Canon Status
Not canonical in any tradition.
Date & Provenance
Probably composed in the 2nd–5th century CE.
Language & Manuscripts
Survives in Coptic, Arabic, and Ethiopic.
Why It Matters for Study
Describes the death and assumption of Jacob, and his vision of the heavenly ladder. Contains revelations about the angels and the judgment.
" And Jacob said: I have seen the ladder, and the angels of God ascending and descending." — Testament of Jacob (paraphrase)
Read the Text & External Resources
Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.
- " And Jacob said: I have seen the ladder, and the angels of God ascending and descending." — Testament of Jacob (paraphrase) " And Jacob said: I have seen the ladder, and the angels of God ascending and descending." — Testament of Jacob (paraphrase)
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
Charlesworth, J. H., ed. The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1. Doubleday, 1983.
Testament of Jacob — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_of_Jacob|Background and scholarly discussion.
" And Jacob said: I have seen the ladder, and the angels of God ascending and descending." — Testament of Jacob (paraphrase)