Cmo et xxmo.' Throughout the work Moses is to die an ordinary death (e.g. V^ 3^^ lO'^-i*). In a Catena quoted in Fabricius (Cod. Pseud. Vet. Test. ii. 121, 122), and again in Section xiii. of Vassiliev'a Anecdota Grceco-Byzantina (pp. 257-258), we find references to a natural death of Moses, which may be derived from the original ending of the ' Testa- ment.' In Vassiliev's work the words that follow seem to be derived from the true ' Assumption,' while Josephus (Ant. IV. viii. 48) seems to be a^vare of the new claims put forth for Moses' Assumption, while explaining the Scripture statement of his death as a precaution against deification of the national hero : vi(pov% ai<pvL5iov virip avrou aravros, dcpavi^erai Kara, rivos (pdpayyos. Viypacpe 5' avrov iv Tats iepals ^£/3/\ots redveOra, deLcras ht] 5l u7rep^o\7]i> rrjs irepl ai^rdi' dpeTfjS irpbs t6 deiov avrov dvax(^prjo'ai ToKfj-rjcrwaLV elneiv.
The fragments of the true ' Assumption of Moses ' preserved in various sources are as follows. — We read in Jude ^: ' But Michael the archangel, when, contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a rail- ing judgment, but said, " The Lord rebuke thee." ' Clem. Alex, quotes this verse in Adumhrat. in Ep. Judce (Zahn's Supplement. Clement in., 1884, p. 84), and adds : ' Hie conlirmat Assumptionem Moysi.' Didymus Alex, in Epist. Judce Enarratio, and the Acta Synodi Niccen. ii. 20 also refer to St. Jude's words as a quotation from ' Moyseos Assumptio' or 'AvdXrjxpis Mwuer^ws. The Devil's claim which Michael thus rebutted was (1) that he was lord of matter (oti i/j-bv t6 (xQ/ui ihs rrjs v\r]s Si<nv6^ovTt, [Cramer's Catena in Ep. Cath., 1840, p. 160: also Matthsei's edition oi Sept. Epp. Cathol., Riga, 1782, pp. 238, 239]) ; (2) that Moses was a murderer.
The answer to the second claim is not given, but the answer to the first is in fuller form than in St. Jude, in Acta Synodi Niccen. ii. 20 : dirb ydp irvev/xaros dyiov avrov TrdvTfs ^KrlffOij/xev, thus claiming all creation as the handiwork of God's Holy Spirit. Origen (de Princip. iii. 2. 1) adds a reproach uttered by Michael to the serpent : ' a diabolo inspiratum serpentem causam exstitisse praevaricationis Adae et Evae.'
The Assumption finally ' takes place in the presence of Joshua and Caleb, and in a very peculiar way. A twofold presentation of Moses ajjpears : one is Moses "living in the spirit," which is carried up to heaven ; the other is the dead body of Moses, which is buried in the recesses of the mountains ' (Charles, p. 106). So Clem. Alex., Strom, vi. 15; Origen, horn, in Jos. ii. 1 ; Euodius, Eplst. ad. Augustin. 258, vol. ii. p. 839 (Ben. ed. 1836). This ' twofold presentation ' would appear to be due to an attempt to reconcile Dt 34^'* with the Jewish legend. Cf. Josephus, quoted above.
6. Value for New Testament study. — i. Paral- lels in phraseology. — These are confined to five passages : (a) Stephen's speech in Ac 7^^, where the words ' in Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness forty years' are the same as in Ass. Mos. 3". Cf. also Ac 7^- ^9 with Ass. Mos. 3^'^.— (h) Jude^^: cf. Ass. Mos. V ' complainers ' ; 7' 'and their mouth will speak great things ' ; 5" respect- ing the persons of the wealthy.' Jude^* 'in the last time'— Ass. Mos. 7^ 'the times shall be ended.'— (c) With 2 P 2^^ cf. Ass. Mos. 1* 'lovers of banquets at every hour of the day,' and with 2^ cf. 7*^ ' devourers of the goods . . . saying that they do so on the ground of justice (or mercy).'
The signs of the end in sun, moon, and stars in Ass. Mos. 10^ resemble those in Mk IS-*- '^'', while the phrase in 8' ' there will come ujion them a second visitation and wrath, such as has not be- fallen them from the beginning until that time,' is nearer Mt 24-^ than Dn 12' and Rev 16'".
There is also the well-known reference to the
ASSUMPTION OF MOSES
ASSURAls^CE
107
lost 'Assumption ' in Jude ^ (generalized, in 2 P 2^'*'") — ' Yet Michael the archangel,' etc.
ii. Parallels in doctrine and ideas. — {a) The parallels with the NT doctrine of Christ are re- markable. Moses appears to fill the place which would be taken by Clirist in Christian belief, as a Divinely appointed mediator, bound by no limita- tions of time or space, interceding on behalf of God's people. His pre-existence and mediatorship are asserted in 1". He was ' prepared before the foundation of the world (cf. Mt 25^'') to be the mediator of His (God's) covenant' (cf. Gal 3^''). Christ, too, was ' before all things ' (Col 1", Jn 1^ 8*^ 17'), and was the Mediator of a new and better covenant (He 8® 9^* 12'-^). Baldensperger sees in IF a definite attack on Christian views. The body of jNIoses would know no local sepulchre, nor would any dare to move his ' body from thence as a man from place to place.' This seems to imply the Jewish view that not only was Christ buried, and His body moved from the cross to the gi'ave, but that His disciples had removed it from the sepulchre (Mt28'^). In IP Joshua says: 'Thou art departing, and who will feed this people [cf. the commission to Peter in Jn 21''"^^], or who is there who will have compassion on them, and . . . be their guide by the way (cf. Mt 9^*^), or who will pray for them, not omitting a single da}'?' cf. 11'^ (Ro S^^ He 7^). But not only is Moses regarded as shepherd, compassionate guide, and intercessor; in 11'® he is described as 'the sacred spirit who was worthy of the Lord (cf. Wis 3^ 7'--), manifold and incomprehensible, the lord of the word, who was faithful in all things (He 3*), God's chief prophet throughout the earth, the most per- fect teacher in the world.' Cf., in regard to Christ, Jn 3^ 'Thou art a. teacher come from God,' 6®* 'Thou hast the words of eternal life.' For the 'manifold Spirit,' cf. 1 Co 12i'-i3, and for Christ as Spirit, 2 Co 3'^ ' the Lord is that Spirit.' In 12® Moses is 'appointed to pray for their (Israel's) sins and make intercession for them ' (cf. He 7-^). Moses also was the appointed revealer of God's hidden purpose (1"*-^^). God had 'created the world on behalf of his people ' (a common Jewish view ; contrast He P, Col P®, Ro IP®, Jn P— where Christ is the final cause of creation). 'But he was not pleased to manifest this purpose of crea- tion from the foundation of the world in order that the Gentiles might thereby be convicted' (by their own false theories). Cf. Ro 16-'- ^® ' . . . the preaching of Jesus Christ . . . the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal, but now is manifested . . . unto all the nations unto obedience of faith.' In Eph P- ^° the mystery of God's will, ' according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in him,' is not Israel but Christ as the goal of all creation. In Eph S'*"" it includes the bringing in of the Gentiles into the scheme of final restoration. In 1 Co 2"^, Eph 3^ Ro 16-' the purpose precedes the creation of the world.