The Testament of Dan

Dan was the fifth son of Jacob, and the first of Bilhah, who was Jacob's concubine and the maid of Rachel, Jacob's wife. When Jacob blessed his sons, it is stated that Dan would provide justice for his people.

• Genesis 49:16-17 "Dan shall provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. He will be a snake by the road, a viper in the path that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backward."

The Tribe of Dan is not mentioned as one of the tribes to have 12,000 members promised the Seal of God (Revelation 7:1-8). This is due to the fact that his tribe fell into idolatry. King Jeroboam I built a pagan temple in the land of Dan and set up a golden calf to be worshiped. 

• 1 Kings 12:29-30 "And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves.

That tragic sin prompted the prophet Amos to include the land of Dan in his denouncement of pagan worshippers, that they shall fall and never rise again.

• Amos 8:14 "Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again."

The name Dan means "judge" or "justify." He remarkably exhorted on the effects of anger which he strongly discouraged.

Chapter 1

1. The copy of the words of Dan, which he spake to his sons in his last days, in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life.

2. For he called together his family, and said: Hearken to my words, you sons of Dan; and give heed to the words of your father.

3. I have proved in my heart, and in my whole life, that truth with just dealing is good and well pleasing to God, and that lying and anger are evil, because they teach man all wickedness.

4. I confess this day to you, my children, that in my heart I rejoiced concerning the death of Joseph, a true and good man.

5. And I rejoiced that he was sold, because his father loved him more than us.

6. For the spirit of jealousy and vainglory said to me: You also are his son.

7. And one of the spirits of Beliar stirred me up, saying: Take this sword, and with it slay Joseph: so shall your father love you when he is dead.

8. Now this is the spirit of anger that persuaded me to crush Joseph as a leopard crushes a kid.

9. But the God of my fathers did not suffer him to fall into my hands, so that I should find him alone and slay him, and cause a second tribe to be destroyed in Israel.

Chapter 2

1. And now, my children, behold I am dying, and I tell you of a truth, that unless you keep yourselves from the spirit of lying and of anger, and love truth and longsuffering, you shall perish.

2. For anger is blindness, and does not suffer one to see the face of any man with truth.

3. For though it be a father or a mother, he behaves towards them as enemies; though it be a brother, he knows him not; though it be a prophet of the Lord, he disobeys him; though a righteous man, he regards him not; though a friend, he does not acknowledge him.

4. For the spirit of anger encompasses him with the net of deceit, and blinds his eyes, and through lying darkens his mind, and gives him its own peculiar vision.

5. And with wich it encompasses his eyes? With hatred of heart, so as to be envious of his brother.

Chapter 3

1. For anger is an evil thing, my children, for it troubles even the soul itself.

2. And it makes the body of the angry man its own, and over his soul it get the mastery, and it bestows upon the body power that it may work all iniquity.

3. And when the body does all these things, the soul justifies what is done, since it sees not aright.

4. Therefore he that is wrathful, if he be a mighty man, has a threefold power in his anger: one by the help of his servants; and a second by his wealth, whereby he persuades and overcomes wrongfully; and thirdly, having his own natural power he works thereby the evil.

5. And though the wrathful man be weak, yet he has a twofold power of that which is by nature; for wrath ever aides such in lawlessness.

6. This spirit goes always with lying at the right hand of Satan, that with cruelty and lying his works may be wrought.

Chapter 4

1. Understand, therefore, that the power of wrath is vain.

2. For it first of all gives provocation by word; then by deeds it strengthens him who is angry, and with sharp losses disturbs his mind, and so his  soul stirs up with great wrath .

3. Therefore, when any one speaks against you, be not moved to anger, and if any man praises you as holy men, be not uplifted: be not moved either to delight or to disgust.

4. For first it pleases the hearing, and so makes the mind keen to perceive the grounds for provocation; and then being enraged, he thinks that he is justly angry.

