The language is frankly Patripassian in Test. Levi, iv. 1, ^bov (XKvXevofx^i'Ou eirl t^ irddet rov ii\l/iaTov (which is a reference to Mt 27°-- '^). But cf. Ac 20^, ' the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood ' (N B). Two passages which ■would be Psilanthropist were they Christian are ' the compassion of the Lord shall come, a man (dvffpuTTos) working righteousness and working mercy unto all them that are afar off, and to ail them that are near' (Test. Naph. iv. 5), and ' aman (ivSpa) who reneweth the law in the power of the Most High ye shall call a deceiver ; and at last ye shall rush (upon him) to slay him,' etc. (Test. Levi, xvi. 3). The reference in the latter is obscure, but both passages are obviously Judaic in origin.
Once Christ is called 'Son' — 'until the Lord shall visit all the Gentiles in the tender mercies of His Son ' (Test. Levi, iv. 4).
The Virgin Birth may be referred to in the
strange and corrupt passage. Test. Jos. xix. 8 : ' from Judah was born a virgin wearing a linen garment, and from her was born a lamb without .spot.' A ' virgin ' (cf. Is 37") might well represent tiie Jewish community (cf. Rev 12'), but the con- text uses animal symbolism only. Twice the order 'from Levi and Judah' is varied. In Test, Dan, v. 10 and Te.^t. Gad, viii. 2, Judah is put lirst. In Test. Jud. xxiv. 1, 5, 6 and Test. Naph. viii. 2'", 3 descent from Judah alone is mentioned, and so too Test. Jos. xix. 8 (but here 'from Judah ' is clearly an intrusion ; see Cli.arles's note).
Tlie events of our Lord's life mentioned are : (1) His baptism (Test. Levi, xviii. 7*") ; (2) descent of the Spirit, ' the spirit of understanding and sancti- lication shall rest upon Him in the water ' (xviii. 7), ' the heavens shall be opened to Him, to pour out the spirit, even the blessing of the Holy Father' (Test. Jud. xxiv. 2); (3) the voice from heaven: ' the heavens shall be opened, and from the temple of glory shall come upon Him sanctitication, with the P'ather's voice as from Abraham to (or ' the father of) Isaac' (Test. Levi, xviii. 6; cf. Test. Jud. xxiv. 2); (4) His crucilixion — 'Nevertheless thy sons shall lay hands upon Him and crucify Him' (Test. Levi, iv. 4), 'the chief priests who shall lay their hands upon the Saviour of the world' (xiv. 2), 'there shall the Lord be treated with outrage and He shall be lifted up upon a tree ' (Test. Benj. ix. 3 ; cf. Test. Levi, x. 2, xiv. 1 and [?] xvi. 3'^'') ; the rending of the veil of the Temple (Test. Levi, x. 3, Test. Benj. ix. 4) ; (5) His resur- rection and ascension, ' He shall ascend from Hades and shall pass from earth into heaven ' (Test. Benj. ix. 5).
Titles and attributes. — Christ is called ' the Lamb of God' in Test. Jos. xix. 11, Test. Benj. iii. 8,
'Saviour' in Test. Dan, vi. "
World ' in Test. Benj. iii. Gentiles ' in Test. Dan, vi. begotten Prophet' ('Son,' c]
'a prophet of the Most High' in Test. Levi, viu. 15 (possibly originally applied to Hyrcanus ; see Charles's note). He is to be 'meek and lowly' (Test. Dan, vi. 9), to reign over Israel 'in humility and in poverty ' (v. 13); He ' appeared upon earth in the form of a man in humility' (Test. Benj. x. 7). His suffering is vicarious. He 'takethaway the sins of the world' (Test. Jos. xix. 11). 'A blameless one shall be delivered up for lawle.ss men and a sinless one shall die for ungodly men in the blood of the covenant,' etc. (Test. Benj. iii. 8). He redeems the souls of the saints (Test. Dan, v. 11). He ' teaches by His works the law of God' (vi. 9 ; cf. Test. Levi, xvi. 3). Belief in Him bestows a kingdom here and joy hereafter (Test. Dan, v. 13, Test. Benj. x. 7) ; unbelief .shall condemn Jews first and then Gentiles (x. 8, 9).
The Gentiles. — Salvation is never explicitly limited to Israel in the Te.^tatnents, but every case of explicit inclusion of the Gentiles in the scheme of salvation is suspect, though quite probably in two cases their implicit inclu.sion (Test. Levi, v. 7 [/i] and Test. Jud. xxiv. 6) is original (see Charles's Testaments of the T)mlve Patriarchs, note on Test. Benj. ix. 2). The jiresent writer cannot agree with Charles, however, in accepting the other passages as original. In Test. Benj. ix. 4, ' the Spirit of God shall pass on to the Gentiles as fire poured forth ' after the Crucifixion. The chosen of the Gentiles will be used to convict Israel in the judgment (Test. Benj. x. 10 ; cf. lio 2", Lk IP';"").
Christian baptism is referred to in Test. Levi, xvi. 5 : ('through ia.\ih and ivater'),\n Test. Asher, vii. 3: 'breaking the head of the dragon in the water' (Sm rod iiSaros).
Finally, though the first six lines may just conceivably be pre-Christian, the present writer
7 (/3), 'Saviour of the ' Saviour of tlie 9, 'Prophet' — 'only I in Test. Benj. ix. 2,