Date of composition

• Before the second century AD.
• Its popularity among early Christians is proved by its inclusion in a listing of books used by Christians in the early 800s by Nicephorus of Constantinople.

Type of Apocrypha (heretical or in error (made up))

• Apocrypha.
• Scholars are divided as to whether it is of Jewish origin with Christian editing or of Christian origin.

Length

• 68 double-spaced pages.

Summary

• The book consists of sermons given by the twelve sons of Jacob. Each sermon was given by a son as advice to his sons. They each discuss a different area of a righteous life, such as Reuben on right thoughts, Simeon on envy, Issachar on simplicity, etc.