The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs contain a substantial amount of prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah. While all versions acknowledge that the Messiah will come, opinions vary as to His true identity and role. According to Christians, the apocalyptic passages found in the Testaments can be associated with events in the life of Jesus. To the Jews, the apocalyptic passages are either Christian, or Maccabean interpolations, and the reference to the Messiah point to John Hyrcanus of the Maccabees. Below are summaries and analyses of the Testaments of the patriarchs, with a few quoted passages. Only one version of the many translations is summarized for each patriarch [Source: Early Christian Writings], and a second version is listed as reference. Additional summaries [of analys