The Testament of Job: The last voice of the righteous

“Who destroys an idol awakens the fury of evil, but also the favor of the living God.”

1. What is the Testament of Job?

• It is a work of the literature intertestamentaria (between OT and NT), part of the so-called Pseudepígrafos of the Old Testament, texts attributed to biblical characters but written much later.
• Is presented as the last words of Job their sons and daughters before you die: a sort of spiritual testament, in which he recounts his story, interprets their tests and stop moral exhortations.
• Not directly dependent on the canonical text of Job, but that reworked the tradition of Job so midráshica and legendary: extended, modified and redefined history.

In summary: it is a story jewish hellenistic period/roman, tone, narrative and uplifting, which uses the figure of Job to teach patience, fidelity, rejection of idolatry and hope in the face of suffering.

2. Canonical situation and use in religious traditions

• It is not canon in judaism nor in the churches: catholic, orthodox, or protestant. Is treated as apocryphal literature/pseudepigráfica.
• However, it was well-known and transmitted in circles of Egypt and the christian East, which explains why we have manuscripts copts, greeks and slavs.
• In biblical studies to modern, it is used as source for understanding the late judaism, certain currents of spirituality (los angeles, hymns, “to speak with tongues of angels”), and the reception of the old figure of Job.

3. Manuscripts, language, and transmission of textual

3.1 original Language

• The majority of specialists today consider that the the original was written in Greek. In the past it was proposed an original Hebrew or aramaic, but that stance has lost strength in the face of linguistic analysis.

3.2 Witnesses manuscripts

The main witnesses are:

• Copy coptic (V century): fragmentary, but very old; it shows that the book was circulated in areas egyptian christians.
• Greek manuscripts: at least four codices main, from which have been made critical editions, modern (Brock 1967, Kraft 1974).
• Version slavonic old: based in several manuscripts between the XIV-XVIII; his textual tradition seems to independent the main lines of Greek, preserving the readings.

3.3 critical Work modern

• Critical editions and studies of reference: Sebastian Brock (1967), Robert A. Kraft (1974), and the monograph comprehensive Maria Haralambakis, The Testament of Job: Text, Narrative and Reception History (2012).
• Recent studies discussed the “traits jews and christians” in the text, and the possible intervention of editors later christian.

“Patience is not silent: it is spiritual resistance to what you want to quebrarte.”

4. Date and place of composition

4.1 Dating

The majority of scholars situates the work:

• Between the the I century a. C. and the first century ad. C.
• That is to say, in the the Second Temple period latea contemporary of other apocalyptic writings and wisdom jews.

The argument is based on:

• Traits language to the Greek.
• Parallelos with jewish traditions “midráshicas” pre-christian.
• The absence of christology explicit, although there are possible touch-ups later christian.

4.2 Origin and geographical

There are two main hypotheses:

1. Palestine: its strong anchoring in jewish traditions, issues of idolatry and worship.
2. Egypt (Alexandria or circles egyptian jews): by the use of the Greek, the transmission coptic later, and certain cultural traits.

Conclusion: it is prudent to say that it is a work jewish eastern Mediterraneanprobably in an environment where the Greek was a language of culture, and then widely christianised in your transmission.

“No hit the opponent can overcome the heart that remains intact.”

5. Literary genre and structure

5.1 Gender

• Fits in the genre of “wills”: the speeches at the end of a biblical character (such as the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, Testament of Moses, etc), where the patriarch tells, urges, and prophesy.
• Mix:
  • Narrative hagiográfica (the life and trials of a righteous),
  • Story folk/midráshico (add episodes legendary),
  • and parénesis (moral exhortations, and spiritual).

5.2 basic Structure

There are small differences depending on the edition, but globally it can be split like this:

1. Introduction: Context of the final illness of Job, calls sons and daughters to say goodbye.
2. Autobiography of Job (a large part of the work):
   • His past life, wealth, and justice.
   • The destruction of a temple idolatrous, and the hatred of Satan.
   • The tests suffered, views from a new perspective.
3. Role of the wife and family:
   • The wife Sitidos (the name does not appear in the Bible) has a central role: its dialogue with the Job of accentuating the contrast between despair and patience.
   • Appearance key of the Job's daughterswith prophetic gifts, and ability to sing “with the tongue of angels” by multi-coloured laces.
4. Exhortations end:
   • Tips for moral and spiritual sons and daughters.
   • Insistence on patience, charity, hospitality, and the rejection of idolatry.
5. Death of Job and epilogue:
   • Description of the peaceful death of the righteous.
   • Sometimes with elements of visionary or liturgical.

“The real wealth of a man is measured when he loses everything he owns.”

6. Key differences with the biblical book of Job

6.1 relative Independence of the canonical text

The Testament of Job it is not simply a comment to the Job bible; rewrites the story:

• Job becomes king (in some of the passages are placed him as “king in Egypt” or figure of great authority), something absent in the biblical text.
• Satan has a role much more active and “personal”with several costumes and direct attacks, not only as an “accuser” in a heavenly court.

6.2 Motivation for the attack of Satan

• In the biblical book, the test arises out of a dialogue between God and Satan, that calls into question the sincerity of the piety of Job.
• In the Testament, Satan hates Job because Job destroys a temple idolatrous and breaks the worship of an idol, thus earning the hatred of the opponent.
• This introduces a dimension antiidolátrica and almost “quality”: Job suffers not only as just proven, but as a combatant against idolatry.

