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The Testament of Zebulun Concerning Compassion and Mercy

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Section 1

About this work

Author: Unknown

1. The record of Zebulun, which he enjoined

‹ Salutation / Introduction Section 2 ›

his

children

in

the

hundred

and

fourteenth

year

of

his

life

,

thirty

-

two

years

after

the

death

of

Joseph

.

And

he

said

to

them

:

Hearken

to

me

sons

of

Zebulun

,

attend

to

the

words

of

your

father

.

I

am

Zebulun

,

a

good

gift

to

my

parents

.

For

when

I

was

born

our

father

was

increased

very

exceedingly

,

both

in

flocks

and

herds

,

when

with

the

streaked

rods

he

had

his

portion

.

I

know

not

,

my

children

,

that

in

all

my

days

I

have

sinned

,

save

only

in

thought

.

Nor

do

I

remember

that

I

have

done

any

iniquity

,

except

the

sin

of

ignorance

which

I

committed

against

Joseph

;

for

I

screened

my

brethren

,

not

telling

to

my

father

what

had

been

done

.

And

I

wept

sore

in

secret

,

for

I

feared

my

brethren

,

because

they

had

all

agreed

together

,

that

if

any

one

should

declare

the

secret

,

he

should

be

slain

with

the

sword

.

But

when

they

wished

to

kill

him

,

I

adjured

them

much

with

tears

not

to

be

guilty

of

this

iniquity

.

Notes

1
The Ox. ms. reads 150, and refers the event to two years after Joseph’s death. The text of the Cam. ms. gives an impossible result here, as it would make Zebulun twenty-eight years younger than Joseph, who died at the age of 110. According to the Ox. ms., Reuben (cf. c. 1) and Zebulun would die in the same year, the former at 125, the latter 150. A comparison of Test. Reub., c. 1 shows the most probable solution to be to give the numerals, ριδ', β'.
2
The derivation of Zebulun seems to be from לבז, a collateral form of דבז, to give. Hence Leah plays on the double meaning of the former verb, Gen. xxx. 20.