Assumption of Moses

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THE

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN SIXTH CENTURY MS., THE UNEMENDED TEXT OF WHICH IS PUBLISHED HEREWITH, TOGETHER WITH THE TEXT IN ITS RESTORED AND CRITICALLY EMENDED

FORM

EDITED

WITH INTRODUCTION, NOTES, AND INDICES BY

R. H.

CHARLES,

M.A.

TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN, AND EXETER COLLEGE, OXFORD

LONDON ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK 1897

pfi

[All Rig/its Reserved}

TO

MY FATHER AND MOTHER

PREFACE

WKITTEN

in

Hebrew

shortly after the beginning of

the Christian era, this book was designed by its author to protest against the growing secularisation of the Pharisaic party through its fusion with political ideals

and popular Messianic

beliefs.

Its

author, a Pharisaic Quietist, sought herein to recall

party to the old paths, which they were fast forsaking, of simple unobtrusive obedience to the his

He

Law.

accordingly, the old ideals cherished and pursued by the Chasid and Early Pharisaic party, but which the Pharisaism of the first century B.C. had begun to

which

had

glorifies,

been

disown in favour of a more active role in the of the

nation.

which

his

He

foresaw, perhaps, the

doom

life

to

country was hurrying under such a shortsighted and unspiritual policy, and laboured with

But

all

his

power

all in vain.

Cassandra.

The

to stay its

He

downward

progress.

but played afresh the part of leavening of Pharisaism with

PREFACE

viii

earthly political ideals

movement thus

went on apace, and the

initiated culminated finally in the

destruction of Jerusalem by the

adds no

It

that

it

Lord,

little

Romans

was written during the early or

life

At

all

events,

vii.,

probably to the writers of 2 Peter

ii.

It

xxiv.

may

29 (Luke

xxi.

be well here

in

which

of

the Assumption. critical

our

of

His to

and most

10-11 and

25-26). indicate

to

this edition differs

and more

A.D.

was known

it

the writers of Jude 9, 16 and Acts

Matthew

70

with

contemporaneously

possibly

public ministry.

in

the interest of the book

to

the

features

from previous editions

These consist (1) in a fuller treatment of the Latin text, and

Greek and Semitic background which it pre supposes (2) in an exegesis of the text at once

of the

;

more comprehensive and I.

The Latin

critically edited

many.

Text.

detailed.

The Latin text has been

and emended four times

But three

of these

in

Ger

editions have failed to

recognise the Semitic background of the Latin text,

and have thus limited their horizon. that of

recognition of this fact,

The fourth

which has shown ample

Schmidt-Merx is

often

brilliant indeed,

but oftener arbitrary, alike in its emendations and With a view to carrying forward the restorations. criticism of the Latin text, the present editor has

tabulated the peculiar Latin forms

it

contains,

and

PREFACE compared them with

MS.

Latin

like

forms in the fifth-century

the Gospels,

of

ix

k,

and

appropriate references to lions ch gata and Schuchardt

The

s

idiosyncrasies of

carefully summarised,

s

also given

Itala

the

und Vul-

Vokalismus des Vulgar -Lateins. the text have likewise been

and

its

Greek exhibited on grounds

in

derivation from the respects new.

many

At

the next stage of the investigation I have been obliged to part company with all scholars but

advocacy of a Hebrew original. That the book was derived from a Semitic original, it is no longer possible to doubt. That the language Eosenthal in

in of it

my

question was Aramaic is, owing to the advocacy Schmidt-Merx, now generally accepted, but, as for I appears to me, on inadequate grounds ;

have shown, I believe, that it is possible to explain, from the standpoint of a Hebrew original, most of the crucial passages adduced by Schmidt-Merx in

favour

Aramaic, and

an

the remaining passages have no evidential value on the question at

of

I

issue.

whereas

have

many

shown

that

I

further,

of the passages

admit

hope,

that

of explanation

on either hypothesis, there are several which are explicable only on that of a Hebrew original. II.

tion

The has

Exegesis.

been

The work done

in this direc

Short

studies, very inadequate. from time to time, have appeared in indeed, and Germany England, but these have in every

PREFACE

x

instance confined themselves to one or more of the salient features

and main statements

of the book.

The occasional explanatory notes in the editions of Volkmar, Hilgenf eld, and Schmidt-Merx are, though often

same

most helpful and suggestive, open

the

to

This exegetic meagreness of past on the subject has made the task of scholarship more editor arduous than might have the present It has, however, been beneficial in been expected. criticism.

necessitating a first-hand study of all the questions

As

involved in the text.

a result of this study,

have been obliged to differ from all preceding scholars on the interpretation of several of the I

most important facts and chapters With what success I must leave

in

the

to

others

book. to

determine.

As

a help to the reader, I should add that the exegetical notes are placed under the English trans lation

and the

critical

practice, however,

is

under the Latin

text.

This

occasionally broken through.

Finally, I wish here to express my deep grati tude to Dr. Cheyne for his revision of my proofs of a Hebrew original, and for suggestions connected

therewith, and also to Dr. Sutherland Black for his revision of for

the entire

numerous 17

book in proof, as well as

corrections.

BRADMORE ROAD, OXFORD, April 1897.

CONTENTS PAGE

INTRODUCTION 1.

xiii-lxv

Short Account of the Book (pp. xiii-xiv). Other Books of Moses (pp. xiv-xvii).

2.

Editions of the Latin Text

3.

Ceriani, Hilgenfeld,

Volkmar, Schmidt and Merx, Fritzsche (pp. xviii4.

Critical

Inquiries

Hilgenfeld,

Haupt,

Rb nsch,

xxi).

Wieseler,

Carriere,

Rosenthal,

Colani,

Heidenheim, Haus-

Geiger,

Drummond,

Stahelin,

rath,

Ewald, Langen, Philippi,

Dillmann,

Reuss,

Deane,

Baldensperger,

Schiirer,

Thomson, De Faye, Briggs (pp. xxi-xxviii). 5. The Latin Version of the Assumption Its :

Palaeography and Syntax,

Linguistic Character

and

Critical

The

Latin

Greek (2)

:

Worth

a

Translation

from

the

Greek Words are transliterated

for (1)

Greek Idioms survive in the Latin

must

6.

xxviii-xxxvi).

(pp.

Version

;

(3)

;

we

at times translate, not the Latin Text, but

the Greek which

misrendered

by

it

presupposes, but which was

the

Latin

translator

(4)

;

through retranslation into Greek, the source of the incoherencies of the Text can, in some cases, be

discovered

;

Fragments of the

survive (pp. xxxvi-xxxviii).

7.

Greek

still

The Greek

from the Hebrew Original for Hebrew idiomatic Phrases survive in the Latin

a translation

:

;

Hebrew

syntactical

Idioms probably

(1)

(2)

survive

;

CONTENTS

xii

PAGE

we must

(3)

at times

Hebrew presupposed by

Text, but the

frequently

it

not the Latin

translate,

is

Hebrew that we

them

corruptions in the Text and remove

on

Paronomasias

appear

Hebrew

xxxviii-xlv).

Book

(pp.

it

(4)

;

only through retranslation into can understand the source of the

retranslation 8.

;

(5)

into

The present The

in reality a Testament of Moses.

original Assumption preserved only in a few Greek quotations (pp. xlv-1). 9. Dislocation of Chapters VII I. -IX. in the Latin Text from their original position after Chapter Y. (p. 10.

The Author

Essene, but a Pharisaic Quietist (pp. 11.

The Date

li).

not a Sadducee, Zealot, or

(pp. lv-lviii).

12.

li-liv).

Views of the

Author on Moses, Israel, the Messianic Kingdom, Good Works (pp. Iviii-lxi). 13. New Testament and later Writers acquainted with the Assumption (pp. Ixii-lxv).

THE ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

TRANSLATION AND EXE-

GETICAL NOTES

1-51

THE LATIN VERSION OF THE ASSUMPTION OF MOSES CRITICALLY REVISED AND EMENDED, TOGETHER WITH THE UNEMENDED LATIN TEXT OF THE SIXTH CENTURY MS. IN THE MILAN LIBRARY .

THE ASSUMPTION OF MOSES FEW GREEK FRAGMENTS APPENDIX ON

I.

8

.

.

.

SURVIVING ONLY IN A

.

103-110 .

.

.

.

.

INDEX I. PASSAGES FROM THE SCRIPTURES AND OTHER ANCIENT BOOKS DIEECTLY CONNECTED OR CLOSELY PARALLEL WITH THE TEXT INDEX

II.

53-101

NAMES AND SUBJECTS

Ill

113

114-117

INTRODUCTION

SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE BOOK

1.

THE Assumption

Moses was, in all probability, a composite work, and consisted of two originally distinct books, of which the first was really the of

Moses, and the second the Assumption. The former was written in Hebrew, between 7 and

Testament

29

of

and possibly also the

A.D.,

version of

the entire work appeared

Of

A.D.

this

35;

St.

Jude

Baruch, Clement Greek writers. writers

are

9,

in the first

St.

16, 18

Matt. xxiv. 2 9 (?),

;

The fragments

in

and other the

fifth

Greek

below (pp. 107-109).

Greek version was translated into Latin not than the

Acts

the Apocalypse of

of Alexandria, Origen,

printed

Greek

a few phrases and sentences

century have been preserved in vii.

A

latter.

The later

That such a Latin version

century. ever existed was unknown to the modern world

till

nearly forty years ago, when a large fragment of it was discovered by Ceriani in a sixth-century MS. in the Ambrosian Library in Milan. xiii

INTRODUCTION

xiv

The book was written by a Pharisaic

Quietist,

and

forms a noble but ineffectual protest against the grow Its author was a ing Zelotic spirit of the party. learned Jew, well versed in the Scriptures, and inti mately acquainted with the history of his nation

He was full subsequent to the close of the canon. of patriotism; thus he looks for the return of the ten tribes, the establishment of the theocratic king

dom, the triumph final exaltation to

of

and

its

should see

its

Israel over its foes,

heaven, whence

it

enemies weltering in the fires of gehenna. But though a patriot, he is not a Zealot the duty of ;

the faithful

is

not to resort to arms, but simply to

keep the law and prepare, through repentance, the personal intervention of

2.

There literature

for

in their behalf.

OTHER BOOKS OF MOSES a

large

and

the

name

of

been

has

God

bearing

furnishes little or no

help

to

very Moses.

diverse

As

it

the explanation of

content myself here present with a simple enumeration of the various Apocry phal books of Moses that have appeared in Jewish, Christian, and Gnostic literature. the

I.

book,

In Jewish

Greek,

(c) in

I

shall

literature

(a)

In Hebrew,

Arabic, (d) in Slavonic.

(b)

in

INTRODUCTION (a)

xv

Midrash Tanchuma Debarim, translated into German by Wiinsche (1882). Petirath Moshe (n^D nTED), ed. by Gilb. Gaul-

myn

(Paris,

1629), with a Latin translation.

This translation was subsequently published in

1714 by

J.

A. Fabricius, and in

1840

by Gfrorer, Prophetac veteres pseudepigraphi,

Two

pp. 303, 304.

other recensions of this

Midrash have been published by Jellinek, Beth - ha - Midrash (1853), i. 115-129; (1877),

Some

71-78.

vi.

have not been able to

of these

On

see.

books I

these legends,

see also Beer, Leben Moses nacJi Auffassung

der jiidischen Sage (Leipzig,

1863); Bene-

Morte di Mosc (Pisa, 1879); Zunz, Gfottesdienstliche Vortrcige, p. 146.

detti, Vita

(b)

Philo

Vita Mosis,

s

Ant.

e

iv.

8. 4,

39

p.

;

and Josephus,

48.

Bi/3\osA6<ywvMva-Ti,Kwv

Mwvaecos.

This book

is distinguished from the Assumption in the Acts of the Nicene Council, II. 18, where,

after mentioning the latter, these proceed

Kal ev {3i{3\(p

auro?

Aoywv M.vcmKwv

Ma)fO"7J9

irpoetire Trepl

^ahofjiwvTos, OVTCOS TTpoeiTTe et?

Kal

avrov

6

060?

Kal SiaSo%ev(76t,

7r\TJpr]

avTos

OLKO^OfJirjO et,

7ov OIKOV TOV Seov Kal ra er}5. b

Mcovo-ecoS)

rov Aa(3l& KOI

crotyiav Kal Si/caiocrvvrjv

r

7Ti,o nJijLr)v

:

I

have

INTRODUCTION

i

classed this book

(c)

as a Jewish

work, but

the evidence tells neither way. Dr. Leitner has translated into In Arabic.

German pp.

(Deutsche Vierteljahrschrift (1871),

184-212) from of

Apocalypse

the Arabic, a Samaritan

Moses.

I

ful in the explanation of

(d) In

informed "

Mr.

as

Slavonic,

me,

The Exodus

it

use

IX. 1 of our book. has

Morfill

there of

have found

book

a

is

or

Moses,"

kindly entitled

more

fully,

Prophet Moses, and how he ruled among the Saracens, and how he resisted King Pharaoh and Balaam the

"

The

Life of the holy

Wizard, and how he brought the People out of Egypt," Tichonravov, Pamiatniki otrechennoi russJcoi literaturi,

i.

p.

233

sqq.

This writing has no connection (1863). with our Assumption. It is very rabbinic in

character,

features

in

and possesses

common

account of Moses.

with

many such Josephus

s

Mr. Morfill will shortly

publish the translation of this work. II.

In Christian

literature.

Apocalypsis Mosis, in Tischendorf

s "Apocalypses

"

apocryphae Monument.

(1866), V.

Sacr.,

Armenian version has

pp. i.

1-23;

pp.

also

Ceriani,

2124.

An

been published in

INTRODUCTION

xvii

the Uncanonical Books of the Old Testament,

by the Mechitarists at Venice, pp. 1-23 (see James s Apocrypha anecdota, ii. 158, 159,

whence

have derived

I

this last reference).

belongs to the Adamic literature (see Eonsch, Das Buch der JubiThis book

really

laen,

pp.

470-474

E.-K,

xii.

Dillmann,

;

Apocryphum Mosis ^AiTOKpv^ov

p.

Euthalius

to

According

monumcntorum

lectanea

561),

Herzogs

pp. 366, 367).

Photius

Mcovaecos).