6.3 Attitude of Job during the tests

• In the biblical text, Job discuss, complain, protest and even questioned the justice of God, though not proud of It.
• In the Testament of Job is given more hagiográfica:
  • Is steadfast, patient, “a model of endurance” with less dramatic tension.
  • His speech is more exemplary than a problem: a mirror of virtue.

6.4 Role of the wife

• In the Bible, the wife appears briefly: "do you Still hold to your integrity? Curse God and die" (Job 2,9).
• In the Testament, the wife has a name (Sitidos) and a extensive participation:
  • It is ambivalent figure: express human despair in the face of extreme suffering.
  • Through it, the text deepens the contrast between the patience of Job and the temptation to despair.

6.5 The daughters of Job, and the charismatic gifts

• The Testament attributed to the daughters of Job charismatic gifts: they will give “multi-coloured laces” that allow them to sing in the language of the angels.
• Some scholars see here an early interest in the idea of glosolalia (speaking in tongues) or of that heavenly liturgy, in continuity with jewish and christian traditions later.

“The suffering test the meat, but it reveals the truth of the spirit.”

7. Theological content and main themes

7.1 Patience and endurance in suffering

• The main theme is the “heroic patience” in front of the test: Job becomes a paradigm of the righteous endures to the end.
• The emphasis is not so much in the mystery of evil (as in the book canon), but in the response of the believer: persevere, don't deny, keep the piety and justice.

7.2 Struggle against idolatry

• The trigger of the persecution is the combat Job against idolatrydestroying a temple of false worship.
• Job appears as iconoclast and religious reformer, a precursor of a pure monotheism and radical.

7.3 Satan as a personal enemy

• Satan is presented in the form even more diabolical and personalist, bent on destroying Job:
  • Disguises,
  • Deceives,
  • Directly attacks your body, your property and your family.
• This reinforces a vision that is more “dramatic” in the spiritual struggle, which is very close to the demonology that we will later see in some christian texts.

7.4 Charity, alms and hospitality

• The Testament stresses the alms, the hospitality and the care of the poor as essential traits of the righteous:
  • Job is not only pious, but actively caring.
• In this way, the work is aligned with the spirituality of jewish values tsedaká (justice/handout) as a concrete expression of their faithfulness to God.

7.5 Dimension “charismatic” and angelológica

• The scene of the daughters who receive multi-coloured laces to sing in the language of angels, places the text in a spiritual environment where:
  • The heavenly liturgy she is a model,
  • The prayer with angels and experiences ecstatic have spiritual value.
• This about a certain mystical currents in jewish late and, subsequently, to the sensibilities of christians who value the “speaking in tongues” and the spiritual gifts.

8. Relationship with judaism and christianity

8.1 jewish Origin

• The majority of specialists agree that the core of the Testament of Job is a jew:
  • Theology is monotheistic without christology explicit.
  • Strong emphasis on the moral Law, alms-giving, hospitality, rejection of idolatry.

8.2 Traces or touch-ups christians

• Some features of linguistic and theological may reflect rereadings christian later:
  • Vocabulary Greek and resonance christian.
  • Possible tweens to harmonize with certain ideas of redemptive suffering, or intercession.
• The transmission in manuscripts, coptic, and in environments monastic reinforces the idea of a welcome to christian living, though on the basis jewish before.

“The light just won't turn off: it even in the dust and sores.”

9. Importance of the Testament of Job bible study and religious

From an academic approach, the Testament of Job is important for several reasons:

1. Reception Job
   • Shows how the late judaism “re-read” Job: less a philosopher of suffering, and more hero of the patience and fighter against idolatry.
2. History of the theology of suffering
   • Complements the book of the bible when you move the focus:
     • The question “why suffer the righteous?”
     • To “how it should behave just when he suffers for being faithful and destroy idols?”.
3. Studies on demonology and Satan
   • It is a testimony of the early a demonology most developedwhere the devil is an enemy personnel, active and deceiver.
4. Mystical, liturgy and gifts
   • The episode of the daughters and the song of angels is key for tracking:
     • The idea of language of angels,
     • The relationship between clothes, laces and worship,
     • The intersection between late judaism and christian spirituality primitive.
5. Pseudepígrafos and configuration of the “canon expanded”
   • It is a perfect example of how in the ancient world, not everything that is circulating as a sacred text or uplifting ended up in the canon, but strongly influenced the piety and the religious imagination.

10. Synthesis

If I had to resumirte “everything there is to know” the Testament of Job in a few lines:

1. Origin and nature
   • Work jewish pseudepigráfica, written in Greek between the first century a. C. and I d. C., transmitted after in environments christians (Greek, coptic, slavonic).
2. Gender
   • “Testament” spiritual Job: his last words to sons and daughters, with an autobiographical story, and exhortations.
3. Content distinctive
   • Job as king and destroyer of temples idolaters.
   • Satan is much more active and personal.
   • Wife Sitidos with expanded role.
   • Daughters with charismatic gifts and singing in the language of angels.
4. Theology and ethics
   • Focus on the heroic patience, the fight against idolatry, the charity and hospitalityfidelity is an absolute low of extreme suffering.
5. Importance of academic
   • Key to understanding:
     • The reception Job in the late judaism.
     • The evolution of the demonology and mystic spirituality.
     • The diversity of the religious literature of the Second Temple.

“That supports the test with righteousness leaves a will stronger than any word.”