Codex: Testament of the 12 Patriarchs
Book: Testament of Judah
Judah describes some archeological findings, a city with walls of Iron and gates of brass. He has an encounter with an adventuress.
2:1 AND eighteen years my father abode in peace with his brother Esau, and his sons with us, after that we came from Mesopotamia, from Laban.
2:2 And when eighteen years were fulfilled, in the fortieth year of my life, Esau, the brother of my father, came upon us with a mighty and strong people.
2:3 And Jacob smote Esau with an arrow, and he was taken up wounded on Mount Seir, and as he went he died at Anoniram.
2:4 And we pursued after the sons of Esau.
2:5 Now they had a city with walls of iron and gates of brass; and we could not enter into it, and we encamped around, and besieged it.
2:6 And when they opened not to us in twenty days, I set up a ladder in the sight of all and with my shield upon my head I went up, sustaining the assault of stones, upwards of three talents weight; and I slew four of their mighty men.
2:7 And Reuben and Gad slew six others.
2:8 Then they asked from us terms of peace; and having taken counsel with our father, we received them as tributaries.
2:9 And they gave us five hundred cors of wheat, five hundred baths of oil, five hundred measures of wine, until the famine, when we went down into Egypt.
2:10 And after these things my son Er took to wife Tamar, from Mesopotamia, a daughter of Aram.
2:11 Now Er was wicked, and he was in need concerning Tamar, because she was not of the land of Canaan.
2:12 And on the third night an angel of the Lord smote him.
2:13 And he had not known her according to the evil craftiness of his mother, for he did not wish to have children by her.
2:14 In the days of the wedding feast I gave Onan to her in marriage; and he also in wickedness knew her not, though he spent with her a year.
2:15 And when I threatened him he went in unto her, but he spilled the seed on the ground, according to the command of his mother, and he also died through wickedness.
2:16 And I wished to give Shelah also to her, but his mother did not permit it; for she wrought evil against Tamar, because she was not the daughters of Canaan, as she also herself was.
2:17 And I knew that the race of the Canaanites was wicked, but the impulse of youth blinded my mind.
2:18 And when I saw her pouring out wine, owing to the intoxication of wine I was deceived, and took her although my father had not counselled it.
2:19 And while I was away she went and took for Shelah a wife from Canaan.
2:20 And when I knew what she had done, I cursed her in the anguish of my soul.
2:21 And she also died through her wickedness together with her sons.
2:22 And after these things, while Tamar was a widow, she heard after two years that I was going up, to shear my sheep, and adorned herself in bridal array, and sat in the city Enaim by the gate.
2:23 For it was a law of the Amorites, that she who was about to marry should sit in fornication seven days by the gate.
2:24 Therefore being drunk with wine, I did not recognize her; and her beauty deceived me, through the fashion of her adorning.
2:25 And I turned aside to her, and said: Let me go in unto thee.
2:26 And she said: What wilt thou give me? And I gave her my staff, and my girdle, and the diadem of my kingdom in pledge.
2:27 And I went in unto her, and she conceived.
2:28 And not knowing what I had done, I wished to slay her; but she privily sent my pledges, and put me to shame.
2:29 And when I called her, I heard also the secret words which I spoke when lying with her in my drunkenness; and I could not slay her, because it was from the Lord.
2:30 For I said, Lest haply she did it in subtlety, having received the pledge from another woman.
2:31 But I came not again near her while I lived, because I had done this abomination in all Israel.
2:32 Moreover, they who were in the city said there was no harlot in the gate, because she came from another place, and sat for a while in the gate.
2:33 And I thought that no one knew that I had gone in to her.
2:34 And after this we came into Egypt to Joseph, because of the famine.
2:35 And I was forty and six years old, and seventy and three years lived I in Egypt.
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