(Zaccagni s Col veterum (1698),

(Amphil.

Syncellus (ed. Bonn, i. derived Gal. vi. 16, ovre

p.

St.

Paul

n

earnv

KTicris,

from

48),

TrepiTOfjuj

OVT

aKpo/Bvaria

a\\a

this

Apocryph.

There can be no

this

composition,

of

doubt

just the other way, Apocryph is a Christian

that the borrowing

and that

fcaivrj

and

183),

is

the

general

contents

of

which we have no knowledge. Story of Moses. This is found in Armenian (see

III.

James s Apocrypha

In Gnostic

anecdota,

ii.

p.

160).

literature.

See Epiphanius, Hcer. XXXIX. 5, where it is said that the Sethites used certain Books of

Moses

in addition to others

Abraham and

attributed to

other Old Testament worthies.

INTRODUCTION

xviii

EDITIONS OF THE LATIN TEXT

3.

Ceriani, fasc.

i.

Monumenta

(1861),

sacra

et

pp.

profana,

To

55-64.

this

vol.

i.

scholar

belongs the honour of discovering and identifying these fragments of the lost Assumption of Moses.

In

this

edition

himself with

with

of

the

text

Ceriani

This he did

reproducing the text.

such

contented

that

subsequent inquiries, accuracy conducted by Volkmar, relative to the reading of certain

lead

to

passages, failed

any material

to

improvement on Ceriani s printed Appendix C, Volkmar s edition). Hilgenfeld, receptum,

1st

(1876), pp.

owe the

Novum Testamentum ed.

(1866),

finest

canonem

93-115; 2nd

ed.

we

work that has been pro

textual

Much

duced on this book.

extra

(see

this great scholar

pp.

To

107-135.

edition

of

of it is

permanent and many of his emendations are accepted His contention, however, that the book as final. value,

was written

originally in Greek, has, of necessity,

limited the range of his vision, and barred the to further progress.

But

fault-finding

is

way

ungracious

where such high services have been rendered, and particularly in the case of one

who has not only

done the best work within his self-limited province, but has also been the first to do it. Ceriani, indeed,

was

the

first

to

publish

the

text,

but

INTRODUCTION

xix

Hilgenfeld the book, as he himself rightly claims non M. Cerianio codicis latini, :

"Antonio

libri

.

ipsius

.

.

primam editionem debemus

"

(Mess.

Jud., Proleg. p. Ixx, note).

In the Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftl. Thcol. (1868), pp.

273309,

356, and in his Messias Judaeorum

(1869), pp. 435-468, Hilgenfeld has retranslated the Latin into Greek, and on the whole with admirable

On many

success.

found occasion to

differ

reader will find a

number

passages

have

I

In the sequel the

with him. of these,

where the

critical

treatment of the text presupposes a Greek back

ground diverging from that supplied by Hilgenfeld. Volkmar, Mose Prophetic und HimmelfaJirt, eine Quellefiir das

herausgegeben

und

der

Neue Testament, zum erstenmale deutsch

im

tions to the

emendation

errors,

Apokrypha

(Leipzig,

1867).

made some undoubted contribu

to its interpretation.

many

uberliaupt

Christologie

This writer has

der

Zusammenhang

of the book,

But

his

and occasionally

work

is

by His

disfigured

and at times by gross ignorance.

well-known partiality

for a certain period of history

intervenes here also, and leads

him

to

wrest facts

into accordance with his preconceived theories.

Schmidt and Merx, Die Assumptio Mosis, mit Einleitung und erkliirenden Anmerkungen heraus "

"

gegeben

(Merx, Archiv fur

forschung des Alien Testaments,

ivissenscliaftliclie I. ii.

(1868), pp.

Er-

Ill-

INTRODUCTION

xx

In this learned study Schmidt-Merx have rightly shown that the original of our book must have been written not in Greek, but in Semitic 152).

according to their view, in Aramaic. They were the first to recognise a Semitic not, indeed, but they were the first to apply this original,

hypothesis

consistently

and continuously in the For some review

interpretation of the Latin text. of their

arguments in favour

against a

Hebrew

Aramaic

an

of

as

original, see p. xxxix.

Their emendations and restorations of the Latin are not unfrequently happy, but at times they are

wholly beside the mark and unreasonable. for instance, are

we

to explain

How,

the correction of

the Semitic idiom, facient facientes, into the un

faciem facientes, by editors who are That Hilgenfeld, advocating a Semitic original ? remove this and Fritzsche should Volkmar,

meaning

in

Hebraism

from

their texts by from their standpoint

intelligible

;

can

principle editors

?

Their

we

explain

treatment

the of

correction

but

action

the

text

is

on

what

of

these

in

other

must be con just arbitrary. passages ceded, however, that their work, though often un trustworthy, is always stimulating and suggestive. is

as

It

Fritzsche, Libri apocryphi Vet. Testamenti graece

(1871), pp. 700-730.

In this

very serviceable

edition, Fritzsche prints on one page the text as

INTRODUCTION

xxi

by Ceriani, and facing it, on the opposite page, an emended text with critical footnotes. This work is based mainly on the labours of Hilgenoriginally published

feld,

To

Volkmar, and Schmidt-Merx.

their con

tributions to the recovery of the text Fritzsche has

added some

own.

of his

than

It is a saner text

that of Schmidt-Merx, but not half so brilliant.

CRITICAL INQUIRIES

4.

Under the head on

the

of each of the

his

Assumption,

following writers

most characteristic con

tributions or views are briefly given.

Ewald, pp. des

Gfottinger gelehrte

110-118,1416-1429;

4-7, (1867), pp. Volkes

Israel,

vol.

vi.

Ewald regards our book original

Anzeigen (1862),

5161

as derived

(Hebrew or Aramaic).

It

(Eng.

vol.

i.

Gesch.

trans.).

from a Semitic

was written by Herod the

a Zealot a few years after the death of

Great, and subsequent to the rising of Judas the

Gaulonite.

The

Maccabean high

"

slaves, sons of

priests,

slaves,"

and chap. VII.

is

are the directed

against the Pharisees.

Langen, Das pp.

No.

102-111 3.

;

Judenthum in

Keusch

s

Paldstina (1866),

Theolog. Liter aturU. (1871),

Langen holds that the Assumption was

written in Palestine in Hebrew, and shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

INTRODUCTION

xxii

Hilgenfeld, Zeitschr. f. ivissenscJi. Theol (1867), pp. 217-223; Messias Judaeorum (1869), Prolegom. Ixx.

name on in

The Assumption was written

pp. xviii-xix.

Greek by a Roman Jew

A.D.

Chap. VII.

princes. is

See also the books quoted under his

Ixxvi.

is

in the

West

The exegetical

4445

circa

to be interpreted of the

Herodian

work

side of Hilgenfeld s

weak compared with the textual. Haupt, Bemerkungen zu der editio princeps der "

Himmelfahrt des

Z.f.W.T. (1867),

Moses,"

These remarks consist

p.

few emendations

of a

448.

of the

Latin text.

Eonsch has made many contributions

Some

study of the Assumption.

of

to

the

these are of

great value, especially those which deal with the

Latin

Version

from

purely

Others, which are devoted text, are less

the

to the

side.

linguistic

emendation

of the

good, though occasionally his restora

tions are very felicitous.

These subjects are treated

of in the Z.f.W.T., vol. xi.

(1868), pp. 76-108,

(1871), pp. 89-92.

vol.

In

suggests certain corrections

xi.

pp.

xiv.

466-468, he to be made Greek. The

and changes

in

Hilgenfeld s retranslation into various names under which the Assumption has

appeared

are

discussed

(1869), pp. 213-228. Zeitschrift,

pp.

in

Z.f.W.T.,

vol.

xii.

In the 17th volume of the

542562,

he addresses himself to

the exegesis of this book, and then again returns

INTRODUCTION emendation

to the

xxiii

The exegesis could

of the text.

hardly be more unsatisfactory, and the impression left

by these, his

cannot be said to be

later

attempts at emendation, In six pages of better.

much

I emendations, only one or two appear probable. For the wellhere append a specimen of his work.

known

corrupt word putavimus in VII.

8,

Eonsch

proposes laetabimus or litabimus, or adjutabimus, or si lutabimus, or exaltabimus, but ultimately prefers Eonsch returned once again to this perpotabimus.

same Zeitschrift (1885), For further 102-104. references to this book, pp. see his Das Buck der Jubilaen, 273, 380, 480-482. Philippi, Das Buck Henoch (1868), pp. 166-191. subject in vol. xxviii. of the

This writer assigns the composition of this book to the second century of our era, and interprets chap. VII. of the Pharisees. "

Colani,

L Assomption

TUologie, vol. iv.

de

Moi se

(1868), pp. 65-94).

thinks that Schmidt-Merx have

made

"

(Revue de This scholar

it

impossible

doubt the Aramaic origin of the book. any With Volkmar, he regards chap. VIII. as historical longer to

and concerned with the tragic history of the Jews under Hadrian, and IX. as a veiled account of the

Jehuda ben Baba, who, after ordain seven of his ing disciples in a narrow gorge near This Usha, was put to death by the Eomans. action of Eabbi

rabbi

is

the Taxo in IX.

1.

Chap. VI. contains an

INTRODUCTION

xxiv

indictment of the Jewish Doctors of Jabneh and

Hence the book was written

Usha.

As

137138.

c.

for its silence regarding the destruction of

salem in 70

A.D.,

he thinks

Jeru

quite immaterial.

this

This book was the work not of an Essene, nor a Zealot, but

was the manifesto

of a writer

who

felt

that Israel could do alike without the temple or

national independence, since

it

could find

faction in those elements of the cult

independent of the temple.

its

its

satis

which were

This very clever, but

most inconclusive, treatise concludes with the words Toute difficult^, je crois se trouve levee

:

"

"

!

"

Carriere, Moise"

Note sur

(Revue de

le

Taxo de

1

Assumption de

Tktol. (1868), pp.

94-96).

See

my

Commentary, p. 35. Die jiingst aufgefundene Aufnahme Wieseler, Moses nach Ursprung und Inhalt untersucht "

"

(1868), pp. 622Wieseler thinks that our book was written

(Jahrbucher fur 648).

deutsclie Theologie

by a Zealot, in Hebrew (?), shortly after the war of His interpretation of chap. VII. will be

Varus.

found on

p.

24

in

my

notes,

and

of

Taxo on

p.

35.

Geiger, Judische Zeitschrift fur Wissenschaft und Leben, vol. vi. (1868), pp. 41-47. Geiger takes

chap.

VII. to be

a description of

the Sadducees,

adducing such phrases as regnabunt de his homines In pestilentiosi and tanquam principes erimus. docentes se esse justos (D pns) there

is

a play on

INTRODUCTION their

The words

name.

me

noli

xxv

empha

tangere

sise their priestly purity. "

Heidenheim, der Ascensio

und

Beitriige

Moysis" (

zum

bessern Verstandniss

Vierteljahrschrifl

englisch-theologische

Forschuny und

fur

deutsch-

Kritik, vol.

This is the most un (1871), pp. 63-102). trustworthy work it has been my duty to read in iv.

Occasionally a few

the literature of this book.

all

helpful references to Jewish literature are given.

Hausrath, Neutestamentliche Zeitgeschichte, 2nd iv.

pp.

7680.

Hausrath

is

of

opinion

book was written at Borne in the reign in Aramaic.

of

ed.,

that the

Domitian

St&hQlm,Jakrbucherfur deutsche Theologie (1874), The book preaches not a Messiah pp. 216218.

kingdom, but an O.T. theophany. introduce the

Drummond,

We of "

order of things. The Jewish Messiah (1877), pp. 7

to

is

48 4.

have here a very clear and but too brief account

the Assumption.

as there

Hebrew the

Michael

new

or

is

no

Dr.

Drummond

thinks that,

reason for supposing a original, we may assume that

sufficient

Aramaean

book, notwithstanding

its

Hebraic colouring,

was composed in Greek." Then follows an able cussion on the date, which he holds to be about 6

dis A.D.

Beuss, Geschichte der h. Schriften des Alien Testa This writer does not ments (1890), pp. 738-740. commit himself to a definite date. He thinks that

INTRODUCTION

xxvi

words in VI.

the

children, periods,"

7,

"He

Herod)

will

beget succeeding him will rule for shorter do not necessarily determine the date. (i.e.

who

Philip and Aiitipater did,

it

is

true,

reign longer

Der Verfasser konnte auch an Archelaus und Agrippa denken die ja allein fur than their father.

"

einen Jerusalemer Interesse

hatten."

"

Dillmann,

art.

2nd

Real-Encyc.

ed., xii.

352, 353.

in

Herzog s Dillmann agrees

Pseudepigraphen,"

withEwald, Wieseler,andDrummond in assigning the composition of this book to the first decade after the death of Herod.

The writer was a Zealot and was

hostile to the Pharisees,

VII.

whom

he

assails in

The book was probably written

chap.

in Aramaic.

Bosenthal, Vier apocryphische Bilcher (1885), pp. This is a very interesting and fresh study 13-38. of our book.

The writer

ascribes

immediately succeeding the

fall of

it

to

the years

the temple.

The

author was a Zealot, and wrote in Hebrew and not

He

in Aramaic.

the removal

attempts to prove this thesis by from the

of obscurities or corruptions

text through retranslation into Hebrew.

In only one or two cases, however, is it possible to admit that he is successful. On his view of chapter VII.

,

see

my

notes, pp. 24, 25.

Schiirer,

A

History of the Jeivish People in the

Time of Christ (1886), II. iii. pp. 73-83 (Eng. trans.). have here an admirable account of this book.

We

INTRODUCTION Schiirer refers its composition after the death of Herod.

and the "

homines

Pharisees, to

to the

Its writer

pestilentiosi

whom

xxvii

every word

decade Zealot,

VII.

in is

first

was a

are

the

unmistakably ap

A very valuable bibliography is appended.

plicable."

Baldensperger, Das Selbsfbewusstsein Jesu (1888), This writer regards the Assumption pp. 25-31. as a Jewish manifesto, with

an apologetic, or rather

a

This aim

secret, polemical

aim.

is

to

glorify

Moses, the Law, and Judaism over against Christi The attributes ascribed to the Founder of anity. Christianity are here, in large measure, assigned to

He is the

Moses. (I.

