Naphtali, eighth son of Jacob, born of Bilhah, was dying in his hundred and thirtieth year. His sons gathered on the first day of the seventh month. He was still in good health. He made them a feast of food and wine. In the morning he said, "I am dying," and they did not believe him. But as he glorified the Lord, he grew strong and declared that after yesterday's feast he would die.
He told them of his birth. Rachel, unable to bear children, had given Bilhah to Jacob in her place. Naphtali was born upon Rachel's knees, and she named him Naphtali. Rachel loved him deeply because he was born upon her lap. When he was young, she would kiss him and say: "May I have a brother of yours from my own womb, like unto you." And so Joseph became like Naphtali in all things, born according to Rachel's prayers.
His mother Bilhah was the daughter of Rotheus, brother of Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, born on the same day as Rachel. Rotheus was of the family of Abraham, a Chaldean, God-fearing, free-born, and noble. Taken captive and bought by Laban, he was given Euna as a wife. She bore first Zilpah, then Bilhah, whose name reflected her nature: she hastened after what was new, for immediately after birth she seized the breast and rushed to suck.
"I was swift on my feet like the deer," Naphtali said, "and my father appointed me for all messages, and as a deer he gave me his blessing" (Genesis 49:21). Then he taught his sons a profound truth about the relationship between body and spirit: "As the potter knows the vessel, how much it is to contain, and brings clay accordingly, so also does the Lord make the body after the likeness of the spirit. And the one does not fall short of the other by a third part of a hair. By weight, and measure, and rule was all creation made."
There is no inclination or thought the Lord does not know, for He created every person after His own image. As a man's strength, so is his work. As his mind, so is his skill. As his purpose, so is his achievement. As his heart, so is his mouth.
Then came the visions.
In the fortieth year of his life, on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem, Naphtali saw the sun and the moon standing still. Isaac appeared and said: "Run and lay hold of them, each one according to his strength, and to him that seizes them will the sun and moon belong." All the brothers ran. Levi laid hold of the sun. Judah outstripped the others and seized the moon. Both were lifted up with them. Levi became as a sun, and a young man gave him twelve branches of palm. Judah was bright as the moon, and under their feet were twelve rays. Then a bull appeared on the earth with two great horns and eagle's wings on its back. They tried to seize it but could not. Joseph came, seized it, and ascended on high. A holy writing appeared: "Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Syrians shall possess in captivity the twelve tribes of Israel."
Seven days later, a second vision. Jacob stood by the sea of Jamnia with his sons. A ship approached without sailors or pilot, bearing the inscription: "The Ship of Jacob." They boarded. A violent storm arose, and Jacob, who held the helm, was taken from them. The ship filled with water and broke apart. Joseph fled on a small boat. The rest were scattered on nine planks to the ends of the earth, Levi and Judah together. Levi, girt in sackcloth, prayed for them all. The storm ceased. The ship reached land in peace. Jacob returned, and they all rejoiced.
Jacob interpreted the dreams: "These things must be fulfilled in their season, after Israel has endured many things." And weeping, he said: "Ah me, my son Joseph, you live, though I behold you not, and you see not Jacob that begat you."
Naphtali charged his children: "Be united to Levi and to Judah, for through them shall salvation arise unto Israel. If you work that which is good, both men and angels shall bless you. God shall be glorified through you, and the adversary shall flee from you, and wild beasts shall fear you, and the Lord shall love you."
"Be wise in God, my children, and prudent, understanding the order of His commandments, and the laws of every word, that the Lord may love you." He exhorted them to remove his bones to Hebron. He ate and drank with a merry heart, covered his face, and died. His sons did as he commanded.
TESTAMENT OF NAPHTALI, THE EIGHTH SON OF JACOB AND BILHAH.
