The Testaments Of The 12 Partriarchs and Paul the Tribe of Benjamin, meaning the right hand and the wolf.

King Saul said, “2 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.” (1 Samuel 9:1, 2). Paul, on the other hand, says, “There are those who say, ‘He is dignified and strong in his letters, but when you meet him, he is weak and a poor speaker.’” (2 Corinthians 10:1). Both men were of the same tribe of Benjamin and had the same name, Saul, yet they led completely opposite lives.

Peter, who was shown evangelism to the Gentiles and supported the new covenant

I Corinthians 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29that no flesh should glory in His presence.

This demonstrates that under the New Covenant, the bondage of nationality, ethnicity, and similar barriers has been completely remodeled and rendered void. In Acts 10:15, the Apostle Peter was commanded by the Lord in a vision to accept food that was previously deemed unclean. Later, despite the Law's strict prohibition against associating with foreign Gentiles—including Cornelius, an Italian centurion living in Caesarea, and his attendants—Peter was instructed by the Holy Spirit to disregard those restrictions. He then addressed Cornelius and the large gathering of foreigners who had come to welcome him, declaring the following:

Acts 10:28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 34Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

In Galatians 3:28, “28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29For if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's descendants and heirs according to the promise.” As it is written. 

Some people believe that the tribe of Benjamin is a wolf in sheep's clothing and that Paul is a false prophet because of Genesis 49:27, which says, “Benjamin is a ravening wolf that devours its prey in the morning and shares what it has taken in the evening.” It is true that Paul was at first a wolf that preyed on Christians. But then he finished the race of his Christian life and was martyred.

Still there are those who say that Paul, the Saul of Benjamin, falls into that category because Jesus described him as “a wolf in sheep's clothing”.

Lions and wolves

In the Bible, Christ is referred to as the Lion of the tribe of Judah ( Revelation 5:5). On the other hand, Satan the devil, like a howling lion, is also said to be looking for opportunities to tempt and put to death. (1 Peter 5:8) In other words, animals that seem to symbolize evil sometimes appear in the Bible in both good and evil ways.

And in Isaiah 11:6-9, “The wolf lies down with the sheep. The infant leads the viper.” In other words, there are descriptions of peaceful coexistence. In Matthew 10:16, we are even told that we need to be “vigilant like serpents.” Therefore, applying a symbolic animal used with bad connotations to all can be an inflexible interpretation. Esther and Mordecai, who averted the extinction of the Jewish people, were also from the tribe of Benjamin. (Esther 2:5-7)

In reference to Genesis 49:27, during the "morning"—the early phase of Paul's life when he went by Saulo and persecuted Christians—he was like a ferocious, ravenous wolf in sheep's clothing, using the Law as a shield to disguise his actions as obedience to God. However, during the "evening"—the final chapter of his life—he became a vessel that "divided the spoil." He did this by sharing the faith, teachings, and salvation with other nations—treasures that the Jews had previously monopolized, and for which early believers had been persecuted and martyred by Saulo and the Pharisees. The first-century phenomenon of Christ's salvation being shared with the Gentiles serves as a prototype for the communal life of the wolf and the lamb at Christ's Second Coming. This reality is documented within the biblical Apocrypha.

The Testaments Of The 12 Partriarchs

It is called “The Testaments Of The 12 Patriarchs”. It is one of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in the Qumran Caves at Israel, but it appears to be a collection of various letters that were preserved as the 1666 Oskan Armenian Orthodox Church Bible. The following is quoted here ; also quoted here.

In his testament, Reuben laments the sin he committed primarily against Bilhah (Gen 35:22). Although the specific details of this sin are absent from the canonical biblical text, it is recorded here that he violated Bilhah while she was asleep and intoxicated. Following this, he suffered from a severe affliction (plague or sores) in his loins for seven months, from which he eventually recovered through the encouragement and prayers of Jacob. This narrative closely resembles the account found in the Book of Jubilees. Reuben attributes the temptation to sin to various spirits of deceit and error. He issues an exceptionally strong warning against the sin of fornication and condemns the wicked ways in which women beguile men. The testament as a whole serves as a defense and an account of the lessons learned from the transgressions of Reuben’s life.

