was taken away and he ascended to the firmament at the command of the Lord, and he was called Metatron, the Great Scribe.⁠ 25 Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, and he begot Lamech. 26 After he had begotten Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and he begot sons and daughters. 27 All the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died. 28 Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years, and he begot a son. 29 And he called him Noah, saying, 'Out of the ground which the Lord has cursed because of the sins of the children of men, this one will bring us relief from our work which does not succeed, and from the toil of our hands.' 30 After he had begotten Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and he begot sons and daughters. 31 All the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died. 32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Texts in conversation

Compare Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24 and 3 Enoch 4:5

Targum · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

The Aramaic translation of Genesis in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan describes Enoch becoming the heavenly scribe Metatron. In 3 Enoch, God appoints Metatron over heaven's rulers, expanding his authority in this Enochic tradition.

Passages

Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24

Targum
21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and he begot Methuselah. 22 Enoch worshiped in truth before the Lord after he had begotten Methuselah three hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters. 23 All the days of Enoch with the inhabitants of the earth were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 Enoch worshiped in truth before the Lord, and behold, he was not with the inhabitants of the earth because he was taken away and he ascended to the firmament at the command of the Lord, and he was called Metatron, the Great Scribe. 25 Methuselah lived a hundred and eighty-seven years, and he begot Lamech.
300–1200 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Pseudo Jonathan Genesis

3 Enoch 4:5

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Hebrew Book of Enoch
5 Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, lifted me up in their lifetime before their eyes to be a witness against them to the future world. And the Holy One, blessed be He, assigned me for a prince and a ruler among the ministering angels. 6 In that hour three of the ministering angels, 'UZZA, 'AZZA and 'AZZAEL came forth and brought charges against me in the high heavens, saying before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Said not the Ancient Ones (First Ones) rightly before You: 'Do not create man!'" The Holy One, blessed be He, answered and said to them: "I have made and I will bear, yes, I will carry and will deliver". (Is. xlvi. 4.)
400–600 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 3 Enoch

References

“... The identification of Enoch with Metatron in both Pseudo-Yonatan and 3 Enoch tends to blur the differences which do exist between these two works. The most notable feature is that 3 Enoch nowhere describes Enoch/Metatron as the heavenly scribe. Indeed, this function is fulfilled by others (18:23–25; 26:1; 27:2; 33:2, Schäfer, Synopse § 859–65, 908, 909, 916). If we compare the picture of Metatron in the story of his confrontation with Elisha b. Avuya in 3 En 16 (Schäfer, Synopse § 856) with the related passage in the Babylonian Talmud (bHag 15a), we find that in the former Metatron is a judge in the heavenly court, whereas in the latter Metatron merely appears as a scribe who has been permitted to write down the merits of Israel (similar to Abel’s role in Recension A of the Testament of Abraham). So in fact the description of Metatron as the great scribe in Pseudo-Yonatan stands much closer to the view in b.Hag, where Metatron is not given anything like the power that he receives in 3 Enoch. ...”
Christopher Rowland and Christopher R. A. Morray-Jones, The Mystery of God: Early Jewish Mysticism and the New Testament (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 44.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24 and 3 Enoch 4:5

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