Bulletized

Lost Testaments of the Patriarchs:

• • Similar to other "lost books of the Bible," many were not truly lost but excluded from the canon.
  • Some texts were genuinely lost for a long time but have since been found (e.g., Nag Hammadi texts, Dead Sea Scrolls).
  • These texts were often popular among monks in the Christian Middle Ages.
• Nature of the Bible:
  • Not a single book, but a collection of texts written at different times and in different languages.
  • Christian Old Testament is based on Greek translations (Septuagint).
• The Septuagint:
  • Tradition says 70-72 scholars translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek for the Great Library of Alexandria. This is considered a mythic story.
  • Over centuries, different Hebrew scriptures were translated, forming a proto-canon.
  • Christians divided these into four categories: Law (Pentateuch), Histories (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Ruth, Tobit, Judith, Maccabees), Wisdom (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Psalms, Song of Songs), and Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, minor prophets).
  • Mostly translated from Hebrew to Koine (common) Greek, some (like Daniel) have Hebrew and Aramaic originals, and some are Greek originals.
• Rabbinic Canon (Tanakh):
  • Assembled during the post-Second Temple period.
  • Three categories: Law (Pentateuch), Prophets (includes some Christian "histories"), and Writings (includes wisdom tradition and some Christian "prophets").
  • Acronym: TaNaKh (Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim).
• Protestant Canon:
  • Shorter canon, aligning with Rabbinic Judaism, by removing "extra books" from the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.
• Additional Ancient Books:
  • Beyond the broader Catholic/Orthodox canon, many more ancient books exist, written in a scriptural style but not included.
  • Generally, these are later compositions, though attributed to ancient figures (e.g., Enoch, Adam, Moses).
  • Church Fathers and rabbis largely understood them as pseudepigraphical.
• Old Testament Pseudepigrapha:
  • Two volumes edited by James Charlesworth.
• The "Testament" Genre:
  • A particular set of pseudepigraphical texts, grouped as "testaments."
  • Eclectic group, but generally involves an aged figure on their deathbed, gathering descendants/followers to give final words, blessings, and often predict the future.
• Texts to be Examined:
  • Testament of the 12 Patriarchs (sons of Israel).
  • Testament of Job.
  • Testament of the Three Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob).
  • Testament of Moses.
  • Testament of Solomon.
  • Testament of Adam.
• Dating and Language of Testaments:
  • Written over a wide range: 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE.
  • Some have early texts with later additions/interpolations.
  • Original languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Syriac; translated into many ancient languages.
  • Authors: Jewish, early Christian, or Jewish texts later Christianized.
• Inspiration for the Genre (Genesis):
  • Isaac's prophetic blessing to Jacob (instead of Esau).
  • Jacob's blessings to his 12 sons and Joseph's two sons (Ephraim and Manasseh).
• Blessing of Jacob (Genesis 49):
  • A poem in archaic Hebrew, predating other Torah narratives.
  • Reflects the contemporary situation of tribal groups known to the poet.
  • Example: Reuben's lost blessing due to sleeping with Jacob's concubine, explaining the later ascendance of Judahites or Ephraimites/Manassites.
  • Predictions can be descriptions of current or past tribal locations.
  • Judah's blessing (scepter, lion imagery) formulates the Davidic covenant.
  • The eventual failure of the Davidic covenant (Babylonian destruction) led to symbolic/metaphorical interpretations and the expectation of a Messiah.
  • This poem is the model for the testament genre.
• Testament of the 12 Patriarchs:
  • Modelled on Jacob's blessing.
  • Written when Torah became increasingly important (late Second Temple/Hasmonean period).
  • Earliest version (original) likely by a Hellenized Jew in 2nd century BCE; survives in Greek, Armenian, Slavonic, with Hebrew/Aramaic fragments.
  • Includes a dozen Christian interpolations, possibly from the Johannine community.
  • Author uses patriarchs to explore vices and virtues (e.g., Reuben's testament against lust, influenced by Genesis story of Reuben's sexual sin).
  • Common theme: admonishing against "wiles of women" (misogynistic rant common in ancient literature).
  • Other themes: Simeon against envy, Levi against arrogance, Dan against anger and lying.
  • Focuses on ethics and reason, rather than specific Torah rules, drawing from Jewish wisdom tradition.
  • Shares in the apocalyptic tradition (e.g., Levi predicts Babylonian captivity and a cycle of 70 weeks, mirroring Daniel).
  • Predicts a desolate temple, captivity, and a new messianic priest (Christian interpolation adapts this to Jesus' baptism).
• Testament of Job:
  • Dated 1st century BCE to 1st century CE; originally in Greek, possibly by a Hellenized Jew in Egypt.
  • Some scholars speculate it's from the Theraputai sect (Jewish ascetics, seen as monastic forerunners by Christians).
  • Reworks the biblical Job story:
    • Satan is a cosmic devil figure, not just the accuser.
    • Job destroys a pagan temple, enraging Satan.
    • Job is connected to Genesis times through his replacement wife, Dinah.
  • Large section focuses on Job's inheritance to his daughters: multicolored cords for ecstatic speech (glossolalia/speaking in tongues).
  • May describe an early spiritual practice, possibly used by Montanists (early Christian sect focused on ecstatic gifts, appointed female clergy).
• Testament of the Three Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob):
  • Circulated as composite, but began as Testament of Abraham (likely Hellenized Egyptian Jew, late 1st century CE).
  • Later additions for Isaac and Jacob by a Christian writer in Egypt (Greek or Coptic).
  • Canonical for Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews), unlike most other testaments.
  • Unique in genre: Abraham is reluctant to accept death.
  • Funny series of negotiations with Archangel Michael and Death itself.
  • Abraham lives 995 years (compared to 175 in Genesis).
  • Abraham is given a tour of the cosmos, seeing Abel judging all creation.
  • Death disguises himself but is eventually revealed.
  • Abraham stalls Death by asking about different ways to die (72 listed, including basilisk).
  • Abraham is tricked into taking Death's hand, his soul adheres, and he is taken to paradise.
  • Contrasts with Genesis where Abraham is not promised an afterlife with God, but posterity. Reflects growing interest in individual afterlife.
• Testament of Moses (or Ascension of Moses):
  • Survived in a single 6th-century Latin palimpsest manuscript.
  • Latin is a translation of a lost Greek version, which was likely a translation from Aramaic or Hebrew.
  • Original author likely Judean, 1st century CE.
  • Set at the end of Moses' career, predicting future history up to the author's time.
  • Predicts Babylonian captivity, return from exile, struggles with Hellenistic kings, Hasmoneans (called "kings bearing rule" and "priests of the most high God" who "work iniquity"), and Herod the Great.
  • Predicts the Romans, destruction of the temple, and crucifixion, marking the end of "times" and the moment for final apocalypse.
  • Typical apocalyptic structure: accurate predictions up to author's time to legitimize the power, followed by predictions of imminent apocalypse and restoration.
  • Predicts God's wrath against gentiles, destruction of idols, and Israel's exaltation in heaven while enemies are in Gehenna.
  • Like all literalistic apocalyptic predictions, these failed.
• Testament of Adam:
  • Composed probably in Syriac (Syria or Palestine).
  • Likely an original Jewish text (2nd century CE) with Christian additions/edits (as late as 5th/6th