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Testament of Benjamin

One of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, presenting the last words of Benjamin, the twelfth son of Jacob.|||Survives in Greek and Armenian. Part of the Oskan Armenian Orthodox Bible printed in 1666.|||The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, in their extant form, are a Jewish work, probably of the late 2nd century CE, with Christian interpolations.|||Not canonical in any tradition.|||The last words of Benjamin. Warns against the passions of the flesh and encourages purity of heart.|||Charles, R. H. The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. A. & C. Black, 1908.|||Kee, H. C. " Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs." In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1. Doubleday, 1983.|||Testament of Benjamin — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_of_Benjamin|Background and scholarly discussion.|||" And Benjamin said: Keep the commandments of the Lord, and your hearts will be pure." — Testament of Benjamin 3:1

Collection: Jewish Pseudepigrapha Canon: varies

Canon Status

Not canonical in any tradition.

Date & Provenance

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, in their extant form, are a Jewish work, probably of the late 2nd century CE, with Christian interpolations.

Language & Manuscripts

Survives in Greek and Armenian. Part of the Oskan Armenian Orthodox Bible printed in 1666.

Why It Matters for Study

The last words of Benjamin. Warns against the passions of the flesh and encourages purity of heart.

" And Benjamin said: Keep the commandments of the Lord, and your hearts will be pure." — Testament of Benjamin 3:1

Read the Text & External Resources

Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.

  • " And Benjamin said: Keep the commandments of the Lord, and your hearts will be pure." — Testament of Benjamin 3:1 " And Benjamin said: Keep the commandments of the Lord, and your hearts will be pure." — Testament of Benjamin 3:1

External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.

Further Reading

Charles, R. H. The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs. A. & C. Black, 1908.
Kee, H. C. " Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs." In The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1. Doubleday, 1983.
Testament of Benjamin — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_of_Benjamin|Background and scholarly discussion.