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The Testament of Naphtali Concerning Natural Goodness

Unknown

Section 1

About this work

Author: Unknown

1. The record of the testament of Naphtali,

‹ Salutation / Introduction Section 2 ›

what

things

he

ordained

at

the

time

of

his

death

in

the

hundred

and

thirty

-

second

year

of

his

life

.

When

his

sons

were

gathered

together

in

the

seventh

month

,

the

fourth

day

of

the

month

,

he

,

being

yet

in

good

health

,

made

them

a

feast

and

good

cheer

.

And

after

he

was

awake

in

the

morning

,

he

said

to

them

,

I

am

dying

;

and

they

believed

him

not

.

And

he

blessed

the

Lord

;

and

affirmed

that

after

yesterday’s

feast

he

should

die

.

He

began

then

to

say

to

his

sons

:

Hear

,

my

children

;

ye

sons

of

Naphtali

,

hear

the

words

of

your

father

.

I

was

born

from

Bilhah

;

and

because

Rachel

dealt

craftily

,

and

gave

Bilhah

in

place

of

herself

to

Jacob

,

and

she

bore

me

upon

Rachel’s

lap

,

therefore

was

I

called

Naphtali

.

And

Rachel

loved

me

because

I

was

born

upon

her

lap

;

and

when

I

was

of

young

and

tender

form

,

she

was

wont

to

kiss

me

,

and

say

,

Would

that

I

might

see

a

brother

of

thine

from

my

own

womb

,

like

unto

thee

:

whence

also

Joseph

was

like

unto

me

in

all

things

,

according

to

the

prayers

of

Rachel

.

Now

my

mother

was

Bilhah

,

daughter

of

Rotheus

the

brother

of

Deborah

,

Rebecca’s

nurse

,

and

she

was

born

on

one

and

the

self

-

same

day

with

Rachel

.

And

Rotheus

was

of

the

family

of

Abraham

,

a

Chaldean

,

fearing

God

,

free

-

born

and

noble

;

and

he

was

taken

captive

,

and

was

bought

by

Laban

;

and

he

gave

him

Aena

his

handmaid

to

wife

,

and

she

bore

a

daughter

,

and

called

her

Zilpah

,

after

the

name

of

the

village

in

which

he

had

been

taken

captive

.

And

next

she

bore

Bilhah

,

saying

,

My

daughter

is

eager

after

what

is

new

,

for

immediately

that

she

was

born

she

was

eager

for

the

breast

.

Notes

1
Gen. xxx. 8. Josephus, Ant., i. 19. 7