"... Reuben is most popularly known as the brother who sought to protect Joseph from being killed. However, the Testament dwells entirely on a brief episode recounted in Genesis 35:22 ... Here in his “testament,” Reuben returns to this episode as well. The story is significantly expanded. Reuben sees Bilhah bathing naked, which plants the idea of fornication with her into his mind. When his father, Jacob, is away visiting Isaac, Reuben enters Bilhah’s tent, finds her naked and uncovered (she had apparently been drinking), and has sex with her without awakening her. As soon as the act is done, an angel informs Jacob about what had happened. He mourns over Reuben and has no further relations with Bilhah. Reuben is afflicted with a disease in his genitalia for seven months and nearly dies, but Jacob prays on his behalf, and God spares him. Convicted of his guilt, Reuben does penance by abstaining from meat, alcohol, and pleasant foods for seven years, remaining conscience-stricken throughout his life. This retelling of the story closely resembles the version found in Jubilees 33:1–8. There, too, Reuben sees Bilhah bathing, enters her tent secretly, and lays with her while she sleeps. In Jubilees, however, Bilhah awakens during the act, cries out aloud, and tells Jacob upon his return about what transpired ..."