The Book of the Daughters of Adam in the Gelasian Decree

In the list of canonical, received, and apocryphal writings known as the Gelasian Decree, we find mention of a book that is known only by its title: The Book of the Daughters of Adam, of Leptogenesis. Modern scholars see an obvious connection to the book of Jubilees, although there is no other evidence of Jubilees being known as “The Book of the Daughters of Adam” in antiquity. In this article, I discuss the manuscript evidence for this entry in the Gelasian Decree, showing a wide range of variant readings. I postulate that ancient scribes lacked a clear understanding of what they were copying. Further, through a discussion of the history of scholarship on the text in the Gelasian Decree and Jubilees, I show that the modern discussion has turned away from an analysis of the manuscript evidence to a defense of the connection between this otherwise unattested title and Jubilees.