Catholic Perspective on the Noahide Use of the Book of Jubilees to Support Noahide Laws and Refutation of Their Claims

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Catholic Perspective on the Noahide Use of the Book of Jubilees to Support Noahide Laws and Refutation of Their Claims

The Noahide movement, rooted in Jewish tradition, promotes the Seven Laws of Noah as a universal moral code for non-Jews, purportedly derived from Genesis 9:1-7. To bolster their claim that these laws are explicitly biblical, many Noahides cite the Book of Jubilees, particularly Chapter 7:20-33, as evidence of Noah’s promulgation of a divine legal code resembling their Seven Laws. From a Catholic perspective, this use of Jubilees represents an attempt to insert a Noahide agenda into the Bible, projecting a later rabbinic framework onto an apocryphal text that lacks canonical authority in the Catholic Church. This essay examines how Noahides use Jubilees 7:20-33 to support their claims, highlighting the discrepancies between the text’s list and the traditional Noahide Laws, and offers a Catholic refutation, grounded in scripture, tradition, and theology, to demonstrate that Jubilees does not validate the Noahide Laws as a biblical mandate.

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Noahide Use of Jubilees to Insert Their Agenda into the Bible

The Book of Jubilees, a Jewish apocryphal text from the second century BCE, retells biblical narratives with additional details and interpretations. Noahides point to Jubilees 7:20-33 as evidence that the Noahide Laws are explicitly biblical, claiming that Noah’s instructions to his descendants align with their Seven Laws: prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, murder, sexual immorality, theft, eating flesh from a living animal, and the requirement to establish courts of justice. The relevant passage states:

"And in the twenty-eighth jubilee [1324-1372 A.M.] Noah began to enjoin upon his sons' sons the ordinances and commandments, and all the judgments that he knew, and he exhorted his sons to observe righteousness, and to cover the shame of their flesh, and to bless their Creator, and honour father and mother, and love their neighbour, and guard their souls from fornication and uncleanness and all iniquity. For owing to these three things came the flood upon the earth ... For whoso sheddeth man's blood, and whoso eateth the blood of any flesh, shall all be destroyed from the earth." (Jubilees 7:20-33)

Noahides use this text to advance their agenda in the following ways:

1. Claim of Biblical Authority for Noahide Laws
   • Noahide Position: Noahides argue that Jubilees 7:20-33 confirms the Seven Laws as a divinely ordained code given by Noah to his descendants, thus embedded in biblical tradition. They interpret “ordinances and commandments” as including the Noahide Laws, with specific injunctions like “bless their Creator” (against blasphemy), “guard their souls from fornication” (against sexual immorality), “whoso sheddeth man’s blood” (against murder), and “whoso eateth the blood of any flesh” (against eating flesh from a living animal) as direct parallels to their laws.
   • Supporting Argument: Noahides claim that Jubilees, as an ancient Jewish text, reflects an early understanding of Genesis 9:1-7, predating the Talmud (Sanhedrin 56a-b), where the Seven Laws are formalized. They assert that this passage proves the Noahide Laws are not a later rabbinic invention but a biblical mandate for all humanity.
2. Universal Application to Non-Jews
   • Noahide Position: The passage’s context—Noah instructing his “sons’ sons” (all humanity post-flood)—is seen as evidence that these laws apply universally to non-Jews, distinct from the Mosaic Law given to Israel. Noahides highlight commands like “love their neighbour” and “observe righteousness” as ethical principles akin to establishing courts of justice, reinforcing the Noahide framework.
   • Supporting Argument: Noahides argue that Jubilees’ emphasis on the flood’s cause (“fornication, uncleanness, and all iniquity”) links moral failure to divine judgment, suggesting that adherence to these laws ensures righteousness for Gentiles, as in Genesis 9:6.
3. Insertion into Biblical Narrative
   • Noahide Position: By citing Jubilees, Noahides attempt to insert their Seven Laws into the biblical narrative, claiming that Noah’s teachings in Jubilees 7:20-33 are an elaboration of Genesis 9’s covenant with Noah. They view Jubilees as a clarifying lens, making explicit what is implicit in the canonical text.
   • Supporting Argument: Noahides assert that Jubilees’ authority within Jewish tradition validates its use to interpret Genesis, aligning Noah’s instructions with the Talmudic Noahide Laws and presenting them as God’s eternal plan for non-Jews.
4. Moral Framework Over Christian Sacraments
   • Noahide Position: Noahides use Jubilees to argue that the Noahide Laws are sufficient for Gentile righteousness, negating the need for Christian sacraments like baptism or the Eucharist. They claim that Noah’s universal code, as depicted in Jubilees, is God’s complete revelation for non-Jews, citing Deuteronomy 4:2 (“You shall not add to the word that I command you”).
   • Supporting Argument: The absence of Christian doctrines in Jubilees 7:20-33 is seen as evidence that early biblical tradition prioritized ethical laws over sacramental theology, supporting the Noahide rejection of Jesus as Messiah.

