Dec. 5] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [1893.
probably0*5??or ^T? \®iwhich means before, or CHpO, first^
which the translator took for the more usual DT|?]Q, towards or
from the east. Ibid:."AndJochebedwasbornin my sixty-fourth
year,in Egypt, for I was renowned thenin the midst of my brethren."
Thissentencecan only be understood if we translate it back into
Hebrew,for then the play uponthe word *rm.and the connection
betweenbeingrenownedand Jochebed'becomeclear,whilsttheyare
totallylost in the Greek.
Similarinstancesof mistranslations andof allusions whichcan
onlybe understood properlyif translated intoHebrew,can be easily
multiplied. I omit them,as we have a much moredecisiveproof
for the Hebrew original,viz.,the discovery of an actual Hebrewtext
of the Testament of Naphtali.
In the light of this text, we shall be able to gauge muchbetter
the true toneand tendency of our writing. In the Hebrew textwe
haveundoubtedlythe original versionof the Testament, free from
any interpolation. It is in perfect concordwiththe character of
thoseancientpseudo-epigraphicalwritings.
We find now,whatwe expected, viz., thatthoseTestamentsare
strictly circumscribed in their contents. Each Patriarch speaks
from his own experiencein life, and whatthereis missing in the
biblicalrecitalis supplemented fromsecondarylegendarysources.
Themostimportant eventin the life of the greater numberof
the twelve Patriarchsis their sellingof Joseph intoslavery. Upon
this very theme,andupontheirrelationto Joseph, expatiate indeed
mostof them in their Testaments,someextollingJoseph,somedis
paraginghim ; some praisehis virtues, his consistency, otherslay
all the blame of the future on Joseph. Judahthenspeaksof his
valourandhis mighty deeds,toldin the tale of his battles withthe
Emorites; Levi of his consecration to the Priesthood; Josephof his
ownchastity;eachoneembellishinghis narrative with legendary
matter.
It is obvious thatif this writing was to appeal to the people, and
be considered by them as a genuine writing bequeathed from
antiquity,it must be in accordance withHolyWrit,andwithcurrent
oraltradition.
For this veryreason onecannotadmitthe possibility that our
Hebrewtext mightbe a translation from the Greek. Evenif we
should not press the fact that thereare blunders and mistransla
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