The following testimony is attributed to Simeon. Simeon states that the Lord caused him to lose the strength in his right hand for several months as a consequence of his hatred and mistreatment of Joseph. He later acknowledged Joseph's goodness and repented of his wicked attitude. Concurrently, he admonished his sons to guard against deceit and envy, urging them to lead pure and upright lives. A brief warning against fornication is given in much the same spirit as that found in the Testament of Reuben, and in this connection, the writings of Enoch are referenced (see 5:3f.).

The testament of Levi that follows is primarily eschatological in character. Levi falls into a deep sleep, the heavens are opened, and an account of heaven is given. The statement that he was told by an angel to judge the Shchemites is not found in the Greek version, so it is likely an addition. He sees another vision, in which seven white-robed men dress him in priestly garments. Levi is given the promise that his descendants will occupy the three offices of prophet, priest, and king, which is a sign of the coming of the Messiah. A short biographical section follows, along with a general admonition. Levi then prophesies the fall of his descendants, especially at the end of the age. Sexual sin plays a particularly large part in this depravity. The destruction of the temple is prophesied, which would be in the 70 years. In the end, a glorious “new priest” will appear, and all the saints will be clothed with joy.

The following is the Testament of Judah, which begins with a declaration of his exploits—how he slew lions, bears, boars, leopards, and wild oxen, and triumphed in battles against Canaanite kings. It records Esau’s assault on the sons of Jacob and Jacob’s subsequent victory. There is a considerable degree of similarity between the accounts recorded here and those found in the Book of Jubilees. Judah recounts the sinful events surrounding Tamar, offering both an explanation and a defense of his actions. He admonishes his children to lead upright lives, vehemently condemning greed, drunkenness, and fornication. Sorrowful over the impending unchastity and wickedness of his descendants, Judah looks forward to the day when they will all bring themselves to repentance.

Issachar's testament is much shorter than the previous two. It speaks primarily of the mandrakes familiar from biblical accounts. There is little sadness or repentance in this testament; on the contrary, there is considerable exuberance on Issachar's part for the good life he has lived. He encourages his sons to lead similar lives.

Zebulun's testament is also short and mostly concerns the peddling of Joseph. Zebulun justifies this by declaring that he was only marginally involved in the affair and received no money. He encourages his sons to show compassion to others as he did.

In a short testament by Dan, he confesses that he hated Joseph's fate enough to rejoice in it, and therefore admonishes his children to avoid anger. (Genesis 37:19-21) This anger is blamed on a specific evil spirit, Belial. Dan suggests that anger is dangerous and must be avoided.

Naphtali's testament begins with a genealogy of his mother Bilhah, whose father is called Lotheus, and some general recommendations referring of Enoch's writings. The story of Naphtali's vision, in which Levi seizes the sun and Judah the moon, continues. Joseph seizes a bull and rides it, and a storm at sea separates the brothers. There is another reference to the future salvation that will come from Levi and Judah.

Gad admits his hatred for Joseph, and the entirety of his testament is dominated by the theme of hatred. Gad encourages his sons to show love and care, and speaks of what is the noblest character.

In Asher's testament, obedience to righteousness, not falsehood, is generally strongly encouraged, in a tone similar to that of the Book of Wisdom and the Letter of James. Some teachings are developed along the lines of the “two ways” doctrine.

Joseph's testament is primarily concerned with a lengthy account of the seduction by Potiphar's wife. It was God who protected him from her vices, and the whole event is an opportunity for moral instruction to Joseph's sons. There are quite a few parallels with the words of the Gospel (cf. 1:6). There is an important reference a virgin gives birth to a conquering lamb (cf. 19:8).

The last will and testament is that of Benjamin. It begins with an account of Joseph's slavery to Egypt . Benjamin warns his children against deceit and sexual immorality; the first two verses of chapter 11 are often said to refer to the apostle Paul.