"

mediator

14, 17), the high priest

"

between God and

who

man

intercedes daily on

bended knee (XL 11), the divine prophet and perfect teacher 2,

(XL

16).

The Law

is

to abide for ever (IV.

XII. 13), and Israel always to be pre-eminent The book was not written before 50 A.D.

(XII. 4).

Its author

was a

Quietist,

and chap. VII.

regarded as descriptive of the

Koman

to be

is

procurators.

95-130.

Deane, Pseudepigraplia (1891), pp. have here a very full and readable account

We

of our

book, which shows a large acquaintance with the literature of the subject.

a Zealot.

century.

Its author

he takes to be

was written very early in the first Chap. VII. is directed against the Herodian It

princes and the Pharisees.

Thomson, Books

ivhich

Influenced

Our Lord and

INTRODUCTION

xxviii

His Apostles (1891), pp. 14, 321-339, 440-450. We have here a scholarly treatment of the Assump tion.

date

Its

is

language as Aramaic. It is

strange.

of

is

the

and Publicans. Juives (1892), pp.

Dillmann, Schiirer,

to the date

were wholly confined

Taxo

to this world.

the righteous kernel of the nation. Briggs, The Messiah of the Apostles (1895), pp.

The Assumption

5-7, 18. against

Christianity.

much.

Its author

70

to

A.D.

Its

was a

Taxo and

antithesis to Jesus

The law

is

is

a secret

very Zealot, his

title

polemic

betrays

who wrote

seven

and His twelve

sons

as

prior

are

disciples,

in

and

them

in self-sacrifice.

of perpetual obligation.

Its fulfilment

are represented as excelling

is

VII.

and the interpretation of The author was a Zealot, whose hopes

chap. VII. for Israel

original

of

a description

De Faye, Les Apocalypses 6775. De Faye agrees with

is

its

His interpretation

regarded as

Pharisees, Sadducees,

and others as

and

fixed at 6 A.D.,

the preparation for the divine advent.

THE LATIN VERSION OF THE ASSUMPTION ITS LINGUISTIC CHARACTER AND CRITICAL WORTH

5.

The

:

solitary

MS.

of this version

was discovered

Ambrosian Library at Milan by Ceriani, and published by him in his Mon. sacr. et prof., I. i.

in the

INTRODUCTION 1861.

in

55-64,

MS.

is

a palimpsest of the

It consists of eight folios, written

sixth century.

on both

This

xxix

There are two columns on each

sides.

page, and from twelve to eighteen letters in each line. There is no division of words, and the punc

which but rarely occurs, is above the line, not on it. Occasionally whole verses are inde tuation,

The palimpsest came

cipherable.

Abbey of Bobbio, near Pavia. Some scholars have supposed

originally from

the

we have the

actual

work

that in this

of the original

MS.

translator

Latin Version, but I shall show presently that this is not so. It is, in fact, only a fragmentary

of the

copy of that version. but only a copy of

It is not the original version, it;

renderings

duplicate

for (a) our

and

text at

attempts

contains

a

better

which must primarily have been merely marginal glosses, but were afterwards introduced by translation,

a copyist into the text.

extends

The

clearest example of where the dittography 6, in the MS. Other ditto-

found in V.

this is to be

to

six

lines

found in VI.

graphies will be (&) Again, in

XL

2

we

find

3,

VIII.

5,

XL

an actual correction

the copyist. The text reads, et hortatus est but the context requires et hortatus est Monse,

Monses. to be

c,

Here,

and

so,

first of all,

the copyist took e in

finding cum Monses

emended Monses

13.

into Monse.

of

cum eum eum

to be impossible,

Eum

is

twice taken

INTRODUCTION

xxx

as

cum

(c)

Ab

MS.

the Bobbio

in

his, corrupt for abis

k,

in Mt.

(XL

ix.

1, xiii.

48,

must be due

9),

to

a Latin copyist, and not to the Latin translator.

The Latin belongs the will

fifth

in

style

and orthography

to

In order to make this clear

century.

show that nearly

all

its

I

chief characteristics

can be paralleled from the old fifth-century Bobbio MS. k edited in 1886 by Wordsworth, Sanday, and

White.

I

Sanday

MS.

s

have drawn

my

examples

This N.T.

Introduction, pp. xcix-clxvi.

I shall henceforth refer to

likewise used Schuchardt

s

k.

I

Der Vokalismus

des

simply as

gar -Lateins, and Konsch s Itala und which I refer the reader occasionally.

We heads

k from Dr.

of

now

shall (i.)

Vul

Vidgata, to

under two

treat of the Latin text

Its linguistic character,

have

(ii.)

Its critical

worth.

(i.)

Linguistic Character.

with under two divisions

and

(a) its

:

palaeography and

(b) its

syntax. Palaeography and Orthography.

orthography, (a)

This can best be dealt

consonantal changes

some are due

occurring

Of the vowel in

this

MS.,

to errors of sight, others to errors of

sound, while others represent the pronunciation of the time. ae

is

found

for a in profetiae,

ae for e in quaerella,

I.

10

;

I.

5

:

cf. k,

Mt.

xii. 31,

blasfemiae.

quisquae, VI. 1; inconpraehensibilis,

INTRODUCTION XL

16; praeces, XI. 17;

frequent occurrence in k

X. 6

(et),

Mt.

cf.

Mt.

cf. k,

:

XL

i

This

18.

is

of

10, saecuris

iii.

;

iii.

parata (parate).

3,

XL

12 erant, 14. in timebat, a for u in secabantur, VIII. 3. Conversely, a for

XL

faciae, :

praetiosus, etc.

xiii. 46,

a for e in ad

xxxi

;

u

for a in

k

:

cf.

Mt.

clabunt (dabant). cf. k, Mt. viii. 2, b for p in scribtura, I. 16 clibsis, III. 7 cf. lebrosus Schuchardt, Vokalismus des Vulgar xiii. 8,

:

;

;

c for e in

c for s in

Lateins, 2

125-126.

i.

XL celares, XL

cum,

cf.

:

c for t in turn, III. 11

:

ch for c in chedrio,

17.

for t in

ad

I.

cf. k,

cf.

(quot);

a in fecit (faciet), II. 4

e for

ae in

XL i.

ii.

f

38, acutu (a

xv.

163, cimul (simul).

21, devocasti (devotasti).

:

Mk.

cf. k,

4; Amorrei,

XL

12

Mt.

cf. k,

:

op. cit.

i.

ix. 1,

viii.

19,

quod

125, 126,

quideni (quidain).

4; herere, X. 9; que (quae), 16: cf. k, Mt. x. 9, es (aes); cf.

Schuchardt, op.

cit.

IX.

ix. 32,

XII.

3,

7: cf. k,

temebant,

Mt.

x.

22,

odebiles

See Schuchardt,

etc.

;

op. cit.

1 sgq.

XI.

e for o in celaris,

XII.

i.

226-235.

Mk.

e for u,

XL

III.

in contegerunt,

i

op. cit.

21, facte (factae), etc.:

xi.

(eum).

Mk.

k,

73.

i.

7; liena,

I.

cf.

xiii.

Schuchardt,

e for

e for

Mk.

;

scene,

:

For other instances of this usage see

Schuchardt, op. cit. X. 6 tali(dari),

(et),

cum

x. 10,

See Schuchardt,

susu).

d

Mk.

k,

for Solaris

4,

4, for Solaris

:

cf. k,

Mt.

vi. 28,

quemodo,

etc.

6, et (ut).

forph always in

XL

16); profetiae, I. 5 (III. 11, fynieis, I. 3 blasfemare, VIII. 5. So always in allolilorum, IV. 3 k, as Farisaei, blasfemare, etc. ;

;

tin ferrum

f for

(?),

II. 4.

ge for qui in ingenationibus, V. 3. i for e in transio, I. 15; dimittes (demittes), II. 2; liena, III. 4; ducit (-et), III. 3, and passim scalciati, XL 12 cf. k, Mt. vii. 23, recidite (recedite), etc. :

;

i

for

y

in allofilorum, IV. 3 op. cit.

m for o for

ii.

256

;

acrobistiam, VIII. 3

co in mortes (for coortes (?), i in forma, cf. k, X. 15 :

Mk. C

xiii. 13,

:

cf.

Schuchardt,

sqq.

hoc

i.e.

Mt.

(hie).

cohortes), VI. 8. xiii.

27,

zozania (zizania)

;

INTRODUCTION

xxxii

o for u in misereator, IV. 6

Schuchardt,

Mk.

cf. k,

:

149

ii.

viii. 38, filios (iilius), etc.

pa for au in palam (?), II. 4. b in regnarunt (?), VII. 3. The converse change of b into found in k, Mt. xii. 14, exiebunt (exierunt).

r for

XL

for ex in scalciati,

s

12

cf.

;

n in suscitabunt (corrupt t in abrumpens, II. 3

s for s for

cf.

Mk.

k,

r is

op. cit. 469.

Ronsch,

for concelabunt

:

;

sqq.

VII.

(?)),

4.

adstans (adstant),

ix. 1,

etc.

n

in tune, I. 15 cf. k, Mt. x. 11, digtus (dignus). t for s in eminent, IX. 2 cf. k Mt. ii. 4, scribit (-is), etc. t for

:

:

u

}

for e in transferunt, II. 4

coguntur, VII. 2 ; ut, VII. 7; cresXII. 10 cf. k, Mk. xii. 32, ut for

;

cunt, exegunt,

:

et, etc.

u

putavimus (potabimus), VII. 8

for o in

putes

(potes)

Ronsch,

op.

;

cit.

ix.

41,

p.

465

cf.

:

putaverit cf.

;

k,

Mk.

ix.

22,

See

(potaverit).

Schuchardt,

cit.

op.

ii.

91 sqq. v for b in intravit and oravit, IV. 1 acervus, VI. 5, X. 4 putav imus, VII. 8; suscitavit, VIII. 1 vindicavitur, IX. 7 (X. 2); conturvavitur, X. 5 altavit, X. 9 provata, ;

;

;

;

XII. 9

;

(-abit); xii. 42, z for di in

Zabulus, X.

change

XII. 13

exivit,

is

1

damnavit cf.

:

k,

Mt.

i.

21,

salvavit

(-abit), etc.

Mt.

k,

;

cf.

:

xiii.

Ziabolus.

39,

frequent in the Latin fathers

cf.

:

This

Ronsch,

op. cit. p. 457.

Other noteworthy points the prefixing of the aspirate haestis (estis), Mt.

462-463. cf.

note): op.

cit.

cf.

k

t

The insertion k

t

alii

Mt.

vi.

458-459. Mt. xv. 31

sion of one of

IV. 9

;

are

26

viii.

of

see

n

Eonsch,

in

Monses

in profetis, IV.

written

;

op.

k,

cit.

(III. 11,

see Eonsch,

in Istrahel, III. 8, X. 8

t

see Eonsch,

two doubled

usually

;

19, thensaurus

Of ;

orthography are heremo, III. 11: cf.

of

:

:

The omis

460.

letters in tribum, III. 6,

11: fili

cf. h,

and

where ali

;

filii

also

and

Mk.

INTRODUCTION see

50, fa turn (fatuum), etc.;

ix. cit.

patruum, IV.

Schuchardt,

The duplication

464-466.

ii.

xxxiii

8.

Another peculiarity

of style consists in the use of

irregular futures in bo, stabilibis, II. 2

VIII. 2

tremebit, X. 4

;

Cf.

etc.

Eonsch,

Syntax.

(&)

:

III.

14, it

ille.

= et

14,

Je,

Mt.

tradibit

;

ii.

(?),

6, prodibit,

291.

op. cit.

We

cf.

shall here notice

usages and constructions. for is or

op.

a vowel in

of

some peculiar

Iste

is

used frequently

Qui = et

ego, et

is,

or et

X.

Cf.

Mk.

ix.

2.

k

t

ii,

in

I.

6,

10, where

ille.

Dominari

used as a passive, II. 3 judicare governs a dative, VI. 2 so also miser eor, XL 10. But the greatest departures from classical usage is

;

;

are to be found in connection with the prepositions.

Thus cum takes the where, see

De

ace.,

X.

3.

For

this usage else

und Vulgata, 409410. I. 9, V. 1, where it is used

Eonsch, Itala

twice takes the

ace.,

of the agent, being here

perhaps a rendering of Bid

In XL 13 it takes the ace. also with the gen. where it has its ordinary meaning. For this usage In III. 10 elsewhere, see Eonsch, op. cit. p. 410. it

takes the dat. or ablat.

V. 4

with the ablat. where X. 5

(

= eW

with

it takes the ablative of instrument.

;

ablat.,

and with the VI.

5.

it

should be the

ace.

In VIII. 4

where it

it

In

dat.).

In ace.,

is

used

IX.

6,

should be the

takes the ablat. of the

INTRODUCTION

xxxiv

Secus occurs eight times as a preposition with the ace., I. 10, II. 2, 5, etc. Sine takes the

agent.

ace., I. cit.

op.

10. p.

For

this usage elsewhere, see

Kbnsch,

412.

As regards conjunctions, nam is always used in a non-natural meaning, i.e. as a rendering for Se

;

for the instances, see

same way, V.

Enim

xxxvii.

p.

is

used in

5.

Finally, the ablative of the gerund is used for the For present participle in I. 9, V. 5, XT. 17.

instances of this idiom, see Ronsch,

op. cit. pp.

432-

433.

But the above

list

is

peculiarities of the text.

isms and Hebraisms. reader should consult

(ii.)

Critical

For a discussion sec. 6

though Latin in diction,

of these the

sec. 7.

is

when we come

which we

sections, in

and

This Version

Worth.

This will be apparent

two

from exhausting the It is replete with Graec-

far

very to

literal.

the next

shall find that our text, is

occasionally Greek, and

This, of course, is due frequently Hebrew in idiom. to the almost servile faithfulness of the Greek,

no

less

than

the Latin, translation.

of

indeed, the translation

is

careless,

At

times,

very careless, but

We extremely trustworthy. shall now proceed to point out its defects under the following heads as a general rule

:

it is

INTRODUCTION Omissions.

(a)

omnem Naue

Similitudinem, in

homoioteleuton.

through X. 1

in

1

originated

,

15

the

in

;

may

:

II.

