The Testament portrays women as the cause of the downfall of the Watcher, and of man in general (excepting Bilhah, in accordance with Jubilees).

It is believed to be a pseudepigraphical work comprising the dying commands of the twelve sons of Jacob. R. H. The narrative argues that Judah had sex with Tamar and his wife due to drunkenness, and that he bribed his wife's father in order to be allowed to marry her. It is generally considered apocalyptic literature. The Book of Gad survives in only one manuscript, and it is in the original Hebrew.

The moral of Gad is to not hate one another and love all your brethren.
Dan first explains his feelings of jealousy towards his brother Joseph.

Gad exhorts his listeners against hatred showing how it has brought him into so much trouble. He believed that it was a genuine work of the twelve sons of Jacob, and that the Christian interpolations were a genuine product of Jewish prophecy; he accused Jews of concealing the Testaments "on account of the prophecies of the Saviour contained in them.". It is likely that the author wished to cover the topic of fornication anyway, and assigned it for Reuben to discuss due to Reuben's relationship with Bilhah being recounted in the canonical Bible. The narrative however begins by retelling the biblical tale of Leah's purchase of Jacob's nocturnal services by the giving of mandrakes to Rachel.

The young man with the twelve palm branches seems to be a reference to the Apostles.

These footnotes were found to be translated from a non-apocalyptic precursor of the text in Aramaic, partially preserved in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

In his opinion, the three prophetical writings listed in Chronicles served as sources for a later editor of the book of Samuel. His vision represents Levi seizing the sun and Judah the moon. Likewise, Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words repeatedly emphasizes the fact of the fundamental meaning of the word to be: "separation" (see under "holiness" and "sanctification"). Furthermore, it disturbs the mind so that the Lord departs from it and Beliar inhabits it. Testaments are regarded as exhortatory writings; ethics therefore are fundamental to the text. Chapter 2-8 involves Levi being taken to heaven and promised the priesthood forever, and then seven angels physically give him the insignia of the priesthood (as described in Exodus). Actually, this was a re-discovery of a text that for some reason had escaped the eyes of many. The Testament of Naphtali has apocalyptic elements in it.

The Testaments were written in Hebrew or Greek, and reache
However, it goes on to present a xenophobic focus, criticising his marriage to a non-Israelite, as well as his sexual activity with Tamar, his daughter-in-law who at that time was pretending to be a prostitute. << /Length 6 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >>