The Book of Jasher, Part Four: Magical Antiquarian Curiosity Shoppe, A Weiser Books Collection
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Master of modern occultism, Lon Milo DuQuette, (author of Enochian Vision Magick and The Magick of Aleister Crowley) introduces the newest Weiser Books Collection—The Magical Antiquarian Curiosity Shoppe. Culled from material long unavailable to the general public, DuQuette curates this essential new digital library with the eye of a scholar and the insight of an initiate.
Part four of the Book of Jasher: what some religious scholars think should have been included in the Biblical canon.
Lon Milo DuQuette
Lon Milo DuQuette is the author of Enochian Vision Magick.
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The Book of Jasher, Part Four - Lon Milo DuQuette
Introduction
Behold, it [the Zohar] is like Sefer ha-Yashar, which they printed (without my knowledge and without the knowledge of the sages here in Venice, about twenty years ago). Although I removed the fantasies and falsehoods from it, [eg,] that it is the Sefer ha-Yashar mentioned in Scripture, there are still those who claim that it was discovered during the time of the destruction [of the temple]. But who can stop those who imagine in their minds whatever they wish.
—LEON MODENA, ARI NOHEM, BEFORE 1648
Is not this written in the Book of Jasher?
JOSHUA X. 13
Behold, it is written in the Book of Jasher.
2ND SAMUEL I. 18
The Book of Jasher is the perfect candidate for the Magical Antiquarian Curiosity Shoppe. It is old . . . but we're really not sure how old. To say it is controversial is an understatement. It has been labeled a forgery by scholars, rabbis, and clergy for centuries . . . not to mention there is more than a hint of heresy clinging to its very existence. Yes. The Book of Jasher is, if nothing else, scriptural side-show titillation—a Biblical bearded lady—and a deliciously appropriate offering to the discerning clientele of our virtual reading room.
But is The Book of Jasher really . . .
. . . one of the long-lost and long-sought-for sacred books, which should have been included among the other books of the Bible but which was omitted as were many other books.
as the Preliminary Explanation to one translation¹ of it asserts?
Well . . . perhaps it is, and then again, perhaps it isn't. We might admit it has been long-lost and long-sought-for; but really! Many people, including Bible scholars, would find the words should have been included among the other books of the Bible
to be a subjective judgment call at best, and, naive, dishonest, and misleading at worst. The Book of Jasher, like The Book of Enoch, or any of the other lost books
of the Bible, is of interest to us not so much for what it says but for what it is. It is a document that reads like the Bible, tells the same Old Testament stories, albeit with some interesting variations and additions, and is for all intent and purposes patently Biblical.
In fact, it manages to compactly bring us from creation to Joshua and the Judges in a few hundred remarkably readable pages.
It is lacking, however, the musty linguistic gravitas and King James—ish affectations that season scripture as we are used to tasting it. For me this is refreshing. It is as if we are hearing these familiar stories told to us not in the stuffy monotones of a bored and elderly vicar, but with the intensity of a rabbi who generously peppers his narrative with little details and side plots we were never aware of before.
In a way, that is exactly what The Book of Jasher is. Its actual title is Toledot Adam and Dibre ha-Yamin Be-Arik, and it belongs to that category of Jewish literature known as Midrash (plural midrashim) meaning, to study,
to investigate,
and story.
The Midrashim are a huge body of work comprised of rabbinical discussions and exegesis on Biblical themes. The Midrashim serve to fill in many of the gaps and ambiguities of scripture that leave most of us scratching our heads. If you've ever wondered where your rabbi or your priest or pastor gets his information about what exactly what was going on in Sodom and Gomorrah, or why Moses's wife rubbed their son's bloody foreskin on his head in the middle of the night look no further than the commentaries in one the books of the Midrashim that he studied in school or seminary.
The Book of Jasher, while not being officially endorsed by the Church of Latter-day Saints, is of particular interest to Mormon scholars, who find similarities within the text to certain portions of the Joseph Smith translation of the Holy Bible. This particular translation of The Book of Jasher is in fact one that was first published in Salt Lake City in 1887 by J.H. Parry & Company.
LON MILO DUQUETTE
COSTA MESA, CA 2012
1 The Book of Jasher. The Rosicrucian Order A.M.O.R.C. Photographic Reproduction of the Version by Alcuin. 1934 and 1962.
Book of Jasher, Chapter 55
1 And it came to pass after this that Jacob said, I will go and see my son in Egypt and will then come back to the land of Canaan of which God had spoken unto Abraham, for I cannot leave the land of my birth-place.
2 Behold the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Go down to Egypt with all thy household and remain there, fear not to go down to Egypt for I will there make thee a great nation.
3 And Jacob said within himself, I will go and see my son whether the fear of his God is yet in his heart amidst all the inhabitants of Egypt.
4 And the Lord said unto Jacob, Fear not about Joseph, for he still retaineth his integrity to serve me, as will seem good in thy sight, and Jacob rejoiced exceedingly concerning his son.
5 At that time Jacob commanded his sons and household to go to Egypt according to the word of the Lord unto him, and Jacob rose up with his sons and all his household, and he went out from the land of Canaan from Beersheba, with joy and gladness of heart, and they went to the land of Egypt.
6 And it came to pass when they came near Egypt, Jacob sent Judah before him to Joseph that he might show him a situation in Egypt, and Judah did according to the word of his father, and he hastened and ran and came to Joseph, and they assigned for them a place in the land of Goshen for all his household, and Judah returned and came along the road to his father.
7 And Joseph harnessed the chariot, and he assembled all his mighty men and his servants and all the officers of Egypt in order to go and meet his father Jacob, and Joseph's mandate was proclaimed in Egypt, saying, All that do not go to meet Jacob shall die.
8 And on the next day Joseph went forth with all Egypt a great and mighty host, all dressed in garments of fine linen and purple and with instruments of silver and gold and with their instruments of war with them.
9 And they all went to meet Jacob with all sorts of musical instruments, with drums and timbrels, strewing myrrh and aloes all along the road, and they all went after this fashion, and the earth shook at their shouting.
10 And all the women of Egypt went upon