Greek, where

see IV. 6, note

rov

6

in the

I.

;

VII.

10, X. 10, 15,

XII.

9,

may

Hebrew copy used by Interpolations.

(&)

I.

after

before

may have may have

Suffixes are occasionally

be due to the Greek translation.

as those in

9,

Filius

but this omission

fallen out before Nav/j.

omitted

xxxv

These

7.

Others, such

be due to defects

the Greek translator.

35

seem

to

have been

originally marginal glosses from a Greek hand. We have a most interesting (c) Dittographies. case of this nature in V. 6, where six lines of the

MS.

are

repeated

The

twice.

slight

differences

existing between these duplicate renderings

make

we have here an

attempt, on the part of the Latin translator, to improve on his first But the scribe of our MS. incorporated rendering. it

clear that

Other dittographies occur in VI. and probably in VIII. 5. both.

(d)

Transpositions.

et testans in IV. 12, etc.,

the

phrase

cum

XI. 13,

In addition to transpositions

of such as ut et for et ut in

of

3,

I.

8,

and

we have

infantibus

testa tus et for

the transposition nostris

from the

A

very com In 5.

close of verse 5 to that of verse 4.

plicated case of transposition occurs in X. I.

of

there is a transposition of the verb to the end the clause such as we find not infrequently in

1

INTRODUCTION

xxxvi

k: cL Mt.

vii.

But the most

10, 14, xv. 23, etc.

remarkable transposition of all is the removal of chaps. VIII.-IX. from their right position after V. Similar transpositions are to

to their present place.

be met

with in the Etli.

occurrence.

Iviii.

These are

Corruptions.

(e)

Enoch

xciii.

very frequent

be dealt with

can

Many

Ixxxii., xci.

of

when we

understand the character of the language and the it. There are some cases of

confusions incidental to

But many

sheer blundering.

of the present corrup

tions of the text are not native to

either in

and

sec. 6

(/)

Greek Version or

in

it,

but originated See

the Hebrew.

sec. 7.

We

Carelessness.

have instances

of careless

renderings in III. 11, 13 (see crit. notes, in loc.). The translator at times also renders the thought

and not the word: where Jerusalem

is

cf.

colonia, III. 2, V. 6, VI. 9,

meant.

that the Latin (or Greek

This points to the fact ?)

translation

after the destruction of Jerusalem,

tion

by Hadrian

name

Aelia Capitolina.

G.

as

a

Eoman

and

was made its

restora

colony under the

THE LATIN VERSION A TRANSLATION FROM THE GREEK

Of the derivation

of

our Latin text from the Greek

there can be no question.

Thus (1) Greek words are

INTRODUCTION transliterated, as chedrio,

xxxvii

17, from tceSpda); clibsis,

I.

from 6\ltyis\ heremus, III. 11, from acrobistia, VIII. 3, from aKpo/Svarrla.

III. 7,

;

Greek forms and idioms survive in the Latin.

(2)

Thus

epfjfjLo?

scene,

= rfj

7

I.

crKrjvfj

;

and

in scenae,

I.

9

=

ev

and in IV. 2, plebem hanc esse tibi plebem hanc exceptam, the second hanc is the Greek article thus the text = TOZ; \aov TOVTOV elvai aoi TOV \abv

rfj o-Krjvfj

;

:

For instances

K\KTOV.

TOV

of this

Konsch, Itala u. Vulgata,ipp.

cf.

quia, V.

= OTL

3

captives, III. 13, e&)9

TOV

rjfjLcis

recitantis

usage elsewhere,

420-421.

Finally,

and in usque nos duci

;

we have an

imitation of the Greek,

al^fjiaXcoTicrOrivat,.

(3) Not infrequently we must translate, not the Latin text, lut the Greek which it presupposes, lut

which was misrendered ly the Latin nam must not be rendered by for

translator. "

"

Thus

in the following

passages [I. 3], II. 4, 5, VIII. 2, 4, X. 11, XL 8, XII. 11, 12, for in all these instances it is a render

In ing of Se and must be translated accordingly. like manner enim, V. 5 = Se. Again, in VII. 7, we must render ab oriente usque ad occidentem, not "

from east to

i.e.

rj\iov

a</>

Greek

XL

is

11,

west,"

but

"

from sunrise

amreXXoi To?

^XP

1

to

sunset,"

Svo/ievov.

The

Again, in must translate, not nee patiens ne unum

susceptible of either meaning.

we

quidem diem, but the Greek which ouSe Travel? ovBe/Jilav ^fiepav,

"

it

presupposes

:

not omitting a single

INTRODUCTION

xxxviii

For other instances, see

day."

XL

12, 18, XII.

(4) Through retranslation

of be

discovered.

for opicov

;

Thus finem in

and adcedenfc

= TrapafB^crovTcu

notes

on

"

will

Greek the source

into

incoherences of the text

the

critical

7.

in some

can,

7

II.

=

cases,

opov, corrupt

= TrpoajBijo-ovTai, corrupt for

transgress."

It is possible

that the Latin translator had TrapaptfcrovTai before

him, and followed a meaning of it inappropriate to the = a^O^aovrai, context. Again, in III. 4, ducent se corrupt for a^Oiaovrai] and in V.

6, in

campo

= eV

In these passages I See the have corrected the Latin text accordingly. dypw, corrupt for eV apyupw. critical notes, in

loc.

(5) Fragments of the Greek Version are

See the notes on

served.

p.

6

;

still

see also pp.

pre

107-

110.

7.

A TRANSLATION FROM A HEBREW

THE GREEK

ORIGINAL

The

derivation

original

was stoutly

others.

Volkmar But

56, 57). tained.

It is

grounds

it

(Mess.

our

of

is

text

a

Semitic

denied by Hilgenfeld and doubtful (Mose Prophetic, pp.

view can no longer be main surprising, indeed, on what slender this

has been advanced.

Jud., p.

from

Ixxiii)

urges

Thus Hilgenfeld

the absence

of

the

INTRODUCTION

xxxix

pronoun in the accusative after Deus creavit, in XII. 4 of the pronominal suffix after magistri In in V. 5, as reasons against a Semitic original. ;

my

Greek

and

sionally

on IV.

note

critical

Latin

omitted

I

6,

translators

the

in

suffix

shown Hebrew

have of

their

that

occa

translation.

For instances in the LXX. and Vulgate, see the note referred not

call

discovers,

to.

Hilgenfeld

other arguments do

s

The

consideration.

for

which make against a Semitic

own

are mainly the offspring of his

But although a Semitic conceded,

difficulties

it

is

still

an Aramaic or

original,

imagination. is

now

generally a matter of debate whether original

the balance of evidence preponderates of

he

Hebrew

of a

in

source.

favour

Schmidt-

Merx, Colani, Hausrath, and Carriere decide for the former, and Rosenthal for the latter. Ewald apparently (G-ottinger

pp.

gelelirtc

110118).

views

both

held

Anz.

at

1862,

,

different

times

4-7

1867,

pp.

;

Schiirer thinks a Semitic original

Of the above scholars, minor degree it is only Schinidt-Merx, and in a Eosenthal, that have seriously treated the subject. probable, but not certain.

In the Arcliiv

f. ivissenschaftl.

Erforschung des A.T.,

111-152, Schmidt-Merx show, in a variety passages, how readily the text admits of rebut this proof in itself translation into Aramaic I.

ii.

of

,

is

wholly

inadequate, for the

same passages can

INTRODUCTION

xl

just as easily be rendered into cases,

however,

they

whereas

that,

urge

In two the

the Latin text can be explained

of

idiosyncrasies

Hebrew.

on the hypothesis of an Aramaic original, no such explanation is possible on the hypothesis of a

Hebrew

The

original.

instance

first

is

be

to

found in

I. 10, where, according to these editors, the order of the Latin text can only be accounted

In by an Aramaic original. on that verse, I have shown that

for

interpret the text in two ways. of those, the present order of

my

critical

is

it

the

to

resort to the

other,

it

possible to

According to one the text can be

explained as derived from the Hebrew. according

note

not

is

But even,

necessary

to

Aramaic hypothesis for we cannot certainty from our text as to the ;

argue with order of the original source. This is clear from I. 14, where, the and Latin Versions Greek though are preserved and agree verbally, they do not agree as

to

Hence

order.

order

the

in

question

is

probably due to the carelessness of the translator. Moreover, other undoubted transpositions of the text do occur

(cf.

III. 4, 5,

X.

5, crit. notes).

That

the Latin translator did not observe the order of the Greek before him, in

the Codex

Bobbiensis,

The second instance that in III.

2.

we

see in k,

numerous instances

see

of alleged

pp.

xxxv xxxvi.

Aramaic order

is

Here Schmidt-Merx point out that

INTRODUCTION

xli

omnia in the phrase sancta vasa conformable to Aramaic, but not to Hebrew,

the position of

omnia

is

This

syntax.

justify the

quite true, but does not thereby

is

conclusion they seek to draw from

For even in

made

translations

directly

it.

from the

Hebrew, and not as in the case of our text, which is derived from the Hebrew through the Greek, this

same phenomenon recurs three times

LXX. 1.

14

of

Genesis,

Now

xiv.

if,

15, ;

in a careful translation

from the Hebrew,

directly

xxviii.

11,

See also Lev. xx. 23

(in several MSS.).

2 Chron. xxi. 18.

made

in

i.e.

in the

non-Hebrew

this

can appear three times in one book, it shows that no value is to be attached to its single

order

occurrence

version

a

in

that

is

not immediately

from the Hebrew, but only mediately, and that likewise

often

careless

therefore

must

be,

to

that

Our

boot.

is

verdict

Schmidt-Merx have fur

nished no adequate grounds for their thesis that the Assumption is derived from an Aramaic, and

not from a Hebrew original. It is now time to advance the grounds for a Hebrew original. These have gradually discovered themselves in the course

study

of

this

book.

successful in

my

must be

to

left

of

long and

a

Whether

contention than

I

shall

my

the reader to decide.

(Vier apocryphische

Bilclicr, pp.

careful

be more

predecessors

Rosenthal

34-38) has already

INTRODUCTION

xlii

me

preceded

are

restorations

his

of

adopted the bulk

of his

and

good,

sequel, with

the

in

One

in advocating this view.

suggestions I

two

or

have

been

due recognition, but cannot accept they ;

are frequently wild and quite beside the mark.

The grounds, then, for a Hebrew original are (1) Hebrew idiomatic phrases survive in the text. Thus

in

4

sanctitatis, II.

suae, III.

invocabat

quo

respectu

3

;

;

circumibo, II. 7

homo de proximo

testes, III. 1 2

tur ad veritatem, V. 2

and facient

de

;

;

18

I.

respiciet,

tribus

;

terrain patriae

;

suo

;

isto, III.

testans 1

3

.

.

.

dividen-

;

in sacerdotes vocabuntur

facientes, VI.

1

implebuntur manus, pure Hebraisms. The Hebrew equivalents will be found in the critical notes on the various X.

;

2, are

Now it is quite true that the majority could be paralleled by Aramaic expres but not all. Thus circumibo, II. 7 = I

passages. of these

"

sions,

will

protect,"

i.e.

miDS

(cf.

Deut. xxxii. 10), cannot

be explained from the Aramaic nor yet in sacer dotes vocabuntur, VI. 1 = D OPD l&np (cf. 1 ;

11

5>y

Chron.

xxiii.

14).

idioms probably survive, clause in VII. 9 and IX.

(2) Syntactical

circumstantial

VIII.

2,

et tradidit,

torquebit

there

(3)

In some

cases

.

4.

;

the

In

be an

may

instance of perfect with the strong vav VII. 2, 3, cogentur et regnarunt. .

e.g.

also in

.

we must

translate, not the

Latin

INTRODUCTION but

text,

successor "

minister,"

= ^&on

Hebrew

the

=

&6,

^dSo^o^ = in

I.

7

;

xliii

ly be

presupposed

must

mb>

and non coepit

must be rendered by

"

Thus,

it.

rendered

= ov/c ijpt-aro He was not

pleased."

it

(4) Frequently that

is

we can understand

the text,

retranslalion

through

only

source of corruptions in

the

and remove them.

IV.

Thus, in

devenient

9,

the

nationes

(MS. apud impossible tribum for in tribuum writes (MS. tempore natos) = Here the D onc? njn D*I:Q nv. genitive, cf. III. 5) text,

two

that

corruptions

destroy

the

context at once become apparent for ini%

and D^np

for

sense IIT

of

is

the

corrupt

Thus the text

onutr.

is

harmony not only with itself, but brought also with similar statements in Josephus, 4 Ezra, and Philo. This restoration would be impossible into

on the assumption of an Aramaic original. In V. 5, the equally impossible text, qui enim magistri sunt doctores ol

$e

Bi$a(TKa\oi,

= (with

eorum

ovres,

ol

Hilgenfeld)

/caBrjyrjral

avrwv

L^mm. Now the context of these words is against any mention of the rabbis or teachers here. DrTHVD

But we

see that the

Hebrew

does not necessarily the many." And

means

refer to them, but also

"

most appropriate sense. In the some are false in this preceding verse, priests verse, many are venal judges. Hence we see this

gives

a

"

"

;

"

"

INTRODUCTION

xliv

that

nmiD

here merely a marginal but mistaken gloss that was later incorporated in the text. In X. 4 (see crit. note, p. 86) we can restore to

sanity

X. 10

is

the

we have

text

retranslation.

In

a most interesting restoration.

In

through

the words said of Israel triumphant in heaven, inimicos

videbis

impossible Israel s

tuos

in

enemies can no

longer

final

judgment, be on the earth.

The context implies that they are in torment in the

we have an

terram,

After the

statement.

torment, and

in

of glorified Israel.

sight

Now

these two facts suggest at once Gehenna, and that

the original was

how

lost,

on

But the

^2.

Din

was some

and VQ was partly rendered partly trans and this in turn by in terram. ij is

literated eV 7$,

frequently so transliterated (see notes, pp. 43, 44). I shall only

adduce one more passage.

temperantius misericordiae ipsius mihi,

we have an

of the corruption

Thus the

= non

topi

.

comes

to light avve/Br)

.

In XII.

contegerunt

if

we

JJLOL

retranslate.

eXeo? avrov

Here we should read

^Nin.

