Don't be confused by the title "Apocalypse of Moses". That is a completely different, independent work otherwise called the Life of Adam and Eve. It is unfortunate that it was given the name Apocalypse of Moses by some. As for connecting the Assumption of Moses with Jubilees, this was a suggestion made a while back which is not sufficiently supported by evidence (according to Charlesworth), but it is plausible at least that the Assumption of Moses circulated as a work sometimes combined with Testament of Moses (as known to Jude) and sometimes combined with Jubilees (as known to Severus of Antioch). It's just that the evidence is so slender that this is only a speculation (e.g. no copy of Jubilees is extant with an Assumption of Moses ending).
Assumption of Moses
by googlemagoogle 25 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Leolaia
Looks like this is an important work on the subject:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/9004097791/002-9467094-2246461?v=glance
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Frannie Banannie
Interesting......considering that when I checked the translation from Greek to English concerning that phrase which denotes in English that Michael argued with the devil.......when I checked the Greek phrase, it more correctly translates as "arguing/ed with himself dividedly".....which makes sense in that an individual having "imbibed" from the tree of knowledge (you know the drill) would be divided over what is good and what is bad.....and when one considers that God, after discovery of Adam and Eve's having "eaten" from the tree, was quoted as having said to "someone in God's presence".....(Gen. 3:22) "Here the man has become like one of US in knowing good and bad...."
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Leolaia
Frannie....I probably wouldn't read that much into the verse; plus the verb is a middle participle which indicates Michael judging for himself "in disagreement" (dielegeto) with the Devil. Here is the entry in Louw and Nida's Greek dictionary:
30.113 DIAKRINW: to judge that there is a difference or distinction - 'to make a distinction, to judge that there is a difference.' KAI OUQEN DIEKRINEN METAXU hHMWN TE KAI AUTWN 'he made no distinction between us and them' Ac 15:9. In some languages it may be best to render this statement in Ac 15:9 as 'he did not think that we and they are different.'
31.37 DIAKRINOMAI; DIALOGISMOS, OU m; DISTAZW: to think that something may not be true or certain - 'to doubt, to be uncertain about, doubt.' DIAKRINOMAI: POREUOU SUN AUTOOIS MHDEN DIAKRINOMENOS 'go with them, with no doubts at all' Ac 10:20; AITEITW DE ENN PISTEI, MHDEN DIAKRINOMENOS 'but you must believe when you pray, and not doubt at all' Jas 1:6. DIALOGISMOS d: DIA TI DIALOGISMOI ANABAINOUSIN EN THi KARDIAi hUMWN? 'why are you beginning to doubt?' (literally 'why do doubts arise in your mind?') Lk 24:38. DISTAZW: OLIGOPISTE, EIS TI EDISTASAS? 'how little faith you have; why did you doubt?' Mt 14:31. In a number of languages 'doubt' is expressed by means of idioms, for example, 'to have two thoughts' or 'to think only perhaps' or 'to believe only a little' or 'to question one's heart about.'
33.412 DIAKRINOMAI; ANAKRINW c: to express disapproval of what someone has done - 'to criticize.' DIAKRINOMAI c: hOTE DE ANEBH PETROS EIS IEROSALHM, DIEKRINONTO PROS AUTON hOI EK PERITOMHS 'when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who insisted on circumcision criticized him' Ac 11:2. It is possible to interpret the meaning of DIAKRINOMAI in Ac 11:2 as being merely adverse judgment, but since this judgment was clearly voiced, DIAKRINOMAI implies more than mere judgment. The direct expression of an adverse judgment may be best rendered in English as 'to criticize.' ANAKRINW c: hH EMH APOLOGIA TOIS EME ANAKRINOUSIN ESTIN hAUTH 'this is my defense to those who criticize me' 1Cor 9:3. For another interpretation of anakrinw in 1Cor 9:3, see 56.12.
33.444 DIAKRINOMAI b ; DIAKRISIS b , EWS f: to dispute with someone on the basis of different judgments - 'to dispute, to debate about, contention, dispute.' DIAKRINOMAI b TWi DIABOLWi DIAKRINOMENOS DIELEGETO PERI TOU MWUSEWS SWMATOS 'in his dispute with the Devil, he argued about who would have the body of Moses' Jd 9. DIAKRISIS b: MH EIS DIAKRISEIS DIALOGISMWN 'do not argue about his personal opinions' Ro 14:1.
googlemagoogle....I just some more interesting references and quotes from the Assumption of Moses, but I think I'll save them for my upcoming thread on pseudepigraphal sources for Jude.
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euripides
Before anyone rushes out and lays down $120 on the Brill critical text with commentary on the Testament of Moses, try to obtain it through your local or university library interlibrary loan. I did that with a Brill critical text on Genesis 18-19 (from the local library!) and in two weeks had what I wanted. Of course, it's nice to own a nice library of important pricey works, but these texts are budget busters sometimes, and Brill is one of the priciest.
The Didymus quote seems to pertain to how both Elijah and Moses were bodily transformed ("metamorphosized") by God.
I don't see Isaiah mentioned.
I also think that Severus' interpretation of the term "body of Moses" he feels pertains to the religious corpus, or the people, Israel. That's not uncommon to make a Philonic extrapolation, especially with the intertestamental literature. Ultimately, what is Jude's point in referring to this?
The issue was one of hierarchical authority in the Jude text, but I just realized you weren't asking about that!:-) -
googlemagoogle
I just some more interesting references and quotes from the Assumption of Moses, but I think I'll save them for my upcoming thread on pseudepigraphal sources for Jude.
sounds great! -
Frannie Banannie
Leolaia, I actually didn't "read into" anything....the Greek phrase literally translated from the Interlinear in the Greek dictionary really, really was translated as "arguing with HIMSELF DIVIDEDLY."
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Leolaia
Frannie....I was just referring to the linking the highly literal rendering (when usually words are used more idiomatically) to the Garden of Eden story in Genesis. And actually, since the actual story is no longer extant in the form that the author of Jude knew, it's one of those enigmas that welcomes all sorts of attempts to make sense of it.
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Frannie Banannie
Leolaia, you are sooooooo right, mygod, yer right. I don't know how I could have made the assumption that it was to be literally translated. What is wrong with me? I can see that your viewpoint is so much clearer, better explained and more easily understood than the Greek dictionary's meanderingly verbose rendering, which muddies the translation and doesn't really make a point. I guess I'm just H.U.M.A.N. (head-up-my-*ss-now) and can't see the forest for the trees, cher. Everyone on this board should thank you SOOO much for stepping in and clearing this matter up for us all. I do.