# Jude 9 and the Body of Moses, and the lost book "Assumption of Moses"



## Pergamum

> Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.




I am re-studying this passage.


Does Jude use the book _The Assumption of Moses_ in reference to this disputation. Is it universally believed that this book existed and acted as a source for Jude here?

Any thoughts on this disputing over the body of Moses? Why would there be a dispute?






In the Targum, the _Pseudo-Jonathan_, the comments on Deut. 34:6 seem to indicate a Jewish tradition of the Devil trying to get the body of Moses in order to tempt the Jews into idolatry, and so the angels bury Moses 4 miles from the site of his death.


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## Contra_Mundum

Jude _could be_ alluding to a relatively well-known tale, like a religious story based on fact, that was current.

I would put this kind of allusion in a similar category to Paul's quoting pagan philosophers. Nothing wrong with it. It is hard to tell if Jude ascribes an historical conviction to the story, or if he understands it literarily, that is as story. If there were allusions to books of the Apocrypha, that alone would not make a sufficient argument for their canonicity.

If you come down on the side of "history", then you simply ascribe this idea to the realm of history, realizing the Bible isn't the only source of Jewish history. But to read the passage like this is _possibly _to miss Jude's theological point. WHY he makes the statement (and it's not to affirm the historical accuracy of the author) is more important than the WHAT.

The issue is "railing accusations." The issue is contentiousness.

Furthermore, the "quote" put in Michael's mouth is actually a QUOTE from the REAL BIBLE!Zechariah 3
1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 

2And the *LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee*, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?​
A similar effect is observed when "Enoch" is quoted, 1:14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones."​
The quoted words are a close parallel to actual Scripture from Deuteronomy 33:2
He said: "The LORD came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.​


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## MLCOPE2

A possible explanation that I have heard for Moses' body being taken was to prevent any type of worship towards Moses' as an idol. 

This would appear to be a legitimate answer since we all know how prone the Israelites were to idolatry. However this is just a possible explanation. I too would like to hear others understanding of this passage.


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## py3ak

G. Campbell Morgan has what I believe to be a unique take on the passage. In _The Crises of the Christ_ he argues that Moses was raised from the dead at some point in time after the incarnation (or at the same time, I don't quite recall). This is how Moses was able to appear bodily at the Transfiguration along with Elijah. The devil objected to the resurrection of Moses, if my recollection is accurate, on the grounds that nothing had been done to secure that resurrection. So there was a dispute about the raising of his body, but the efficacy of Christ's life and death was proleptically availing.


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## Pergamum

WOW! Interesting.


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