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 Naphtali. Describes the order of creation and the nature of the soul, and encourages the fear of the Lord.
" And Naphtali said: The Lord made all things in order, and he gave the soul to man." — Testament of Naphtali 1:1
Read the Text & External Resources
Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.
- " And Naphtali said: The Lord made all things in order, and he gave the soul to man." — Testament of Naphtali 1:1 " And Naphtali said: The Lord made all things in order, and he gave the soul to man." — Testament of Naphtali 1:1
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 Naphtali — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_of_Naphtali|Background and scholarly discussion.