Saturday, February 4, 2023

John Paul Heil on the Translation/Assumption of Moses in Josephus' Antiquitates Judaicae (Antiquities of the Jews)

  

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)