7,

But the source

inadmissible text.

words = eTTieiK&s

TIIN

.

JD

before non, and with this simple change we get an He was pleased to call me unexceptionable text "

:

in His

See pp.

compassion."

This restoration also

is

98, 99 for details.

impossible on the Aramaic

hypothesis. (5)

A play upon words

discovers itself

on retransla-

INTRODUCTION tion into

Hebrew

in VII. 3,

where

xlv

is

it

said of the

Sadducees (n^pm), dicentes se esse justos, i.e. D This has already been pointed out by Geiger. recurs in VII. 6 (see

On

It

27).

p.

the above grounds, I hold, therefore, that

no longer possible

is

p nv.

of this book.

It

it

doubt the Semitic original reasonably also be concluded

to

may

from what precedes, that that original was in Hebrew and not in Aramaic.

How

the character of classical

far

preserved in the original

My

is

impossible to

say.

such

a

but the cogency of the restorations

is

retranslations

character,

it

Hebrew was

presuppose

generally

not bound up with such a presupposition.

8.

THE PRESENT BOOK IN REALITY A TESTAMENT THE ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION PRE SERVED ONLY IN A FEW QUOTATIONS.

OF MOSES.

In the a

of

lists of

Testament

apocryphal books we find mention

Moses

of

(AiaOrjicri

Mcovaeax;)

followed immediately by an Assumption of Moses (^

Avd\r)fyis

Books,"

and

In

Mwvo-ews). in

the

the

Synopsis of

"

List

l

of

Sixty Athanasius, the

1

This book is so named in the Ada, tiynodi Niceen, ii. 18, 20 ; the Stichometry of Nicephorus and the Synopsis of Athanasius as the Adsccnsio Mosis in Origen, cU Printip. iii. 2. 1; as the Assumptio Mosis in Didymns Alex, (sec p. 108 for quotation); as :

;

Secreta Moysi in Evodius (sec

p.

108).

INTRODUCTION

xlvi

number

two books

of stichoi in these

but this desideratum ascribed

to

is

which

Nicephorus,

1100 and 1400

respectively

not given,

is

supplied by the Stichometry to

assigns

stichoi.

nection an excellent suggestion has been Schiirer to the following effect

come down

writing that has a

Testament

already seen,

"

:

them

In this con

made by

Seeing that the

to us is in point of fact

Moses, though, as we have quoted in the Acts of the Council

(will) it is

of

under the title Ava\r)tyis Mcovaews, it may be assumed that both these designations were the

of Niceea

two separate divisions of one and the same work, the first of which has been preserved, whereas titles of

the quotations in the Fathers almost

belong to the second." My study of the Latin Version and the Greek fragments has led me to accept this all

The Testament and

suggestion in a modified form.

Assumption mentioned in the above lists are to be regarded not as two separate divisions of one and "

the same work

"

with Schiirer, but as two originally

independent works subsequently put together and edited in one.

Before

owing

we adduce

cannot be

many

identification of

Book

of

480, 481)

we must

first

the above

Jubilees is

the grounds for this theory-

scanty amount of

the

to

(Das

contrary

"

materials

these

show that Eonsch

Testament

Buck der

to existing

"

s

with the

Jubilaen,

evidence.

pp.

We

INTRODUCTION

xlvii

have seen above that in the Stichometry of Nice-

1100

phorus,

in the

same

Hence,

if

Now,

ment."

to

stichoi are ascribed to

Genesis.

list,

Eonsch

4300 s

"

this

Testa

are assigned

identification

is

Genesis should be nearly four times larger But since, as a matter than the Book of Jubilees. right,

of fact, it is

considerably smaller,

it

is

needless to

consider further this identification. of

Having disposed

this

objection,

we

return to our thesis that the present Latin

and

sion

the

Greek

in

fragments

the

now Ver

Fathers

belong respectively to two

originally independent which were works, subsequently edited together. This conclusion is probable from the following facts

:

The book quoted by St. Jude, by Clement of Alexandria, and later Greek writers, was wholly con (i.)

cerned with the Assumption of Moses and incidents This we take to have been the connected with it.

Assumption of Moses. The book preserved in the Latin Version

original (ii.)

reality a

"

Testament,"

Indeed,

Moses."

to this claim (a)-

it

and not an

appears

made on Moses s

According Testament "

death.

passing

"),

Thus

away

Moses was in

I.

Assumption

;

of

for

Version to die

with

my

(i.e.

the

an ordinary

15, Moses says:

to sleep

in

be quite opposed

behalf

Latin

the

to

to

is

"

"I

am

fathers even

INTRODUCTION

xlviii

In presence of all the people." III. 13 the tribes speak of Moses s death the

in

shall In X. 14 Moses again declares: In 12 X. go to sleep with my fathers." "I

this

was clearly the

my

death

original sense.

until His advent

assumption

there will be CCL.

We

times."

presently on the explanation

word (b)

A

From

"

shall touch

of the intruded

"

assumption."

of

description

the

conclusion

of

the

Testament appears to have been preserved in a Catena on the Pentateuch edited by Franc. Zephyrus, and quoted in Fabricius in his "

Est

Cod. Pseud. V. T.

quidem

in

ii.

t

pp. 121, 122.

Apocrypho

Mysticoque

codice legere, ubi de creatis rebus subtilius agitur,

nub em lucidam, quo tempore mor-

tuus est Moses, locum sepulchri complexam oculos circumstantium perstrinxisse

ita,

ut

nullus neque morientem legislatorem neque locum videre potuerit, ubi cadaver conder-

Here no Assumption seems to be implied, but only an extraordinary disap pearance of Moses s body, such as is etur."

recorded in

Deut.

had

been

writer

xxxiv.

acquainted

original Assumption, in of

Moses

s

5,

ascension to

If

this

with

the

6.

which the

details

heaven were

re-

INTRODUCTION

xlix

corded, he could not have written in these

vague terms. The Testament

"

and the

"

Moses this

"

Assumption of were subsequently edited in one book. Of From my editing we find a trace in X. 12:

(iii.)

"

"

death

assumption

the word

His advent/

until "

Here

etc.

can best be explained as an

"

assumption

insertion of the editor in order to adapt the text of

the Testament to the main subject of the second

work which he incorporates, (iv.)

In

the

thirteenth

i.e.

the Assumption.

section

of

Yassiliev

s

Anecdota Graeco-Byzantina, entitled Palaea historica, an O.T. history of events from Adam to Daniel, of

the portion which deals with the death

of

Moses, part seems to be ultimately derived from the Testament," and part from the Assumption

"

"

"

The following

properly so called.

258) would form a fitting [Uept Ma)vo"fjs

TO) opei.

Te\evrf)s

T?}?

^Irjo-ovv

Trpos real

lines (pp. "

KCLI

MwvaewsJ]

TOV

Navi

257

Testament

"

:

elirev

Ave\0(0/jLev

ave\0ovTQ)V avT&v elSev Mwvcrijs

J}? <f7ra77eA/a9

TOV

close to the

\aoi>,

tcai

/cal elirev

Trpos avrov.

avayyetXov a^TOt?

on

V Trjv

Kdr6\0e Mcovcrfjs

Kdl K.CLTr)\QeV I^CTOl)? TT^O? TOV \CLOV, 6

Be

MCOVO-TJS

ra

re\7j

TOV j3[ov

K7ijcraTO.

Here

Moses dismisses Joshua, and dies apparently an But according to the Assumption ordinary death. proper (see quotation from Clement Alex.

p.

107),

INTRODUCTION

1

and Caleb were present when the Moses took place. The words that

Joshua

both

of

assumption follow on the above in Vassiliev are based

mately on the Assumption proper, av Kara/3d(rr) rb a/cvvcofia Sajjiovrj X ft>5

avrov 6

\da) iva

Ta>

dp^io-Tpdrrjyo^

avrbv Kal

irpovrd^ei,

o-vv(TTel\at, KOI

7r6TlfJL7JO-eV

Kal o

= o-rcrfvco/jba)

avrov. Mi%ar)\ Se Seov rj\6ev \a/3eiv

avdla-raro avra)

CLVTOV elTTCOV

ETTlTlfJia (76

OVTft)? r)TTr)07J 6

Be

(

dyava/crrjo-as ovv o

KOI Sie/jbd^ovTO.

{3d\.

6eo7roir)0a)cri,v

ulti

teal eTreiparo

KVplOS,

dvTlK6lfj

cruvecrreiXev TO

dp^dyyeXos Mt^arj\

McovaTj OTTOV TTpoaerd^Orj Trapa Qeov rov

XpiaTov

rj/jicov.

This editing of the two books in one was probably done in the first century, as St. Jude (v.)

draws upon both in his Epistle (see p. Ixii). The statement of Josephus (Ant. iv. 8. 48) is interesting: vetyovs al<f)Vi8iov vjrep avrov o-rdvros, d^av "

Kara TWOS

Se avrov

Feypafa

(frdpayyos.

lepals /3ij3\o^ reOve&ra, Setcra?

eV

$1 V7rep/3o\rjv rrjs

firj

avTov aper?}? Trpo? TO Oelov avrbv dva%copr)crai, elTrelv." It holds fast to Deut. ToXfjirja-tocTiv

Trepl

xxxiv. 5, 6 and the account in the Testament, but

shows that the writer

made on Moses the

s

is

aware

of

the

new

claims

behalf in the Assumption.

account of the

Transfiguration

respect to popular belief in

Moses

s

Does

point in

Assumption

any ?

INTRODUCTION 9.

li

DISLOCATION OF CHAPTERS VIII.-IX. IN THE

LATIN TEXT FROM THEIR ORIGINAL POSITION AFTER CHAPTER V.

The interpretation

of

two chapters

these

will

remain an impossibility so long as scholars attempt I to deal with them in their present position.

have given, in the notes on pp. 28-30, the grounds which necessitate this new departure in the exegesis of the book.

THE AUTHOR A PHARISAIC QUIETIST

10.

There

some

determining the religious party in Judaism to which the author First of all, however, it is clear that he belonged. is

difficulty

was not a Sadducee

;

for (1)

the direct intervention of

and the establishment earth

(X.

3-8).

(2)

in

he looks forward to

God on

of a

He

behalf of Israel,

theocratic

dwells

on

kingdom on the future

blessedness of the righteous (X. 10, 11).

attacks

the

Sadducean party

in

(3)

the most

He

bitter

terms (VII.). Secondly.

He was

not a Zealot.

This view has

been advocated by Wieseler, Dillrnann, Schiirer, and others.

But

it

is

just as impossible as that

which

precedes; for (1) the writer s complete silence as to the Maccabean rising forms an emphatic censure

--

INTRODUCTION

lii

to arms.

of their appeal

more impressive

the

as

This

silence

writer

was

is

all

the

thoroughly Thus acquainted with the Maccabean movement. his text shows an intimate acquaintance with Books I.

and

facts

II. of

the Maccabees, or, at all events, with the

on which these are based

fail to

;

and the reader

will

appreciate the allusions and nuances of the

narrative unless he brings to

its

perusal an accurate

and detailed knowledge of Maccabean history. have here, in fact, to deal with the work, not

We of a

popular enthusiast, but of an accurate scholar. (2) he thus shows his whilst aversion to the aims And,

and method

the Maccabees,

of

he

a militant Judaism,

own

Thus

flesh.

of Israel,

bitter persecution

faithful unto

in other words, to

careful

will not

his hero (IX.)

arms on behalf most

He

admirations.

is

is

indicate his

to

trust in

not one

an arm

who

of

takes up

but one who, amid the

that ever befel Israel, was

death, and, lifting

no hand in

self-

See notes defence, committed his cause unto God. on pp. 3238. (3) The aim of such a description as appears in IX.

is

to indicate

the line of action

which the Pharisaic party should pursue, of non-resistance.

i.e.

one

The writer protests against the

growing corruption of the Pharisaic party by pol See notes on pp. 34, 35. itical aims and methods. is X. 3-10 (4) wholly against the idea of a Zealot author.

This passage, in

fact,

confirms

all

that has

INTRODUCTION been

The theocratic

above.

said

liii

Messianic

or

be introduced not by the militant acts kingdom of the saints, but through the direct intervention of to

is

God.

He was

Thirdly.

not an Essene, as Schmidt-Merx

have supposed. (1) The entire book is interpene See trated with national hopes and aspirations. The ideal of the Essene was indi especially X. 8. vidualistic

and

ethical,

greatest interest

Thus

temple.

and

1),

its

is

(VI.

9).

built

by God

dwelt upon

(2)

The

(II. 4), its

(II.

8,

frequent V.

9,

3,

4,

complete destruction by Nebuchad

nezzar (III. 2) and

an

national.

taken in all the fortunes of the

was

are

profanations

VI.

it

and not

its partial

destruction by Varus

Such an interest could not be natural in

who was excluded from

Essene,

(Joseph. Ant.

character of the sacrifices in the temple

Thus

recorded.

it

its

courts

(3) The pure or polluted

xviii. 1. 5).

is

carefully

said that they are (rightly)

is

offered during a long period of history (II. 6).

At

a later period they are said to be imperfect (IV. 8). It is observed in II. 8 that sacrifices were offered to idols,

and

in V.

they were polluted. sacrifices of

4

though offered to God, such a concern in the

that,

Now

the temple

is

likewise unnatural in an

Essene, who disapproved wholly of animal sacrifice wa KaraOvovres), and esteemed (Philo, ii. 457, ov their

sacrificial

meals

as

far

transcending

any

INTRODUCTION

liv

sacrifice

temple

worth (Ant.

to our author, the

According blessed

in

xviii.

(4)

5).

future abode of the

the heaven of the stars (X.

is

1.

9),

but the

Essene heaven was beyond the ocean (Bell. Jud. ii. 8. 11). Again, Gehenna is the place of punish

ment of

for Israel s national foes (X. 10).

We

know

no such conception among the Essenes. (5) The is ascribed to Moses as a

fact that pre-existence

14) implies a disbelief in the Essene doctrine of the pre-existence of all souls

special distinction (I.

(Bell Jud.

ii.

8. 11).

As we have now shown

that our author was

neither a Sadducee, a Zealot, nor an Essene, there

remains no further difficulty in determining the religious party to which he belonged. He was clearly This is shown by the facts which we have enumerated above in the refutation

a Pharisaic Quietist.

of the preceding views.

