One theory is that the word "testify" was derived from the ancient Roman custom of men holding their testicles with their right hands before giving testimony in court.
And why did the Romans have to hold their balls before they could testify in court? It was so that eunuchs and women were excluded.
We should say that etymologists aren't unified on this: some say that the origin of testify came from the latin "testis" which means "third person standing by" or "witness." But that's boring. (Source: American Heirtage Dictionary of the English Language)
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did the act of perjury [lying] during testifying, result in crushing of the testicle via the hammer [gavel?] of the judge?
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I found this link to be a pretty interesting take on the duality of this term
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Michael Jackson is swearing a lot.
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Knitterman is right. That method of swearing an oath is the origin of the word "Testament".
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A quick read of Genesis 24 (in the Christian Bible) will show that swearing by male "privates" (either one's own, or the other person to whom one is swearing) is an old practice. Abraham told his servant to place his hand "under my thigh", which is considered a euphemism to describe what is actually being held when one puts his hand under another man's thigh.
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