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.
Why It Matters for Study
The last words of Judah. Warns against fornication and the love of money, and prophesies the coming of the Messiah from his tribe.
" And Judah said: The Lord will raise up a king from my tribe, and he will reign forever." — Testament of Judah 22:1
Read the Text & External Resources
Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.
- " And Judah said: The Lord will raise up a king from my tribe, and he will reign forever." — Testament of Judah 22:1 " And Judah said: The Lord will raise up a king from my tribe, and he will reign forever." — Testament of Judah 22:1
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 Judah — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_of_Judah|Background and scholarly discussion.