He was

a Pharisee of a

fast-disappearing type, recalling in all respects the

Chasid of the early Maccabean times, and uphold ing the old traditions of quietude and resignation.

While political

his

party was

fast committing itself to and movements, he raised his them from the evil ways on which

interests

voice to recall

they had entered, and besought them to return to the old paths, but his appeal was made in vain, and so the secularisation of the Pharisaic movement in

due course culminated in the

fall of

Jerusalem.

INTRODUCTION 11. It

is

Iv

THE DATE

impossible to deal seriously with the late

date assigned to this book by

137138

Volkmar and

Colani,

Their only ground for so doing is to be found in the historical character of chaps. A.D.

VIII. IX., which, they allege, is a veiled narrative of the persecution under Hadrian. The reader will ,

see that, like these writers, I too have accepted the historicity of these chapters,

and shown, by a minute

investigation of every phrase, that they recount, not

the calamities of the

Jews under Hadrian, but under

Antiochus Epiphanes. See notes on pp. 2838. If this has been proved satisfactorily, as I hold it

no longer possible to advocate a But even should the proof second-century date. to be,

then

it is

be deemed inadequate, insuperable difficulties still confront the upholders of such a view. For, from

appears that the book must have been written before 70 A.D. This we shall

internal evidence,

now proceed

it

to show.

The book was written before 70 temple

is

to

stand

till

the

A.D.

For (1) the

establishment of the

kingdom (I. 17). See note on p. 7. (2) The temple was still standing when the book was

theocratic

written.

This

is

tion that

if

had

it

to be inferred fallen,

have been passed over

from the considera

such an event could not

in silence.

It could not

have

INTRODUCTION

Ivi

been passed over for all the fortunes of the temple, even its temporary profanations by a faithless priest ;

See

hood, are carefully recorded. V. 3, 4, VI. 1, 9, VIII. 5. fall, it left

II. 4, 8, 9, III. 2,

When

the temple did

an ineffaceable mark on

all

subsequent Jewish literature, but particularly in that of the next sixty years cf. the later portions of the Apoc. Bar. and 4 Ezra. The views, therefore, of Volkmar, :

Keim, Hausrath, and Rosenthal, who date

Colani,

the composition of the Assumption after 70, are untenable.

other scholars are agreed as to its com position before 70 A.D., but differ with each other

Now,

all

as to the exact period to

between 4 ences of 2,

of

l

B.C. arid

70

which

should be assigned of

these differ

are due to the purely arbitrary restorations

the unintelligible fragments of numbers in VII.

and may therefore be at once discounted. So far we have determined only the latest limit composition,

70

i.e.

already dead (VI. past

(VL

9).

0),

There

A.D.

This

as to its earliest.

is

come"

3

is

B.C.

and the war

;

of

no for

difficulty

Herod

is

Varus already

After this war, the writer declares,

the times will be ended, and

lie

it

Many

A.D.

(VIII.

1).

between 3

B.C.

Thus the and 70

A.D.

"

the four hours will

limits of composition

But there are data

Thus Hilgenfeld assigns the book to the years 44-45 A.D. Schmidt-Merx to 54-64 Fritzsche to 50-60. 1

;

;

/-

INTRODUCTION

In VI. 7 the state

for a nearer determination. "

ment,

And

Ivii

he (Herod) will beget children, who,

succeeding him, will rule for shorter periods," was for Philip and Antipas true of Archelaus alone Hence the book their father. than reigned longer ;

must have been written before these princes had 1 reigned for thirty-four years, i.e. before 30 A.D. Thus the date and 30

more sons

closely.

should

father,

may

siderations

:

of

composition

But the

A.D.

limits

between 3

lies

may

be defined

B.C.

still

For the prediction, that Herod s rule for shorter periods than their

be reasonably explained from two con (a)

from the general expectation that

the sons of such a wicked king could not long pre serve their authority but still more (6) from the ;

actual deposition of Archelaus after a short reign of ten years 4 B.C. 6 A.D., an event which would

naturally be construed by our author in the light of a divine judgment, and suggest to him the pre

which appears in the text as to the impend and Antipas. Hence, however,

diction

ing fate of Philip

we may

may

it

interpret

be

fairly

the

"

four

concluded

hours that

"

in

part

VII. of

1

;

these

1

Ewald, Wicseler, Drummond, Dillmann, and Schiirer refer the composition of the book to the first decade after 4 B.C. This conclusion they arrive at by pressing the words "the times will in VII. 1. For the way in which Reuss, followed by Baldensperger and Rosenthal, seeks to evade the conclusions that naturally follow from VI. 7, see the note on that verse (p. 22).

be ended

"

INTRODUCTION

Iviii

have already elapsed when the author writes, and the

that

limit

earliest

of

7 A.D.

is

composition

Thus the book was composed between the years

7-30

A.D.

VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR ON MOSES, ISRAEL THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM, GOOD WORKS

12.

Moses was prepared, from

Moses.

before

mediator of

foundation of the world, to be the

God s covenant with His people During

(XL

his life

11, 17)

;

he was Israel

s

(I.

the

14, III.

intercessor with

for forty years he suffered

many

12).

God

things

hands in Egypt, the lied Sea, and the When about to die, he chose wilderness (III. 11).

at

their

Joshua in his stead (X. 15), apparently as the His death prophet promised in Deut. xviii. 15.

was an ordinary one (I. 15, III. 13, X. 12, 14); but no single place was worthy to mark the place of his burial, for his sepulchre was from the rising to

the

setting sun,

and from the south

confines of the north

yea

his sepulchre (XI.

But

to

the

to Israel

his relation

he was appointed by be their intercessor in the spiritual world

did not cease

God

8).

to

the entire world was

with death

;

(XII. 6). Israel.

Israel

is

God

s

own

people

world was created in their behalf

(I.

(I.

12)

:

12): the

and Moses

INTRODUCTION

lix

prepared, from before the foundation of the world,

covenant relation between God and

to establish the

His people

and Jerusalem prepared,

14),

(I.

in like

manner, to be the centre of the worship of Jehovah establishment of

the

till

the theocratic

kingdom

then shortly summarised (I. 17). from the time of the Exodus to the split between Israel s history

the two

kingdoms.

is

From

this

time

two

carefully distinguishes between the

the

(II. 4),

never lost sight of

attributed to the

time

the

and

"

holy yet the solidarity of the twelve tribes

"

is

tribes

The former constitute the two

ten.

tribes

the writer

;

for

Judah

s

sins of Israel (III.

captivity 5).

is

In due

two tribes return from their captivity,

but grieve over their imperfect sacrifices (IV. 8) imperfect, apparently, because the ten tribes are not with them, though they are increasing and multi But plying in the land of their captivity (IV. 9). the history of restored Judah becomes an evil one,

namely, owing to the Sadducean priesthood (V.), but a righteous kernel still survived who were faithful to the

law (IX.

4).

Then ensues the persecution

of

Antiochus (VIIL), and the withdrawal of the Chasid party from political alliances (IX.). The Maccabean king-priests

Herod

(VI.).

are

alluded

With

his

period.

and

their

death, and

successor

probably the

we arrive at the writer s we Herewith pass from the region of

deposition of Archelaus,

own

to,

INTRODUCTION

Ix

history to

The

that of prediction.

theocratic or

be ushered in by a day 1750 years after the death

Messianic kingdom will of

repentance

of

Moses,

observed,

(X. in

(I.

17).

between 75 and 107

i.e.

A.D. (?),

intervene on behalf of Israel,

will it

1

not

of

God

Israel,

be

Judah and Benjamin alone

of

Here, again, the solidarity of the nation,

8).

writer

the

s

mind, discovers

As they

itself.

suffered vicariously for each other s sins (III. 5), so likewise the promises tribes

be

collectively (III.

glorified

theocratic

together

were made

and

9),

(X.

they should

Thus

8).

when

kingdom was established the ten

were to be restored. national

to the twelve

this

During were to be

enemies

kingdom

all

the

tribes

Israel s

destroyed (X.

8).

be exalted to heaven (X. 9), whence they should see their enemies in Gehenna Finally, Israel

was

to

(X. 10).

The Messianic or

Theocratic

preceding paragraph 1

In the

Kingdom.

we have given the

various

This seems to be the period meant by the 250 times spoken of As \ve have no means of determining the

in X. 12 (see note).

length of the interval between the death of Moses and the Christian era, according to our author, we cannot determine the date of the expected advent of God, which was to take place 1750 years after If we may accept Josephus s chronology for this s death. period, then the date of the Divine Advent was to be in the year

Moses

75 or 88 or 107, according as we regard 1675 years (Ant. xx. 10. 2) having elapsed between Moses s death and the Christian era, or

as

1662 years (Ant. x. 9. 7 1643 years (Bell. Jud. vi. ;

xi. 1. 1 4. 8).

;

Bell.

(See

Jud.

Herzog

vi.

s

4.

R.E.

8

;

10. 1), or

xvii. p. 460.)

INTRODUCTION kingdom which are found

references to this

There

author.

"

expectation punish the

may of

:

The Eternal God alone

Gentiles the

to

a

Messiah, as

the

our

in

Indeed, in X.

"

due

be

no Messiah.

is

7,

seems to be really inimical to this

author

the

Ixi

(see

note,

fact

that

man

of

in

.

loc.).

the

war,

.

.

will

This

conception

was gaining

more and more acceptance amongst the Pharisees, and was thus of a nature to promote the grow Now, it is ing secularisation of Pharisaism. against the latter evil that the author

s

writing

is

directed.

On

Good Works.

works, our author tions, rather

s

the doctrine of merit, or good views are allied to O.T. concep

than to the rabbinic doctrine of

man s

righteousness, which bulks so largely in Jewish See my edition of literature from 50 A.D. onwards.

the Apocalypse of Baruch xiv. 7, xxi.

9, notes.

So far

from representing man s righteousness as involving an undoubted Pharisaic merit over against God, doctrine of the first century of our era, our author represents

even the greatest hero of Judaism as

declaring

but in

Not

any virtue or strength of mine, His compassion and long-suffering, was He "

:

pleased to

call

for

(XII.

me"

declares to Joshua

"

:

It is

7). Similarly Moses not on account of the

godliness of this people (Israel) that thou shalt root "

out the nations

(XII.

8).

INTRODUCTION

Ixii

NEW

13.

TESTAMENT AND LATER WRITERS

ACQUAINTED WITH THE ASSUMPTION

Jude unquestionably was acquainted both with the Testament of Moses and with the Assump St.

tion,

properly so-called, which together compose the

complete book.

Thus p.

Jude

St.

From

107.

we proceed evidence

is

to

latter

of

:

see

borrowing

deal with another, for which the St.

of several clauses

Jude 16

is

composed which agree verbally or in sub

very strong.

stance with V.

from the

9 is derived

this indubitable case

VII.

5,

7, 9

our Latin text

of

We

the original Testament of Moses.

shall here

give the Greek text of Jude, inserting after each clause

its

joyyvcrral, losi),

parallel

from

fjLefjL^rLfjLoipoi

Kara ras

avT&v XaXet

eorum

et

Ovrol

text.

elcn

Moys. VII. 7, quaeruavrwv Tropevo/mevoi Kal TO

(Ass.

liridvfJLta^

(TTOfjia

our

vTrepoy/ca (VII.

mentes immunda tractantes,

9,

et

et

os

manus eorum

loquetur ingentia), Oavud^ovres TrpoercoTra, ax^eXeta? Xdpiv (V. 5, mirantes personas locupletum et accipientes rnunera).

In

St.

Jude

the

18

(e^iralKrai) appear to be the

homines

(VII. 3) (see note, in

The

who

loc.).

are mentioned in St.

chap. VII. 3, 7 (impii).

"

mockers

pestilentiosi

"

ungodly

men

Jude 4 appear twice

Now,

"

"

in

lest the full force of

these parallels should escape us,

we should observe

INTRODUCTION

books are actually or

both

accounts in

the

that

Ixiii

The classes of evil-doers nominally prophetic. in the last dealt with are those who shall be "

according to Jude 18, and ended," in our text.

time,"

are

The writer both

or

of 2 Peter also appears to

Thus

our text.

are

Some

Assumption.

ev

TTJV

rjyovjjLevoi,

(Vulfj.,

rjSovrjv

;

avrwv

a/yaTrafc

affluentes, in conviviis

luxuriantes vobiscum), compare VII. discubitiones et luxuriam.

3 with VII.

latter-

rpvtyijv,

Moysi, VII. 5, omni hora diei with evrpvcfruvres ev rat?

ii.

original

compare Ass. amantes convivia

^epa

and

(Twevco^ovfjievot,

the

passages support the with 2 Peter ii. 13,

Thus

alternative.

on

dependent

equally

have used

are based on Jude 9,

10, 11

II.

the times

"when

8,

2 Peter

also

Compare

suis

Habebimus

6.

There are some remarkable parallels between St. The Stephen s speech in Acts vii. and our text.

most remarkable

many

things in Egypt, and in the

the wilderness for

verbally TroiricrcLs

during forty

the

most

repara KCU

EpvOpa

6a\dcro"y,

The

Kovra.

We

that in III. 11,

is

ical

likeness

is

ev

ev

rfj

with rf)

e

text,

or

suffered

Sea,

and

in

which agrees Acts vii. 36,

Al yvirrw KCU

epijfjLqy

errj

ev

reacrapd-

too close to be accidental.

must either assume that Acts

from our

Eed

years,"

part

arjijiela

"Who

that III.

1 1 b

vii.

of

36

is

derived

our text

is

INTRODUCTION

Ixiv

The evidence

interpolated. is

Apoc. Bar. Ixxxiv. 3

against the latter supposition

word "

of

"

suffered."

l

transgress (God s)

ments in the which he was a mediator

them

they did transgress

fact that

the words,

2, in

Again, in III.

we should not

that

likewise also the

:

is

command

to

implied, and

whom

the fact that Moses was the mediator through

are

facts

This

is

spake

to

"

distinctly given

he that was

.

.

Acts

in

living oracles to give unto us

be

prediction

obedient."

the

of

citation of the

38, 39

vii.