5. If you fall into any loss or ruin, my children, be not afflicted; for this very spirit makes (a man) desire that which is perishable, in order that he may be enraged through the affliction.

6. And if you suffer loss voluntarily, or involuntarily, be not vexed; for from vexation arises wrath with lying.

7. Moreover, wrath with lying is a twofold mischief; and they assist one another in order to disturb the heart;

8. and when the soul is continually disturbed, the Lord departs from it, and Beliar rules over it.

Chapter 5

1. Observe, therefore, my children, the commandments of the Lord, And keep His law; Depart from wrath, and hate lying, That the Lord may dwell among you, and Beliar may flee from you.

2. Speak truth each one with his neighbour. So shall you not fall into wrath and confusion; But you shall be in peace, having the God of peace, so shall no war prevail over you.

3. Love the Lord through all your life, and one another with a true heart.

4. I know that in the last days you shall depart from the Lord, And you shall provoke Levi unto anger, And fight against Judah; But you shall not prevail against them, For an angel of the Lord shall guide them both; for by them shall Israel stand.

5. And whensoever you depart from the Lord, you shall walk in all evil and work the abominations of the Gentiles, going a-whoring after women of the lawless ones, while with all wickedness the spirits of wickedness work in you.

6. For I have read in the book of Enoch, the righteous, that your prince is Satan, and that all the spirits of wickedness and pride will conspire to attend constantly on the sons of Levi, to cause them to sin before the Lord.

7. And my sons will draw near to Levi. And sin with them in all things; And the sons of Judah will be covetous, plundering other men's goods like lions.

8. Therefore shall you be led away [with them] into captivity, and there shall you receive all the plagues of Egypt, and all the evils of the Gentiles.

9. And so when you return to the Lord you shall obtain mercy, and He shall bring you into His sanctuary, and He shall give you peace.

10. And there shall arise unto you from the tribe of [Judah and of] Levi the salvation of the Lord; And he shall make war against Beliar. And execute an everlasting vengeance on our enemies;

11. And the captivity shall he take from Beliar [the souls of the saints], and turn disobedient hearts unto the Lord, and give to them that call upon him eternal peace.

12. And the saints shall rest in Eden, and in the New Jerusalem shall the righteous rejoice, and it shall be unto the glory of God for ever.

13. And no longer shall Jerusalem endure desolation, Nor Israel be led captive; For the Lord shall be in the midst of it living amongst men, And the Holy One of Israel shall reign over it in humility and in poverty; and he who believes on Him shall reign amongst men in truth.

Chapter 6

1. And now, fear the Lord, my children, and beware of Satan and his spirits.

2. Draw near unto God and unto the angel that intercedes for you, for he is a mediator between God and man, and for the peace of Israel he shall stand up against the kingdom of the enemy.

3. Therefore is the enemy eager to destroy all that call upon the Lord.

4. For he knows that upon the day on which Israel shall repent, the kingdom of the enemy shall be brought to an end.

5. For the very angel of peace shall strengthen Israel, that it fall not into the extremity of evil. And it shall be in the time of the lawlessness of Israel, that the Lord will not depart from them, but will transform them into a nation that does His will, for none of the angels will be equal unto him. and His name shall be in every place in Israel, and among the Gentiles.

6. Keep, therefore, yourselves, my children, from every evil work, and cast away wrath and all lying, and love truth and long-suffering.

7. And the things which you have heard from your father, do you also impart to your children that the Saviour of the Gentiles may receive you; for he is true and long-suffering, meek and lowly, and teaches by his works the law of God.

8. Depart, therefore, from all unrighteousness, and cleave unto the righteousness of God, and your race will be saved for ever.

9. And bury me near my fathers.

Chapter 7

1. And when he had said these things he kissed them, and fell asleep at a good old age.

2. And his sons buried him; after that they carried up his bones, and placed them near Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.

3. Nevertheless, Dan prophesied unto them that they should forget their God, and should be alienated from the land of their inheritance and from the race of Israel, and from the family of their seed.

To God be the glory. Amen!