Testament of Naphtali 1

¹The copy of the testament of Naphtali, which he ordained at the time of his death in the hundred and thirtieth year of his life. ²When his sons were gathered together in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, while still in good health, he made them a feast of food and wine. ³And after he was awake in the morning, he said to them, I am dying; and they believed him not. ⁴And as he glorified the Lord, he grew strong and said that after yesterday's feast he should die. ⁵And he began then to say: Hear, my children, ye sons of Naphtali, hear the words of your father. ⁶I was born from Bilhah, and because Rachel dealt craftily, and gave Bilhah in place of herself to Jacob, and she conceived and bare me upon Rachel's knees, therefore she called my name Naphtali. ⁷For Rachel loved me very much because I was born upon her lap; and when I was still young she was wont to kiss me, and say: May I have a brother of thine from mine own womb, like unto thee. ⁸Whence also Joseph was like unto me in all things, according to the prayers of Rachel. ⁹Now my mother was Bilhah, daughter of Rotheus the brother of Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, who was born on one and the self-same day with Rachel. ¹⁰And Rotheus was of the family of Abraham, a Chaldean, God fearing, free-born, and noble. ¹¹And 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 of the village in which he had been taken captive. ¹²And 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.