Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs
These testaments contain a substantial amount of prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah. From a Christian perspective, a number of statements can be associated with events in the life of Jesus. Many consider this significant since several of the books are thought to predate Jesus.
For example, compare the following passages from the Testament of Levi:
The heavens shall be opened, and from the temple of glory shall come upon him sanctification, with the Father's voice as from Abraham to Isaac. And the glory of the Most High shall be uttered over him, and the spirit of understanding and sanctification shall rest upon him in the water. (Levi 18:21-22)
with this passage from the Gospel of Matthew
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16–17
You can see the frequent use of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs by Paul and other writers of the New Testament. In particular:
I Thess. ii. 16 is a quotation of Test. Patr., taken from Levi, 6:10-11;
Rom. 12:19 is taken from Gad, 6:7;
Rom. 12:21 is taken from Benjamin, 4:3;
II Cor. 7:10 is a quote from Gad, 5:7;
Ephes. 5:6 appeared first in Naphtali, 3:1
Title - Thesis | Scroll | Short Description | Synthesis 2nd Temple | Antithesis | Synthesis Apostolic | Synthesis Amoraim | Continent Origin | Southern Worldview | Northern Worldview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs | Scroll 67 | Story of dying commands | Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs | Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs | Apocrypha | NA | Asia | Apocalyptic | Qumran |
Category Reference Guide
Title/Thesis - The name of the book in American English
Synthesis 2nd Temple - The name of the book in order of its presentation other than the Apostles, ranging from 2nd temple Judaism up to the 1st century
Antithesis - The name of the book in another language
Synthesis Apostolic - The identity of the book in order of its presentation according to Tradition in the church after the 3rd century
Synthesis Amoraim - The name of the book in order of its presentation other than the Apostles, ranging from Tannaim up to the 5th century
Continent Origin - Continent from where the Text Type Source comes from
Southern Worldview - Catalog strategy for storing the scrolls include the interpretation. South means Africa or Egypt (Alexandrian) such as LXX. South of Palestine.
Northern Worldview - Catalog strategy for storing the scrolls include the interpretation. North means Asia or Persia (Babylonian) such as Masoretic. North of Palestine.
Here are additional resources for those who want to continue learning and exploring:
Link to some reference to The Testaments of the Twelve