1 1 The copy of the testament of Naphtali, which he ordained at the
time of his death in the hundred 2 and thirtieth year of his life. When his sons
were gathered together in the seventh month, on the 3 first day of the month,
while still in good health, he made them a feast of food and wine. And after 4
he was awake in the morning, he said to them, I am dying; and they believed him
not. And as he 5 glorified the Lord, he grew strong and said that after
yesterday's feast he should die. And he began 6 then to say: Hear, my children,
ye sons of Naphtali, hear the words of your father. I was born from Bilhah, and
because Rachel dealt craftily, and gave Bilhah in place of herself to Jacob, and
she 7 conceived and bare me upon Rachel's knees, therefore she called my name
Naphtali. For Rachel loved me very much because I was born upon her lap; and
when I was still young she was wont 8 to kiss me, and say: May I have a brother
of thine from mine own womb, like unto thee. Whence 9 also Joseph was like unto
me in all things, according to the prayers of Rachel. Now my mother was Bilhah,
daughter of Rotheus the brother of Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, who was born on one
and 10 the self-same day with Rachel. And Rotheus was of the family of Abraham,
a Chaldean, God 11 fearing, free-born, and noble. And he was taken captive and
was bought by Laban; and he gave him Euna his handmaid to wife, and she bore a
daughter, and called her name Zilpah, after the name 12 of the village in which
he had been taken captive. And next she bore Bilhah, saying: My daughter hastens
after what is new, for immediately that she was born she seized the breast and
hastened to suck it.
2 1 And I was swift on my feet like the deer, and my father Jacob
appointed me for all messages, 2 and as a deer did he give me his blessing. For
as the potter knoweth the vessel, how much it is to contain, and bringeth clay
accordingly, so also doth the Lord make the body after the likeness of 3 the
spirit, and according to the capacity of the body doth He implant the spirit.
And the one does not fall short of the other by a third part of a hair; for by
weight, and measure, and rule was all the 4 creation made. And as the potter
knoweth the use of each vessel, what it is meet for, so also doth the Lord know
the body, how far it will persist in goodness, and when it beginneth in evil.
For 5 there is no inclination or thought which the Lord knoweth not, for He
created every man after His own image. 6 As a man's strength, so also is his
work; and as his mind, so also is his skill; and as his purpose, so also is his
achievement; and as his heart, so also is his mouth; as his eye, so also is his
sleep; as his soul, so also is his word, either in the law of the Lord or in the
works of Beliar. 7 And as there is a division between light and darkness,
between seeing and hearing, so also is there a division between man and man, and
between woman and woman; and it is not to be said that the 8 one is like the
other either in face or in mind. For God made all things good in their order,
the five senses in the head, and He joined on the neck to the head, adding to it
the hair also for comeliness and glory, then the heart for understanding, the
belly for excrement, and the stomach for (grinding), the windpipe for taking in
(the breath), the liver for wrath, the gall for bitterness, the spleen for
laughter, the reins for prudence, the muscles of the loins for power, the lungs
for drawing 9 in, the loins for strength, and so forth. So then, my children,
let all your works be done in order 10 with good intent in the fear of God, and
do nothing disorderly in scorn or out of its due season. For if thou bid the eye
to hear, it cannot; so neither while ye are in darkness can ye do the works of
light.
3 1 Be ye, therefore, not eager to corrupt your doings through
covetousness or with vain words to beguile your souls; because if ye keep
silence in purity of heart, ye shall understand how to hold 2 fast the will of
God, and to cast away the will of Beliar. Sun and moon and stars change not
their 3 order; so do ye also change not the law of God in the disorderliness of
your doings. The Gentiles went astray, and forsook the Lord, and changed their
order, and obeyed stocks and stones, spirits of 4 deceit. But ye shall not be
so, my children, recognizing in the firmament, in the earth, and in the sea, and
in all created things, the Lord who made all things, that ye become not as
Sodom, which 5 changed the order of nature. In like manner the Watchers also
changed the order of their nature, whom the Lord cursed at the flood, on whose
account He made the earth without inhabitants and fruitless.
4 1 These things I say unto you, my children, for I have read in the
writing of Enoch that ye yourselves also shall depart from the Lord, walking
according to all the lawlessness of the Gentiles, and 2 ye shall do according to
all the wickedness of Sodom. And the Lord shall bring captivity upon you, and
there shall ye serve your enemies, and ye shall be bowed down with every
affliction and 3 tribulation, until the Lord have consumed you all. And after ye
have become minished and made few, ye shall return and acknowledge the Lord your
God; and He shall bring you back into your 4 land, according to His abundant
mercy. And it shall be, that after that they come into the land of 5 their
fathers, they shall again forget the Lord and become ungodly. And the Lord shall
scatter them upon the face of all the earth, until the compassion of the Lord
shall come, a man working righteousness and working mercy unto all them that are
afar off, and to them that are near.
