Testament of Jacob
Encyclopedia
The Testament of Jacob is a work now regarded as part of the Old Testament apocrypha
. It is often treated as one of a trio of very similar works, the other two of which are the Testament of Abraham
and Testament of Isaac
, though there is no reason to assume that they were originally a single work. All three works are based on the Blessing of Jacob
, found in the Bible, in their style.
In a similar manner to the other two Testaments, the Testament of Jacob begins with Jacob being visited by the archangel Michael
and told of his impending death, and then being taken on a visit to heaven, where he first sees the torture of the sinful dead, and then meets the deceased Abraham. In this Testament it is the angels that Jacob meets who deliver the bulk of the sermonising passages.
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
. It is often treated as one of a trio of very similar works, the other two of which are the Testament of Abraham
Testament of Abraham
The Testament of Abraham a pseudepigraphic text of the Old Testament. Probably composed in the 1st or 2nd century CE, it is of Jewish origin and is usually considered to be part of the apocalyptic literature. It is not regarded as scripture by Jews or any Christian group...
and Testament of Isaac
Testament of Isaac
The Testament of Isaac is a work now regarded as part of the Old Testament apocrypha. It is often treated as one of a trio of very similar works, the other two of which are the Testament of Abraham and Testament of Jacob, though there is no reason to assume that they were originally a single work...
, though there is no reason to assume that they were originally a single work. All three works are based on the Blessing of Jacob
Blessing of Jacob
The Blessing of Jacob is a poem that appears in Genesis at . Jacob had twelve sons, each of whom is mentioned.The poem presents an opinion of the merits and attributes of each of the Tribes of Israel, and so can be compared with the Blessing of Moses, which has the same theme...
, found in the Bible, in their style.
In a similar manner to the other two Testaments, the Testament of Jacob begins with Jacob being visited by the archangel Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
and told of his impending death, and then being taken on a visit to heaven, where he first sees the torture of the sinful dead, and then meets the deceased Abraham. In this Testament it is the angels that Jacob meets who deliver the bulk of the sermonising passages.