The Last Words of…

May 5, 2009, 9:42 am by dc-agape.

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The Dead Sea Scrolls have a number of Tractates that depict the Last Words of the Patriarchs.  As with the Pentateuch, we also know that these were not written by the famous people that are indicated.  We also know that numerous copies of these documents have been “edited” by different groups over the centuries.  I want to start with The Last Words of Judah for two reasons.  First, it is short enough to make a quick post.  Second, I can explain some of the details about the relationship between these Jewish Tracts and what the Christians did to them.

The Last Words of Judah are nearly completely lost.  Only one fragmentary paragraph survives.  It is important to recognize that his “last words” are completely different than those of Jacob in the Book of Genesis.  For example, “Judah” claims that Levi will be the head.  This Tractate goes on to claim that Simon will be blessed.  Compare that to Jacobs curse blessing in Genesis 49:5-7.  The two different opinions of Levi and Simon are harshly different.  But so are the differences between Genesis 49:8-12 and Judah himself being second to Levi.  It is obvious that Judah will rule from the Genesis passage, and that rule will be above his brother Levi.  The strangest part is that about Joseph.  In the Tractate Joseph will be third, yet it is clear that Jacob had other intentions (Genesis 49:22-26).  How can Joseph be the third if he is to be the “prince among his brothers”? 

It is quite obvious that the two documents (Genesis and the Last Words of Judah) where written by different people, with different political and religious opinions.  There is strong evidence that two different Torahs existed before the Babylonian exile (the Torah and the Nevi’im) while a third portion was added after the exile (the Ketuvim).  Where the Dead Sea Scrolls fit into this compilation is still under great debate. 

This will be the introduction to the Tractates of the Patriarchs.  Others included in these Tractates are: The Last Words of Naphtali, An Apocryphon of Judah, The Last Words of Joseph, The Last Words of Kohath, The Last Words of Levi, Tales of the Patriarchs, and Lives of the Patriarchs.  Four more Tractates relate to the Book of Genesis: Commentaries on Genesis, A Meditation of Creation, A Sermon on the Flood, and A Meditation on the Fourth Day of Creation.  This may seem like a long list, but most are fragmentary a best and only The Last Words of Levi is very well preserved. 

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