What is "testament"

Testament \Tes"ta*ment\, n. [F., fr. L. testamentum, fr. testari to be a witness, to make one's last will, akin to testis a witness. Cf. Intestate, Testify.]

1. (Law) A solemn, authentic instrument in writing, by which a person declares his will as to disposal of his estate and effects after his death.

   Note: This is otherwise called a will, and sometimes a last will and testament. A testament, to be valid, must be made by a person of sound mind; and it must be executed and published in due form of law. A man, in certain cases, may make a valid will by word of mouth only. See Nuncupative will, under Nuncupative.

2. One of the two distinct revelations of God's purposes toward man; a covenant; also, one of the two general divisions of the canonical books of the sacred Scriptures, in which the covenants are respectively revealed; as, the Old Testament; the New Testament; -- often limited, in colloquial language, to the latter.

   He is the mediator of the new testament . . . for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament.
   --Heb. ix. 15.

   Holographic testament, a testament written wholly by the testator himself.
   --Bouvier.

late 13c., "last will disposing of property," from Latin testamentum "a last will, publication of a will," from testari "make a will, be witness to," from testis "witness," from PIE *tri-st-i- "third person standing by," from root *tris- "three" (see three) on the notion of "third person, disinterested witness."\n

\nUse in reference to the two divisions of the Bible (early 14c.) is from Late Latin vetus testamentum and novum testamentum, loan-translations of Greek palaia diatheke and kaine diatheke. Late Latin testamentum in this case was a confusion of the two meanings of Greek diatheke, which meant both "covenant, dispensation" and "will, testament," and was used in the former sense in the account of the Last Supper (see testimony) but subsequently was interpreted as Christ's "last will."

n. 1 (context legal English) A solemn, authentic instrument in writing, by which a person declares his or her will as to disposal of his or her inheritance (estate and effects) after his or her death, benefiting specified heir(s). 2 One of the two parts to the scriptures of the Christian religion: the New Testament, considered by Christians to be a continuation of the Hebrew scriptures, and the Hebrew scriptures themselves, which they refer to as the Old Testament. 3 A tangible proof or tribute. 4 A credo, expression of conviction

1. n. a profession of belief; "he stated his political testament"

2. a legal document declaring a person's wishes regarding the disposal of their property when they die [syn: will]

3. strong evidence for something; "his easy victory was a testament to his skill"

4. either of the two main parts of the Christian Bible

Testament is a 1983 drama film based on a three page long story titled "The Last Testament" by Carol Amen (1934-1987), directed by Lynne Littman and written by John Sacret Young. The film tells the story of how one small suburban town near the San Francisco Bay Area slowly falls apart after a nuclear war destroys outside civilization.

Originally produced for the PBS series American Playhouse, it was given a theatrical release instead by Paramount Pictures (although PBS did subsequently air it a year later). The cast includes Jane Alexander, William Devane, Leon Ames, Lukas Haas, Roxana Zal and, in small roles shortly before a rise in their stardom, Kevin Costner and Rebecca De Mornay. Alexander was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true.

Testament can also refer to:

"Testament" is a song written and performed by British recording artist Matt Fishel. It is a fast punk rock song that also incorporates elements of the more melodic pop punk. The song was released as a single on 28 May 2012, and appears on Fishel's 2013 debut album Not Thinking Straight.

Testament is a 1996 video game by Insanity. It is a horror First-person shooter.

Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band consists of vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve DiGiorgio and drummer Gene Hoglan. In the years since its inception, Testament has had numerous lineup changes, and Peterson has been the only constant member. Billy replaced former singer Steve Souza in 1986, prior to the recording of their first studio album, The Legacy, and has been a member of the band since. Billy and Peterson are the only band members to appear on every album.

Testament is often credited as one of the most popular bands of the thrash metal scene, having sold over 1.4 million albums in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era and 14 million albums worldwide. To date, the band has released ten studio albums, four live albums, six compilation albums, and six singles. After signing a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1986, they released their debut album The Legacy in 1987 to critical acclaim. Many of their subsequent albums — including The New Order (1988), Practice What You Preach (1989), Souls of Black (1990), The Ritual (1992), The Formation of Damnation (2008) and Dark Roots of Earth (2012) — were also successful. Testament's upcoming eleventh studio album, Brotherhood of the Snake, will be released on October 28, 2016.

During their major label years, Testament secured opening slots on major tours, including opening for notable acts such as Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Anthrax, Megadeth, Overkill, Judas Priest and Slayer. They also gained critical recognition for embarking on the European Clash of the Titans tour with Slayer, Megadeth and Suicidal Tendencies. As of 2016, the band continues to tour and perform live.

Testament was an American comic book series written by Douglas Rushkoff with art and covers by Liam Sharp. It was published from February 2006 to March 2008 under DC Comics' Vertigo imprint.

The story takes place simultaneously in the near future and the biblical past to illustrate the most prominent theme: that history repeats itself. This is done by juxtaposing the two timelines, the purpose of which seems to be to illustrate that religion is a continually evolving, living story that is being written by how people, and specifically the protagonists, live their daily lives. Other themes include increasing numbers of fascist governments, human rights, technology, and information economics in the form of a global currency, manna.