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The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
The Testament of Reuben the First born Son of Jacob and Leah
The Testament of Simeon the Second of Jacob and Leah
The Testament of Levi the Third Son of Jacob and Leah
The Testament of Judah the Fourth Son of Jacob and Leah
The Testament of Issachar the Fifth Son of Jacob and Leah
The Testament of Zebulun the Sixth Son of Jacob and Leah
The Testament of Dan the Seventh Son of Jacob and Bilhah
The Testament of Naphtali the Eighth Son of Jacob and Bilhah
The Testament of Gad the Ninth Son of Jacob and Zilpah
The Testament of Asher the Tenth Son of Jacob and Zilpah
The Testament of Joseph the Eleventh Son of Jacob and Rachel
The Testament of Benjamin the Twelfth Son of Jacob and Rachel
Composed : c.350 – c.50 BCE
The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs is an apocryphal work containing the final speeches of the 12 sons of Jacob to their descendants. Written in the style of Jacob’s blessing to his children (Genesis 49:1-27), each testament consists of a brief overview of the patriarch’s life, admissions of sin, ethical teachings based on the patriarch’s experiences, and prophetic visions about the future of his descendants and the end of days. The work has Christian elements, which most contemporary scholars view as later interpolations.