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Catholic Refutation of Noahide Claims

From a Catholic perspective, the Noahide use of Jubilees 7:20-33 to insert their agenda into the Bible is flawed, as it relies on a non-canonical text, misaligns with the content of the passage, and contradicts the fullness of revelation in Christ. The Catholic Church, guided by scripture, tradition, and the Magisterium, refutes these claims, emphasizing that the Noahide Laws are a rabbinic construct, not a biblical mandate, and that Christ fulfills all covenants. Below are refutations of each Noahide point, highlighting the non-identical nature of the lists and the Catholic understanding of salvation.

1. Jubilees Lacks Canonical Authority
   • Noahide Claim: Jubilees 7:20-33 confirms the Noahide Laws as biblical.
   • Catholic Response: The Book of Jubilees is not part of the Catholic canon of scripture, which includes the 46 books of the Old Testament and 27 of the New Testament, as defined by councils like Hippo (393 CE) and Trent (1546). While Jubilees is valued in some Jewish and Christian traditions (e.g., the Ethiopian Orthodox Church), the Catholic Church does not consider it divinely inspired. The CCC (120) affirms that only canonical scriptures are normative for faith. Genesis 9:1-7, the basis for the Noahide Laws, mentions only prohibitions against murder and eating blood (Genesis 9:4-6), not a comprehensive seven-law code. Jubilees’ additions are apocryphal elaborations, not authoritative.
   • Discrepancy in Lists: The commands in Jubilees 7:20-33—“observe righteousness,” “cover the shame of their flesh,” “bless their Creator,” “honour father and mother,” “love their neighbour,” avoid “fornication and uncleanness,” and prohibitions against murder and eating blood—do not match the Seven Noahide Laws exactly. Jubilees omits explicit references to idolatry, theft, and courts of justice, and includes non-Noahide commands like honoring parents and covering nakedness. This non-identical list undermines the claim that Jubilees codifies the Noahide Laws.
   • Conclusion: Jubilees lacks the authority to insert Noahide Laws into the Bible, and its list differs significantly from the rabbinic Seven Laws, weakening the Noahide agenda.
2. Jubilees Does Not Establish Universal Noahide Laws
   • Noahide Claim: Noah’s instructions in Jubilees apply universally to non-Jews.
   • Catholic Response: Jubilees 7:20-33 is a narrative expansion, not a legal code for all humanity. The New Testament teaches that Christ fulfills all covenants, including Noah’s (Hebrews 8:13). The moral principles in Jubilees (e.g., avoiding murder, sexual immorality) reflect natural law, accessible to all through reason (Romans 2:14-15), but are not uniquely Noahide. The Catholic Church teaches that the Old Law, including any universal moral codes, is perfected in Christ (CCC 1965-1968). The Noahide claim projects a later rabbinic framework (Sanhedrin 56b) onto Jubilees, ignoring the text’s broader ethical exhortations, which resemble the Decalogue (e.g., honoring parents, Exodus 20:12) more than a distinct Noahide code.
   • Discrepancy in Lists: The absence of key Noahide Laws like establishing courts or prohibiting theft in Jubilees 7:20-33 shows that the text does not articulate a universal legal system. Commands like “love their neighbour” align with general biblical ethics (Leviticus 19:18), not a specific Noahide framework.
   • Conclusion: Jubilees does not establish a universal Noahide code, and its ethical teachings are fulfilled in Christ, not a standalone Gentile law.
3. Jubilees Is Not a Clarification of Genesis 9
