Dec.5] PROCEEDINGS. [1893.
Chapterix of Levi's Testamentrefersdistinctlyto chapter xxxi
of the Book of Jubilees.
Thesimilarityis far greater still,if we go into minute details,
one of which —the age of the Patriarchs —I shall mentionlateron.
Havingonceestablished the primitive unityof the XII Testa
mentswiththe Book of Jubilees, we are enabled to look for other
parallels in Hebrew literature,especially in those writings which
betraya certain closenessin their contentswiththatof the Book of
Jubilees.
As first in rank and importance I mention the book called
" Sepher ha-Yashar,"or " Sepher ToledothAdam," " The Bookof
the Generations of Adam."
In that workof mine, to which I have alludedabove,I trace the
Bookof Jubilees stepby step in that BookYashar. If my theory
be correct, thenthe XII Testamentsoughtalsoto be found in that
Book. It suffices to say, then, thata great numberof legendary
instancesof the XII Testamentsfindindeedtheirexactparallelsin
thatverybookof Yashar ; such as the namesof the wives of the
twelve sons,or the number of years each oneof them lived,the
datesin which theywere born,andthe order in which they died.
(Bookof Jubilees,ch. xxviii, S. ha-Yashar, f. 890-90^, and116^-1170,
fol. 12 1 a, ed. Pr., ch. lxi, v. 1 ff.). Nearlyhalfof the Testament of
Judah,the battle with the Emorites, findsits counterpart in the
Yashar,ch. xxxvii to xxxix, withthe same namesof kings and places
as in the Testaments of Judah. I intend devotingto this chapter
a separate study, and compare all the Hebrewversions. This
Testament rightlyinterpretedwill,in my opinion, giveus a clue to
the date of the composition, andalsoto the probable authorof
thesewritings.
Coincidences of such a nature which extendto minute dates
andnamesare not the result of chance. Onemusthaveborrowed
fromthe other, or both haveborrowedfromonecommon source,
viz., the Aggadic Midrash.
Thatsuch is really the case is shown by the fact that we find
numerousparallelsin the ancient Hebrewwritings. Someof them
are identical withthose which I have pointedout to be common
to the Testaments andto the Book of Yashar. We find, for instance,
the ages of the Patriarchs given also in the Midrasch Tadshe,*
* Ed. Jellinek, Beth-hamidrash,III, p. 171.
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