5 1 For in the fortieth year of my life, I saw a vision on the Mount
of Olives, on the east of Jerusalem, 2 that the sun and the moon were standing
still. And behold Isaac, the father of my father, said to us; Run and lay hold
of them, each one according to his strength; and to him that seizeth them 3 will
the sun and moon belong . And we all of us ran together, and Levi laid hold of
the sun, and Judah outstripped the others and seized the moon, and they were
both of them lifted up with them. 4 And when Levi became as a sun, lo, a certain
young man gave to him twelve branches of palm; 5 and Judah was bright as the
moon, and under their feet were twelve rays. [And the two, Levi and 6 Judah,
ran, and laid hold of them.] And 10, a bull upon the earth, with two great
horns, and an 7 eagle's wings upon its back; and we wished to seize him; but
could not. But Joseph came, and 8 seized him, and ascended up with him on high.
And I saw, for I was there, and behold a holy writing appeared to us, saying:
Assyrians, Medes, Persians, [Chaldeans,] Syrians, shall possess in captivity the
twelve tribes of Israel.
6 1 And again, after seven days, I saw our father Jacob standing by
the sea of Jamnia, and we were 2 with him. And behold, there came a ship sailing
by, without sailors or pilot; and there was written 3 upon the ship, The Ship of
Jacob. And our father said to us: Come, let us embark on our ship. 4 And when he
had gone on board, there arose a vehement storm, and a mighty tempest of wind;
and 5 our father, who was holding the helm, departed from us. And we, being
tossed with the tempest, were borne along over the sea; and the ship was filled
with water, (and was) pounded by mighty waves, 6 until it was broken up. And
Joseph fled away upon a little boat, and we were all divided upon nine 7 planks,
and Levi and Judah were together. And we were all scattered unto the ends of the
earth. 8, 9 Then Levi, girt about with sackcloth, prayed for us all unto the
Lord. And when the storm ceased, the ship reached the land as it were in peace.
And, 10, our father came, and we all rejoiced with one accord.
7 1 These two dreams I told to my father; and he said to me: These
things must be fulfilled in their season, after that Israel hath endured many
things. 2 Then my father saith unto me: I believe God that Joseph liveth, for I
see always that the Lord numbereth him with you, 3 And he said, weeping: Ah me,
my son Joseph, thou livest, though I behold thee not, and thou seest not Jacob
that begat thee. 4 He caused me also, therefore, to weep by these words, and I
burned in my heart to declare that Joseph had been sold, but I feared my
brethren.
8 1 And lo! my children, I have shown unto you the last times, how
everything shall come to pass in 2 Israel. Do ye also, therefore, charge your
children that they be united to Levi and to Judah; For through them shall
salvation arise unto Israel, And in them shall Jacob be blessed. 3 For through
their tribes shall God appear [dwelling among men] on earth, To save the race of
Israel, And to gather together the righteous from amongst the Gentiles. 4 If ye
work that which is good, my children, Both men and angels shall bless you; And
God shall be glorified among the Gentiles through you, And the devil shall flee
from you, And the wild beasts shall fear you, And the Lord shall love you, [And
the angels shall cleave to you]. 5 As a man who has trained a child well is kept
in kindly remembrance: So also for a good work there is a good remembrance
before God. 6 But him that doeth not that which is good, Both angels and men
shall curse, And God shall be dishonoured among the Gentiles through him, And
the devil shall make him as his own peculiar instrument, And every wild beast
shall master him, And the Lord shall hate him. 7 For the commandments of the law
are twofold, And through prudence must they be fulfilled. 8 For there is a
season for a man to embrace his wife, And a season to abstain therefrom for his
prayer. 9 So, then, there are two commandments; and, unless they be done in due
order, they bring very 10 great sin upon men. So also is it with the other
commandments. Be ye therefore wise in God, my Children, and prudent,
understanding the order of His commandments, and the laws of every word, that
the Lord may love you.
9 1 And when he had charged them with many such words, he exhorted
them that they should 2 remove his bones to Hebron, and that they should bury
him with his fathers. And when he had 3 eaten and drunken with a merry heart, he
covered his face and died. And his sons did according to all that Naphtali their
father had commanded them.
THE