   • Noahide Claim: Jubilees clarifies Genesis 9’s covenant as the Noahide Laws.
   • Catholic Response: Genesis 9:1-7 establishes God’s covenant with Noah, focusing on the sanctity of life (Genesis 9:6) and dietary restrictions (Genesis 9:4), without mentioning a seven-law code. Jubilees’ additions are interpretive, reflecting Second Temple Jewish concerns, not divine revelation. The Catholic exegesis of Genesis 9, guided by the Church Fathers (e.g., St. Augustine, City of God 16.11), sees Noah’s covenant as preparatory for Christ, not a permanent legal system. The Noahide Laws, as formalized in the Talmud, are a rabbinic construct, not explicitly biblical, and Jubilees’ narrative does not bridge this gap.
   • Discrepancy in Lists: The non-identical lists—Jubilees’ broad moral exhortations versus the Talmud’s specific seven laws—show that Jubilees does not directly support the Noahide framework. For example, “cover the shame of their flesh” has no clear parallel in the Noahide Laws, and idolatry is only indirectly implied.
   • Conclusion: Jubilees is an apocryphal expansion, not a biblical clarification, and does not validate the Noahide Laws as Genesis’ intent.
4. Christ Fulfills All Moral Law, Including Noah’s Covenant
   • Noahide Claim: Jubilees’ Noahide Laws suffice for Gentile righteousness, negating Christian sacraments.
   • Catholic Response: The Catholic Church teaches that Jesus Christ fulfills the moral and covenantal aspects of the Old Testament, including Noah’s covenant (CCC 1953). Baptism, instituted by Christ (Matthew 28:19), is necessary for salvation (John 3:5), and the Eucharist fulfills the Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jubilees 7:20-33, even if taken as authoritative, points to moral principles fulfilled in Christ’s teachings (e.g., Matthew 22:37-40, love of God and neighbor). The Noahide rejection of sacraments ignores the New Covenant’s transformative grace (Hebrews 8:8-13), which surpasses any prior legal code. The early Church, as seen in Acts 15, rejected the need for Gentiles to follow Mosaic or Noahide-like laws, emphasizing faith in Christ (Acts 15:11).
   • Discrepancy in Lists: The lack of sacramental or messianic elements in Jubilees 7:20-33 reflects its pre-Christian context, not a rejection of Christian truths. The Noahide Laws’ omission in Jubilees further undermines their claim to sufficiency.
   • Conclusion: The Noahide use of Jubilees to dismiss Christian sacraments is refuted by Christ’s fulfillment of all law, calling all to the New Covenant.

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Conclusion

The Noahide use of Jubilees 7:20-33 to insert their Seven Laws into the Bible represents an attempt to project a rabbinic framework onto a non-canonical text, claiming it confirms a biblical mandate for Gentile righteousness. Noahides argue that Noah’s instructions align with their laws, apply universally, clarify Genesis 9, and negate Christian sacraments. From a Catholic perspective, these claims are refuted by Jubilees’ lack of canonical authority, the non-identical nature of its list compared to the Noahide Laws, its status as an interpretive expansion, and the fulfillment of all covenants in Christ. The Catholic Church, guided by scripture and tradition, affirms that Genesis 9’s covenant is preparatory, not prescriptive, and that Christ’s New Covenant offers salvation to all through faith and sacraments (CCC 121). Catholics can confidently reject the Noahide agenda, embracing the fullness of revelation in Jesus, who fulfills the law and prophets for Jews and Gentiles alike.