The unique and mysterious
circumstances surrounding the death of Moses gave it a very exceptional
character. Indeed, no human being seems to have died and been buried quite like
the great prophet Moses. This gave rise to some interesting interpretive
elaboration upon the end of the earthly life of Moses in traditions prior to
and/or roughly contemporaneous with the NT.
Josephus: Antiquitates
Judaicae
To a much greater degree
than the biblical account Josephus dramatically amplifies the murmuring and
rebellion against the leadership of Moses. Josephus reinforces the role of
Moses as a prophet, “twice identifying him as a prophet when the biblical text
does not.” Although the great prophet Moses repeatedly experiences opposition
from various factions of the people, they never put him to death. Indeed,
Josephus dramatically enhances the biblical account of the people’s mourning
for their revered prophet. It begins after Moses told the Israelites of his
approaching death, but while he is still alive.
Rather than repeating the
biblical account that Moses died and was buried by God so that no one knows of
his burial place (Deut 34:5-6). Josephus dramatically develops it by reporting
that Moses, instead of dying, simply disappeared and returned to God. Josephus
begins to entertain this interpretation when he comments upon the Israelites’
concern that Moses has been delayed on Mount Sinai for forty days (Exod 32:1):
α. Antiquitates Judaicae
3.5.7. §95-97
95 A fear seized the
Hebrews that something had befallen Moses, and of all the horrors that they had
encountered none so deeply distressed them as the thought that Moses had
perished. 96 There was a conflict of opinions: some said that he had fallen a
victim to wild beasts—it was principally those who were ill disposed towards
him who voted for that view—others that he had been taken back to the divinity.
97 But the sober-minded, who found no private satisfaction in either
statement—who held that to die under the fangs of beasts was a human accident,
and that he should be translated by God to Himself by reason of his inherent
virtue was likely enough—were moved by these reflections to retain their
composure.
Except for those opposed to
Moses, the people cannot accept the thought that Moses may have died. The
“sober-minded” or “wise” (σωφρονας)
thought it quite appropriate in view of his virtue that Moses should be
“translated by God to Himself” (το υπο του θεου προς αυτον μεταστηναι) instead of dying (3.5.7
§97). The opinion that rather than dying Moses has been “taken back to the
divinity” (προς το θειον ανακεχωρηκεναι, 3.5.7 §96) likens Moses
to Enoch, who, according to Josephus also “returned to the divinity” (ανεχωρησε προς το θειον, 1.3.4. §85) instead of
dying.
When Josephus reports on
the end of the earthly life of Moses, he reinforces the above opinion by
himself asserting that Moses never died but disappeared and returned to God.
b. Antiquitates Judaicae 4.8.48 §326
And, while he bade farewell
to Eleazar and Joshua and was yet communing with them, a cloud of a sudden
descended upon him and he disappeared in a ravine. But he has written of
himself in the sacred books that he died, for fear lest they should venture to
say that by reason of his surpassing virtue he had gone back to the Deity.
To some interpreters it
appears that Josephus at this point is asserting that Moses actually died
rather than simply disappeared and returned to God. But this interpretation
fails to distinguish between the assertion of Josephus himself and what
Josephus reports about the concern of Moses. According to Josephus Moses “has
written of himself” in the biblical account that he died (Deut 34:5). But Moses
wrote this because of his modesty. HE feared that the people would place too
much emphasis upon his personal virtue (cf. A.J. 3.5.7 §97). Josephus
frequently underlines the humility of Moses.
c. Antiquitates Judaicae 3.8.8. §212
Moses, for his pαrt, having declined every
honour which he saw that the people were ready to confer on him, devoted
himself solely to the service of God . . . dressed like any ordinary person, in
all else he bore himself as a simple commoner, who desired in nothing to appear
different from the crowd, save only in being seen to have their interests at
heart.
Thus, in A.J. 4.8.48
§326 Josephus is further demonstrating the modesty of Moses. Moses “has written
of himself” that he died because he did not want “to appear different from the
crowd,” as if he did not die like a “simple commoner.” Although this is what Moses
wrote, this is not what Josephus thinks. For Josephus Moses did not
actually die, but disappeared in a cloud in a ravine and returned to God.
That Moses “disappeared” (αφανιζεται, 4.8.48 §326) likens him
to Elijah, who also “disappeared from human beings” (εξ ανθρωπων ηφανισθη), and to both Elijah and
Enoch, as those who became “invisible” (αφανεις) that no one knows of
their death (9.2.2 §28). That Moses “has gone back to the Deity” (προς το θειον αυτον αναχωρησαι, 4.8.48 §326) at the end
of his earthly life recalls the opinion of those who thought that he did not
die on Mount Sinai, but had been “taken back to the Deity” (προς το θειον ανακεχωρηκεναι, 3.5.7 §96) like Enoch,
who also did not die, but “returned to the Deity” (ανεχωρησε προς το θειον, 1.3.4. §85). For Josephus,
then, the great prophet Moses, like the prophet Elijah and Enoch, did not even
die, but simply disappeared and returned to God in heaven. (Ibid., 103-6)
