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MOSES, TESTAMENT OF

A prophecy of Moses preserved in a single, incomplete, 6th-century c.e. Latin manuscript translated from a Greek text, itself likely translated from a Hebrew original. Ancient lists of apocryphal books record both a Testament of Moses and an Assumption of Moses. Whether these were two distinct works or a single composition is unclear. Because the Testament of Moses lacks its original ending, it is possible that it once contained the Assumption of Moses or some other account of Moses’ death.

The 12 extant chapters of the Testament of Moses contain the final exhortation of Moses to his successor Joshua. The book loosely rewrites Deut. 31–34, and follows the basic Deuteronomic pattern of sin and punishment. In ch. 1 Moses tells of his impending death and appoints Joshua as his successor. In ch. 2 Moses predicts the Conquest, the period of the judges, and the Divided Monarchy. Ch. 3 foretells the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians and views the Exile as a punishment for sin. In ch. 4 Moses predicts the return from captivity and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. In chs. 5 through 7 Moses foresees Jewish idolatry during the Hellenistic period, the degeneration of the Hasmoneans, the rise of Herod the Great, and the campaign of Varus in 4 b.c.e. Ch. 8 then recounts the prior persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes. In ch. 9 the Levite Taxo and his seven sons resolve to die, rather than break the laws. Ch. 10 is an apocalyptic hymn prophesying the coming kingdom of God. The work concludes with a dialogue between Joshua and Moses, in which Moses promises Joshua that God will keep the covenant. The text then breaks off in the middle of a sentence.

The date and author of the Testament of Moses are subject to debate. Some scholars argue for an early 1st century c.e. composition, while others propose a date in the early stages of the Maccabean Revolt (168-165 b.c.e.), with later post-Herodian interpolations (4 b.c.e.–30 c.e.). The unknown author of the Testament of Moses has been variously identified as a Hasidim of the Maccabean period, a Pharisee, an Essene, or a pious member of an unknown Jewish sect.

Bibliography. J. Licht, “Taxo, or the Apocalyptic Doctrine of Vengeance,” JJS 12 (1961): 95-103; G. W. E. Nickelsburg, ed., Studies on the Testament of Moses (Cambridge, Mass., 1973); J. Tromp, The Assumption of Moses. SVTP 10 (Leiden, 1993).

Kenneth Atkinson

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

MOSES, TESTAMENT OF

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)