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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.

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Compare Genesis 5:24 and Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24

Hebrew Bible · Targum

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Summary

Genesis 5 says that Enoch walked with God and then God took him, giving no explanation. The Aramaic translation in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan expands this with a midrash that identifies Enoch as the angel Metatron, describing his ascent to the firmament.

Passages

Genesis 5:24

Hebrew Bible
22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared because God took him away. 25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived 782 years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Genesis

Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24

Targum
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

References

"... And yet some targumic traditions bear out the resemblance between angels and the righteous. According to Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis 28:12, the angels on high have relations with the angels down below (when they speak about the image of the pious Jacob, engraved upon the throne of glory). Both the "myriads of holy angels" and the Israelites are called "holy ones" in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Deuteronomy 33:2, but even in Targum Onkelos: "and with him were myriads of holy ones ... yea, he loved them, the tribes; all his holy ones, the house of Israel." This description is not coincidental, as may be inferred from Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Numbers 25:12 where Enoch ascended to the firmament and was called Metatron the Great Scholar according to Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Genesis 5:24, a statement mitigated or flatly denied in other Targums ..."
Willem F. Smelik, “On Mystical Transformation of the Righteous into Light in Judaism,” JSJ 26 (1995): 122–144.

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Genesis 5:24 and Pseudo Jonathan Genesis 5:24

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