This edition was translated by R.H. Charles.

This book is one of the oldest Scriptures from the Old Covenant, found in The Dead Sea Scrolls. It is also found in the Bible of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Much of Genesis comes directly from this book. It goes into far greater detail than Genesis. It was given to Moses by angels atop Mount Sinai. It gives the whole history of the human race from Adam to Moses.

The book shows the division of time into eras known as Jubilees and Sabbaths. One Jubilee is equivalent to forty-nine years, or seven Sabbaths of years. It tells how the earth was divided into three major parts, going to Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These parts were further subdivided among Noah’s grandsons.

The groups who used this book were often persecuted by the authorities. The Essenes of the Dead Sea community were persecuted by the Pharisee sect of Judaism, who rejected Jubilees from their version of the Bible. The early Christians used Jubilees, but they were persecuted by the Roman bishops appointed by Constantine, who chose to reject Jubilees as a scriptural book. It is not recognized by any of the Western or European churches. Bible scholars and scribes still reject its authenticity.

The above information is taken from anintroduction of the book The Translation by R. H. Charles. It contains fifty chapters, as does Genesis.

It was originally published by Clarendon Press in 1913.