Dec.5] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [1893.
This is the Will(Testament)of Naphtali, Sonof Jacob.
When Naphtaligrew old and came to an old age, and had
completedhis years of strength, and fulfilled the duty of the earth-
lx>rn man,he began to command his children, and he said unto
them: " My children, comeand draw near and receive the command
of your father." Theyansweredand said: "Lo, we hearken to
fulfilall that thouwill command us." And he said untothem:
" I do not command you concerning my silver, nor concerning my
gold, nor all my substance that I leave untoyou here underthe
sun, nor do I command you any difficult thingwhichyou may not
be able to accomplish, but I speak to you about a very easy
matter,whichyou can easily fulfil."
His sons answered and said a second time, "Speak,O father,
for we listen."
Then he said unto them: " I leave you no command save
concerningthe fear of God : Him ye shall serve, to Him ye shall
cling."
Theysaid unto him : " What needhathHe of our service? "
Andhe answered: " It is not that God hath needof any creature,
but that all the creatures needhim. He hath alsonot created the
worldfor naught, but that His creatures shouldfear Him, and that
noneshoulddo to his neighbour whathe doth not like for himself.'
Theysaidthen: " Our father! hast thou,forsooth,seenus de
partingfromthy ways, or from the ways of our fathers, eitherto the
rightor to the left? "
Andhe answered : " God and I are witnesses that it is even as
ye say; but I dread onlythe future to come, that ye may not
err after the gods of strange nations; that ye should not go in the
waysof the peoples of the lands, and that you should not join the
children of Joseph, onlythe children of Levi and the children of
Judahshallyou join."
Theysaid to him : " What dostthousee that thoucommandest
us concerning it? "
He answered : " Because I see that in the future the children
of Joseph will depart from the Lord, the God of their fathers,and
induce the children of Israel to sin, and will cause themto be
banishedfromthe good landinto anotherthatis not ours, as we
havebeen exiled through himto the bondage of Egypt. I will
also tell you the vision I have seen. When I was pasturing the
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