Dec.5] PROCEEDINGS. [1893.(Hebrew,Greek,ch. iii) about the functions of the various organs in
the body. I have mentioned abovethe curious mistranslation of
the "windpipe. We find a similar descriptionof the organs of
the human bodyin the Talmud (TractateBerachoth,f. 6ia-b). The
samepassageoccursin the En Ya'akob Berachot,No. 134, but with
a slight variationin the order of the organs, the number of which is
twelvein these two passages. In a somewhat different orderand
diminishednumberwe find the same passagein the famous Sepher
Yetzira(ch. v, § 2, ed. Ritangelus), in the Othioth de R. Akiba,
in two recensions ; * the last comes nearestto our text in the Testa
ment. Last,not least, it occurs againin the Cuzari of R. Jehuda
ha-Levi(ch. iv, § 25), t who quotes it from the Sepher Yetzira.
Thenumberof organs mentioned in the "Othioth" is that of
seven. This seems to be the original number. It stands un
doubtedlyin connection withthe passage of the seven spiritsof error
enumeratedin Testament Reuben,ch. ii and iii, which passageis
based on it. We find there, for instance (ch. iii), "the spiritof
fightingin the liver and the gall," whichis explained by the peculiar
characteristicof the angry liverand soothing gall in the Testament
of Naphtali. Twicesevenorgansin the human bodyare enumerated
in the Midrash Tadshe.J Again we find sevenformsof sin and
temptationin the Tana dele Eliahu Zutta,ch. xvi ; seven gradations
of sin in the Tractate DerechEretzZutta,ch. vi, and seven things
that cause afflictionin the Talmudic TractateArachin,f. ijb.
Wherever we touch in the XII Testaments, we find that we
are on Hebrew ground. It can therefore no longer be any doubt
aboutthe original languagein which they were written,nor could
any one say any more that," to know whethertherewas a Hebrew
workon which the present was modelled, is not a matter of much
importance;"nor can one doubt the original unitywith the Book of
Jubileeswiththe Testament of Naphtali.
- Ed. Jellinek, i.e.,Ill, p. 35, sub. lit. 3, and p. 42-43, s. litlcra 'Q,
t Ed. Buxtorff, p. 307 ff. ; ed. Hirschfeld, p. 273 ff., and p. xlii, No. 53.
t Ed. Jellinek, l.c., p. 168-169,
43 E 2