:

with the angel which

.

him on the Mount Sinai

would not

these two

Now,

expressly stated.

is

they came,

the

us,"

captivity

to

;

.

who

whom

received

our fathers the

Finally,

there

in

13, and the

III.

Amos

prophecy of

.

.

is

that effect in

to

VII. 43.

29

Again, Matt. xxiv.

Luke

xxi.

2526)

(cf.

Mark

xiii.

our text, or else both are derived from a This

source. O

is

clear

if

we compare Matt.

7J\IOS (TKOTl(T0r)0-eTaL Kdi

^7709

avrrjs,

KCLI

24-25;

either dependent on X.

is

T)

ol darepes

0-6\1]V7} .

.

0V

5

of

common xxiv. 2 9 &a)(Tl,

:

TO

rwv ovpavwv

.

G-a\ev9iicrovTai, with X. 5 1 This idea of Moses s suffering in connection with Israel is found in the Jalkut (translated by Heidenheim, Deutsche Vicrteljahr-

Herr der Welt, Moses sagte meine Mlihe und mein Leiden, das ich mit ihnen (den Israeliten) zu erleiden hatte, bis ich ihnen die Lehre eingepragt hatte." "

(1871),

schrift

otfenbar

.

p.

217).

und bekannt

.

.

1st dir

.

.

.

:

INTRODUCTION

Ixv

(Sol) in tenebras convertet se,

Et luna non dabit lumen.

.

.

.

Et orbis stellarum conturbabitur. noteworthy that in the parallel passage in Luke xxi. 25 there is a reference to the sea also, It is

as there is in X. 6 of our text.

For another close

parallel of our text, VIII.

1

with Matt. xxiv. 21, see notes on pp. 80, 81. On the above grounds we conclude that this book

was known

of

to

the writers of the Epistle of Jude

and most probably to the writers 2 Peter and Matt. xxiv. 29 (Mark xxii. 24-25

and

of

Acts

vii.,

;

Luke It

xxi.

25-26). was known

Ixxxiv.

25:

also

to

see notes in

the writer of Apoc. Bar. loc.

(pp.

12, 13).

the citations in Clement of Alexandria, Origen, see pp.

107-110.

For etc.,

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

TRANSLATED FllOM THE LATIN (And

I.

it

came

to pass in the

twentieth year of the 1.

1.

2.

See

crit.

life

note.

Two thousand

five

hun

dredth year. This date of Moses death is of great importance in Jewish chronology. If we com pare it with the various dates assigned to this event in the Massoretic text, the Samaritan, the Book of Jubilees, and Josephus,we shall find that no two of these authorities agree. Thus the death of Moses is variously dated according to

Anno Assumption of Moses

.

Book of Jubilees

.

Josephus, Ant. ,,

or

.

viii. 3. 1

viii. 3. 1

com

bined with xx. 10 Samaritan Pentateuch .

LXX From

Mundi. 2500 2450 2550 2530 3309 3859

these variations among authorities before and after the Christian era, it appears

of

one hundred and

Moses),

2.

That

is,

that the Massoretic chronology, which sets it down to 2706, either did not exist at the be ginning of the Christian era, or else was only one of the many

systems competing for popular I shall return to acceptance. this question in my Commentary on the Book of Jubilees, where the subject necessarily demands to be treated at some length. I shall, however, add here another fact which shows that the Mas

soretic chronology was wholly wanting in traditional authority as late as 50-100 A.D. a cir cumstance that is incompatible with its assumed ancient origin. Thus according to Exod. xii.

40 (Mass, text), Israel is said to 430 years in Egypt alone whereas, in the

have sojourned ;

Samaritan, this period embraces also the sojourn of the patri archs in Canaan before their

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES two thousand

the

hundredth year from the 6. That he called to him

five

creation of the world,

of Nun, a man approved of the That he might be the minister of the people the tabernacle of the testimony with all its

Joshua the son 7.

Lord,

and

of

Here the descent into Egypt. Samaritan is supported by the LXX., and substantially also by the Pharisaic Book of Jubilees. This reckoning, further, is fol lowed by

St. Paul, Gal.

and Joseplms, Ant. It reappears also at

in the

Targum

of

iii.

ii.

17,

15.

2.

a later date

Jonathan on

Some

Onom.

Sacr., ed. Lag., 88, 31 : quae nunc Filadelfia,

Amman

urbs Arabiae nobilis, in qua habitaverunt olim Rafaim, gens Anrmon antiqua ; and 92, 2 trans Jordanem in tribu Gad. Haec est Amman de qua supra :

diximus, Filadelafi, civitas tris Arabiae.

illus-

writers Exod. have cited as testimonies to the

The MS. inserts: the prophecy which was- made by

Massoretic reckoning Philo, Quis rcr. div. 54 (i. 511) Josephus, Ant. i. 10. 3 ; Bell. Jud. v. 9. 4; Acts vii. 6 but all these pas

Moses in the book Deuteronomy.

40.

xii.

;

:

sages are either directly drawn from or based upon Gen. xv. 13, where 400 years are spoken of, except that in Bell. Jud. v. 9. 4, where the context is indecisive either way. The MS. inserts here 3. "But according to the reckon ing of the East ... of the de parture of the Phoenix." This verse was interpolated by the Greek translator in the West. It may originally have been a :

Greek marginal

gloss.

See

crit.

note (p. 54).

The MS.

inserts here the people went forth after the exodus which was made by Moses to Amman across the See crit. note. The Jordan." Amman here mentioned ap pears, as Ronsch(^./. W. 7*. 1884, pp. 555, 556) points out, to be a town in the tribe of Gad. See 4.

"When

:

5.

See

"In

crit.

"

note.

6. Called to him Joshua the son of Nun. These words are drawn from Deut. xxxi. 7. For Approved of the Lord. phrase cf. Acts ii. 22; 2 Tim. ii.

15. 7.

Minister of the people. See note on this verse (p.

critical 56).

Tabernacle of the testimony. is the O-K-TJVT] TOV /j,ap-

This

rvpiov,

i.e.

nnyn

?nx,

as

would

appear from the words follow with all its holy things. ing These holy things were the ark and the tables of testimony. Only for the addition of this clause the Hebrew might have been ijno VnK="tent of meet "

"

:

where God spoke to Moses, Exod. xxxiii. 7-11, etc., and to Moses and Joshua in Deut. xxxi. 14-23. These two differing names of the tabernacle were derived from the two different purposes which it served. ing,"

CHAPTER holy things,

8.

And

I.

6-12

5

that he might bring the people

into the land given to their fathers,

That

9.

it

should be given to them according to the covenant and the oath, which he spake in the tabernacle to

by Joshua saying to Joshua these words 1 0. (Be strong) and of a good courage according to thy might so as to do what has been commanded

give

:

:

(it)

"

that thou mayst be blameless unto saith the 8.

And

Lord

that he

of

might bring

the people, etc. Deut. xxxi. 7 cf. also xxxi. 21. 9.

This

The covenant and

;

the oath.

a favourite expression of the writer, cf. III. 9, 17, XII. 13. We must restore it also in II. 7. See crit. note in loc. (pp. is

XL

62, 63).

Which He spake in

the taher-

nacle,i.e.inDc\it. xxxi. 14, 20, 23.

These Saying to Joshua. words are to be connected "He immediately with ver. 6 called to him Joshua :

.

saying to

Joshua."

The

.

.

inter

vening words are of the nature of a parenthesis. 10. (Be strong] and of a good See crit. note (pp. courage.

These words go back 56, 57). immediately to Deut. xxxi. 7, from which also part of ver. 6 is

derived.

Blameless unto God. See crit. note (pp. 57, 58). For the phrase cf.Deut. xviii. 13;2Sam.xxii. 24. 11. So saith the Lord. Moses here declares God to be the of the words Be speaker strong, etc. In Josh. i. 7 ; Deut. xxxi. are addressed 23, they directly

11. So

God."

12. For

the world.

He

hath

to Joshua by God, but in Deut. xxxi. 6, 7 it is Moses that first uses them. 12. Created the world on be

half of His people. This is the prevalent view of Judaism from the first century of the Christian era onwards. Cf. 4 Ezra vi. 55, 59, vii. 11, and my note on

Apoc. Bar. xiv.

A

18.

more limited view, i.e. that the world was created on still

behalf of the righteous in Israel, expressed in Apoc. Bar. xiv. This con 19, xv. 7, xxi. 24. ception reappears in the Shep herd of Hernias in a form adapted to its Christian en vironment. There it is the Christian Church to which the world owes its creation Vis. is

:

=

4. 1, 8ia TavTTjv ( TTJV e/c/cXT?Cf. criav) 6 /c6cr/xos KaTfjpTijdfj.

ii.

also

Vis.

i.

1.

6,

iv., v.

The

larger view that the world was created on account of mankind, is found in Apoc. Bar. xiv. 18 r

,

;

4

Ezra viii.

Mand.

xii.

44; Hermae Pastor, 4, tKriae rbv Koff^ov

1,

eveKa TOV avdpu-rrov, and is the prevalent one in post- apostolic writers. Cf. Justin Mart. Apol.

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES created the world on behalf of His people.

But

13.

He was

not pleased to manifest this purpose of creation from the foundation of the world, in order that the Gentiles might thereby be convicted, yea

own

humiliation might by (their) arguments 1 4. Accordingly He designed convict one another. to their

ii. Dial. c. Tryph. 4, 5 Irenaeus, v. 29. 1 TertulAdv. i. 13; Marc. lian, Origen, i.

10,

41

;

;

;

Contra

Cels. iv. 23.

Was

Alexandrian Judaism not as the prerogative of one or more favoured souls, but as the com

mon

characteristic of all souls.

pleased. (See crit. note, p. 58.) The sense of the verse appears to be God was unwilling to reveal the fact

See Slav. En. xxiii. 5. This was the prevailing doctrine of later Judaism.

that the world was created on behalf of Israel in order that the Gentiles might be put to a com

world.

in their reasonings on this subject. Whatman could not discover (Eccles. iii. 11, viii.

of

13.

not

:

mon shame

17),

God

revealed through Moses

(ver. 14). 14. This

verse is quoted by Gelasius of Cyzicum in his Com ment. Act. Syn. J\7 ic. ii. 18 (Fab ric. Cod. Pseud. V.T. i. 845;

Man si,

Concil.

ii.

e^ievai rov

Mwucrewr,

Trpocr/caAe-

OVI>

vibv

Trpbs

poededcraro

p. 844): /xeXXwv

Manxes

fj.e

Naw?

Kal 8ia-

Kal avrbv Qebs Trpb Karae<f>r)

6

v elval

From

foundation of the note on I. 14

the

See

crit.

(pp. 58, 59).

The word

Mediator.

which

is

translation,

is

(Polybius, Lucian, and once only in the LXX., Job ix. 33. This designation of Moses as a mediator does not occur in

Greek

the O.T. or in the Apocrypha, though his mediatorial functions appear clearly in Deut. v. 2, 5 ;

Exod. xx. 19. It was, however, a recognised title of his in the first century of the Christian era. This is clear (1) From the present work, I. 14, III. 12. (2) From the N.T. Gal. iii. 18, 19, where Moses is said to be the mediator through whom 5iacame the law 6 ^6/xos .

Prepared

me

before the founda

raycis

.

.

.

ev

tion of the world.

Again in Heb.

is

xii.

Pre-existence here ascribed to Moses, as it was also to the Son of Man in Eth. En. xliii. 2 (where see But about the beginning note). of tlie Christian era such preexistence came to be regarded in

yuecri TTjs,

clearly a found only in later

arbiter

24 there

is

%etpt viii.

.

.

fieffLrov.

6,

ix.

15,

an obvious allu

sion to this designation of Moses,

where

over

against the O.T.

legislator, Christ is described as a "Mediator of a new (or

better

)

covenant."

(3)

From

CHAPTER and devised me, and foundation

of

the

He

world,

I.

13-17

prepared that

mediator of His covenant.

me

before the

should be the

I

And now

15.

unto thee that the time of the years of fulfilled

and

I

am

passing

away

I declare

my

is

life

with

to sleep

my

even in the presence of all the people. 16. And receive thou this writing that thou mayst

fathers

know how

to

books which I shall

preserve the

deliver unto thee

17.

:

And

thou shalt set these in

them with

order and anoint

oil

and put the place which

of cedar

them away in earthen vessels in He made from the beginning of the Vit.

Philo,

Mays.

19

iii.

fiealr-qs /ecu 5iaXXd/cT7?s.

(4)

:

ola

From

the Talmud, where Moses is fre quently spoken of as a mediator, see Levy, Neuhebr. i.e. as und Chald. Lex. iii. 595, 590. See also Shem. rab. on Exod. iii. 13 Bam id. rab. xi. 3. See Schottgerj, llor. pp. 738, "iiono

;

;

Wetstein, N. T. ii. p. 224. 15. Sleep with myfathers. Cf. III. 13; X.12,14; Deut.xxxi.16. Moses makes no reference here

739

;

The words,

creation of the

Apoc. Bar. xliv. 2: "Behold I go unto my fathers according to the

XL

of all the earth." This writing. Cf. X. 11,

way

16. 1.

17.

cedar.

Anoint them with oil of The sacred heavenly

books shown to Enoch (Slav. En.

xxii.

"fragrant

12) are described

with

as

myrrh."

From the beginning of the See crit. creation of the world. note on I. 14 (p. 58, 59). In

in the presence of all the if they are the true people," text, refer clearly to his bodily decease. These words disagree both with the account in Deut. xxxiv. 5, 6, according to which no man witnessed his death, and with the Greek fragments of the

etc., i.e. Jeru In Jorna 54&, Sifre 76&, the world is said to have been created with Zion as a startingSee Weber, pp. 199, point. In Ezek. 63-65 (2nd ed.). xxxviii. 12, v. 5, Zion is said to cf. earth of the be the centre Jubi Eth. En. xxvi. 1, xc. 26

Assumption

lees viii.

to his "

Assumption.

Even

(see pp. 107-110), according to which Joshua and Caleb were witnesses, but none

other.

With

this verse

compare

the place,

salem.

:

;

here to

Is there

any reference

of

foundation,"

"stone

N ns? pN, mentioned in the Targ. Jon. on Exod. xxviii. 30 ?