The other letters, including the Testament of the Twelve Tribal Patriarchs, were also completed at different times, of course, but they were gathered together around the above-mentioned period, and the Armenian Orthodox Church edition is considered to be the most comprehensive collection available at that time. Among them, the one we are dealing with here is said to have been written by a strict Pharisee Jew during the reign of John Hyrcanus I (109-106 AD), but its authorship is unknown. It is said that the letter was completed based on his friendship with the high ranking family of the Maccabees and his political ideas, but there are many Christians who quote from the letter because the contents, such as the immortality of the soul, which contradict the biblical canon, have not been confirmed. 

The letter consists of prophetic stories told by the heads of the Twelve Tribes on their deathbeds. An approximate summary of each tribal chief's testament can be found here. It contains many admonitions against sexual immorality, lust, envy, anger, and other bad feelings. It is remarkable because it was written by a strict Pharisee and a hundred years before Paul was born and active.

1 Thessalonians 2:16 is from the Testament of Levi 6:10-11; Romans 12:19 is from the Testament of Gad 6:7; Romans 12:21 is from the Testament of Benjamin 4:3; 2 Corinthians 7:10 is from the Testament of Gad 5:7; Ephesians 5:6 is from the Testament of Naphtali 3:1 verse is taken from verse 1. Wiki.

There are Slavic, Armenian, and Greek versions, each of which contains parts of the story that do not exist in the other, and there may be a prophecy to the point that the following scripture, “I will no longer be called a wolf, but I will do the will of the Lord and give food to foreigners,” but it does not seem to exist in the Armenian version, including Paul's details.  I cannot say for sure since I have not been able to confirm the actual text of the other parts of the passage, including Paul's details. However, according to Wikipedia, archaeologists consider the Hebrew or Greek version to be the oldest, and many foreign Bible researchers use the Greek version as their primary source. The original Greek version, which is believed to be the original, as compiled and handed down orally by the Jews, contains a prophecy for a man who appears to be Paul.

Chapter 11:1 “And I shall no longer be called a rapacious wolf on account of your rapine, but ‘the Lord’s worker’ providing food for those who do good works.” 2 “And in later times there shall rise up the beloved of the Lord, from the lineage of my seed(or Levi and Judah's one, it depends on manuscript), one who does his good pleasure by his mouth, enlightening all the nations with new knowledge. The light of knowledge will mount up in Israel for her salvation, seizing them like a wolf coming upon them, gathering the tribes.” ( After verse 3 may be missing depending on the manuscript. It is possible that some additions have been made.) 3 “Until the consummation of the ages he shall be in the congregations of the gentiles/nations/people and among the rulers, like a musical air in the mouths of all.” 4 “He shall be written of in sacred books, both his work and his word. And he shall be God’s Chosen One forever.” 5 “He shall range widely among them, like my father, Jacob, saying, ‘He shall fill up what was lacking of your tribe.”

Interestingly, Jacob's old prophecy to the tribe of Benjamin has been nullified and reversed. The salvation that had been Israel's monopoly was separated from them like a wolf and revealed as a new covenant to the Gentiles. This was accomplished by the transfer of the gospel from the proud Pharisees to the humble Gentiles, as Jesus said, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will bear the fruit it deserves. "(Matthew 21:43) 

It is further fulfilled in the words of Matthew 20:16, “Many first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” The tribe of Benjamin is the youngest of the twelve tribes. In 1 Corinthians 15:9,10, Paul, the youngest vessel of the tribe of Benjamin, who could admit in public that he was not qualified to be called an apostle because he persecuted the Church of God, appeared before all men in the position of a slave.

However, ➡Paul himself prophesied apocalyptically that Christianity, which had now spread to the West through Paul's achievements, would apostatize and suffer the same fate as ancient Israel and become Babylon the Great. Salvation will be transferred to the Gentiles in the East, including Japan, who are of the bloodline Israel, away from Western Christianity, which is spiritual Israel, as it was at that time. This will be the case at the start of the Millennial Reign, when many Christians will be destroyed and good unbelievers who do not know Jesus will be saved.

Detach the benjamin, meaning the right hand.