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES 18. That His

world, until the

of

end

II.

them

visit

into the land which

He

day of repentance.

to stand till the establishment of the theocratic kingdom. As

Hilgenfeld remarks, no Jew could have so written after the de struction of the temple in 70 A.D. Still more impossible is the later date of Volkmar and

which assigns

book to a time when Jerusalem was rebuilt as a Roman colony with a heathen temple and sacrifices, and no Jew was permitted to approach i.

47

;

it.

Tert.

Cf.

this

Justin, Apol.

Adv.

Jud.

13

;

Div. I. vol. ii. 294, 306-308, 315 sqq. (Bug. trans.). The day of repentance. Taken in connection with the following words, this phrase refers to the great national repentance that was to precede the establish ment of the Messianic or, as here, the theocratic kingdom. This national repentance was a precondition of the coming of the kingdom. "If Israel prac tises repentance, it will be re deemed if not, it will not be redeemed, "Sanh. 976. This re pentance was called also the Schurer,

;

"Israel will great repentance. not fulfil the great repentance before Elijah comes," Pirke de R. Eliezer, xliii. According to

Mai.

iv.

6

consummation

and Luke

i.

by means of thee determined and promised

will go

The temple was thus expected

(Jolani,

in the

upon where

of the days.

(And now) they

18. Until the

called

repentance in the visitation

day with the Lord shall of the

name should be

16, 17,

was to So strongly were the Rabbins im pressed with the value of this this moral reformation

be

by

wrought

Elijah.

repentance, that in Pesikta 163& it is said If all Israel together repented for a single day, re demption through the Messiah would follow (see Weber, 333, "

:

"

334, 338, Isted.; 348, 353,

2nd

ed.).

The In the visitation, etc. visitation here spoken of is one of mercy in relation to Israel. The word

visit (eTrtcr/ceTrreo-^at

=

nps) has generally in the O.T., and always in the N.T., a good

sense. In the Apoc. Bar. and 4 Ezra it is almost always used in a bad sense of the penal

visitation of

God

(see

my

note

"The on Apoc. Bar. xx. 1). time of visitation (/catp6s iiria"

is the AVisd. iii. KOTTTJS, 7) establishment of the kingdom ;

cf.

Luke xix. 44. Them. Israel. In the consummation of the end

of days. Similarly in the Apoc. Bar. xxvii. 15, xxix. 8, the

Messianic time is denoted by the phrase "the consummation of the times." The same phrase is used also of the last judgment see Apoc. Bar. xxx. 3. II. Deut. xxxi. 7, 1. Cf. 21-23. ;

CHAPTERS give to their

to

shalt bless

firm unto for

to

4

In the which thou

2.

fathers,

and give

them

i8II.

I.

them individually and con

their inheritance in

them the kingdom, and thou

me and

shalt appoint

good Lord in judgment and righteousness.

come

the

in

to

them

pleasure of their

prefectures according to the

will

establish

sixth

3.

And

(it

year after

they pass) enter into the land, that thereafter they shall be ruled by chiefs and kings for eighteen years, and during nineteen years the ten tribes will be apostates.

And

4.

the twelve tribes will go

inheritance in me. a peculiar phrase, but Ronsch supports it by 2 Sam. xx. 1: "Neither have we in heritance in the son of Jesse" 2.

Tlieir

This

is

221); but his later suggestion on this pas sage is possibly better, in which he takes the Latin in me to be a corruption of "in earn." See crit. note on II. 2.

(Z.f.W.T. 1869,

p.

"

"

Appoint them prefectures. The text

is

obscure.

See crit. note render also

We might

(p. 60).

them

:

local

magis trates." These might be the anas? mentioned in Deut. xvi. 18 1 Chron. xxiii. xxvi. 4, "appoint

;

29. 3.

In

the

conquest

of

sixth

year.

The

Canaan

occupied five years. Of. Josh. xiv. 10 Ant. 1. 19 eras Sc v. Joseph. ;

:

Tre/JWTTOv

Xapaj

cutoi

/ecu

Trape\r]\udeL ovKeri ovdeis UTroXe -

7J07)

XetTTTO.

For eighteen years.

Each year The

signifies a reiini or ruler.

"chiefs

and

kings"

down

are

the

judges and the three kings, Saul, David, and Solomon. And during nineteen years the fifteen

ten tribes will be apostates. These are the nineteen kings of Israel from Jeroboam to Hoshea. In

these two statements the writer anticipates for the moment the In the next course of history. verse he turns back to record the removal of the ark by David to Jerusalem. 4. And the twelve tribes will 2 Sam. vi. 1, 2, go doitm, etc.

See

17.

crit.

note

(p. 61).

The God of heaven.

Cf. iv. 4,

This expression, which is found in Gen. xxiv. 7, was a favourite one amongst the postexilic Jews, Ezra v. 11, vi. 9, Dan. ii. 18, 10, vii. 12, 21, 23 x. 3.

;

etc.

The Cod of heaven will make, etc. The building of the temple under Solomon is here referred to. The court of His tabernacle. See

crit.

note

(p. 62).

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

io

and transfer the tabernacle the

God

of

l

of the testimony.

heaven will make the court

Then His

of

tabernacle and the tower of His sanctuary, and the

two holy

tribes will be (there) established

the ten

tribes will establish

selves according to their

own

them

for

kingdoms ordinances.

But

5.

:

6.

And

they will offer sacrifices throughout twenty years 7. And seven will entrench the walls, and I will :

protect nine, but (four) will transgress the covenant of the Lord,

and profane the oath which the Lord

made with them.

8.

And

they will sacrifice their

sons to strange gods, and they will set up idols in the sanctuary, to worship them.

house

of

the

Lord they

Tower of His sanctuary. crit.

note

And

See

the

Only two

two holy tribes

tribes,

will

etc.

remain

faithful to the temple so built. This calls for a reference to the action of the ten tribes, which is given in the text verse. 5. This statement relative to the ten tribes is really parenthetical. It was called out by

the prediction that (only) the two tribes would preserve their allegiance to the temple. 6. The writer, after the parenthetical reference to the ten tribes in ver. 5, returns here to the history of the two. Offer sacrifices throughout twenty years. The twenty years the designate twenty sovereigns of Judah from Kehoboam onwards, including Athaliah.

in

the

work impiety and

will

Seven

7.

will

entrench

Hie

seven

kings will advance the strength and proi.e.

walls,

(p. 62).

And

9.

of Judah-Eehoboam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah. I iirill protect nine, i.e. nine kings will enjoy the divine sperity Abijah,

Amaziah, Joash, protection Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amoii, Josiah. (Four) will transgress, i.e. Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah. oath. Transgress note (pp. 62, 63). .

.

.

See

crit.

8.

Sacrificed their sons,

etc.

2 Kings xvi. 3 ; Ps. cvi. 37, 38 ; Ezek. xvi. 20, xx. 26 ; Hos. xi. 2.

Set

up

idols in

the,

sanctuary.

Cf. Ezek. viii. 8-16. 9.

This verse

is

clearly based

CHAPTERS

II.

III.

5

engrave every (form) of beast, (even)

ii

5

many abomina

tions.

III.

And

in those days a king

come against them and cover 2.

cavalry. fire

And

from the east will

their land with (his)

he will burn their colony with of the Lord, and

together with the holy temple

3. And he will carry away all the holy vessels. he will cast forth all the people, and he will take

them

he will take

to the land of his nativity, yea

the two tribes with him. will call

4.

Then the two

as a lioness on the dusty plains, being 5.

thirsty.

And

they will cry aloud

on Ezek. viii. 9, 10. Thus "in the house of the Lord they will work impiety," is derived from viii. 9, and the remaining words from viii. 10. See crit. note for the restoration of the text. III. 1. A king from the east. Nebuchadnezzar, 588-586 B.C. 2. Colony. This word is due either to the Greek or Latin

translator, and points to the fact that when the translation

was made Jerusalem had been rebuilt by Hadrian as a Roman colony under the name Aelia Capitolina. See also V. 6, VI. 9. The original may have used or "place" cf. IV. 7. "city" All tlic vessels. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 7. According to Dan. L 2, part of these had been carried away in the reign of ;

hol>/

Jehoiakim 20. first

cf. Jer. xxvii. 19, tradition current in the of our era recounts century

A

tribes

upon the ten tribes, and will be indignant

;

hungry and "

Eighteous

:

that on the destruction of Solo mon s temple the holy vessels were concealed by angels (Apoc. Bar. vi. ) or by Jeremiah (2 Mace, ii. 4-8) in order to preserve them for the future Messianic king dom. See also Bammidbar rab, 15. The writer of this book

was not apparently acquainted with this tradition. 3, 4. Will be indignant. crit.

note (pp. 64,

and

Cf.

thirsty. Ixxvii. 14.

65).

See

Hungry

Apoc.

Bar.

5. Righteous and holy is the Lord. Ps. cxlv. 17, 5iKai.osKvpi.os

Kal oaios, and Vulgate, et sauctus. Justus Dominus Dan. ix. 14. Pss. Sol. x. 6 .

.

.

;

Righteous

.

.

.

is

the Lord,

for inasmuch

Cf. Apoc. as, etc. Ixxvii. 3, 4. Both here and

Bar. in the Apoc. Bar. the calamities of Judah are said to be due to the In the wickedness of Israel.

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

12

and holy sinned,

the Lord,

is

we

inasmuch as ye have

for,

too, in like manner, have been carried

away with you, together with our children." 6. Then the ten tribes will mourn on hearing the reproaches of the two tribes, 7. And they will say What have we done unto you, brethren ? Surely this tribulation has not come on all the house of :

"

Israel

?"

And

8.

all

:

God

of

of Isaac

and God

"

9.

covenant which Thou didst the

mourn crying God of Abraham Jacob, remember Thy make with them, and

the tribes will

unto heaven and saying

oath which Thou didst swear unto

Thyself, that their seed should never

Thou hast given

land which

latter book, however, Ixxvii. 10, xi. 17, Dan. ix and 7,

Jer.

;

the Apocryphal Bar. ii. 26, these are attributed to the wickedness of both Israel and Judah. Together with our children. These words are found at the end of ver. 4 in the MS., but there they are impossible. See crit. 7.

note

(p. 65).

Baldensperger (Das Selbst-

bewusstsein Jcsu,

p.

30,

note)

thinks that if we could admit the date of the book to be after 70 A.D. the word "tribulation" here might hint also at a re cently experienced calamity. 8. Unto heaven. Heaven seems here to be used as equi valent to God. This usage ap It is pears first in Dan. iv. 23. Cf. Matt. v. 34. frequent later. 9.

The

oath

.

.

that

their

them by

fail

the

in

Then

10.

them."

seed should never fail in the land. Gen. xvii. 8 ; cf. for phraseology Pss. Sol. xvii. 5 airw irep rov avTOv els rbv aiCova rov /JLTJ :

Keireiv

.

.

.

(SaffiXeiav

avrov

;

also Test. XII. Patriar., Jud. 22. 10-13. These verses are either

the source of Apoc. Bar. Ixxxiv. 2-5, or both passages are derived

from a common

The

original.

passage in Baruch is: 2. "Re member that formerly Moses as suredly called heaven and earth to

witness against you,

If ye transgress

the

and said

:

law,

ye shall be dispersed but if ye keep be 3. And shall it, ye kept. other things he used to say unto ;

you when

ye, the twelve were together inthc desert.

tribes, 4.

And

after his death ye cast them away from you on this account there :

CHAPTER

III.

6-14

13

they will remember me, saying, in that day, tribe 11. unto tribe and each man unto his neighbour :

"

which Moses did then declare

Is not this that

unto us in prophecies, who suffered many things in Egypt and in the Eed Sea and in the wilderness during

forty

years

heaven and earth

:

to

1 2.

And

assuredly

called

witness against us, that

we

should not transgress His commandments, in the 13. Behold which he was a mediator unto us? these

things

have

according to his

befallen

us

after

words and according

his

death

to his declara

he declared to us at that time, yea behold these have taken place even to our being carried

tion, as

away captive

into the country of the

came upon you what had been

And now

5.

predicted.

used

to tell

you,

and

Moses

you

before they befell they have befallen I have italicised the poryou." tions which are undoubtedly of close kin. Cf. Dan. ix. 11-13. !

In Egypt and in

11.

and

Sea

lo

years.

the

the

Red

wilderness forty

These words are found

exactly as they stand here, and likewise in reference to Moses in Stephen s speech in Acts vii. 36: ovros e^rjyayev avrovs,

Tepara /cat

/cat

eprjfj.(j)

trotr/cras

iv TTJ A-lytiirrty, /cat ev rrj 6a\d<T(rr),

a-rj/j.e ca

iv EpvdpS.

try TeaaapaKovra.

The

of their having a partial parallel in Apoc. Bar. Ixxxiv. 3 (see above) seems to preclude the possibility of their being an interpolation here. fact

12.

Assuredly

called

heaven

east."

14.

and earth

to witness. See crit. note (pp. 66, 67). Dent. iv. 26, xxx. 19, xxxi. 28; Apoc. Bar.

xix. 1, Ixxxiv. 2.

Mediator.

See

I.

14, note,

That we should not transgress His commandments. Apoc. Bar. Ixxxiv.

2.

And

behold these things. See crit. note (p. 67). his See crit. death. After note (p. 67). Yea behold, etc. See crit. note. Into the country of the cast. See crit. note. 14. Seventy and seven years. 13.

This refers back, no doubt, to Jeremiah s prophecy of seventy years captivity, Jer. xxv. 11, This prophecy 12, xxix. 10. is referred to in Dan. ix. 2, and interpreted in ix. 24 to mean How seventy weeks of years.

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

14

Who

will be also in

bondage for about seventy and

seven years. IV. Then there will enter one

and he his

who

will spread forth his hands,

and pray on

knees

their

is

over them,

and kneel upon

behalf

saying

:

2.

King on the lofty throne, who rulest the world, and didst will that this people should be Thine elect people, then (indeed) Thou didst will

"

Lord of

all,

that

Thou shouldst be

the

covenant which Thou didst make with their

fathers.

3.

And

another

into

children,

called their God, according to

yet they have gone in captivity land with their wives and their

and around the gates

and where there

is

will

He made

the limits of this period arc to be determined, it has hitherto been impossible to define. That the same impossibility attaches to the present time-determiiiation is therefore not strange. If seventy-seven years be taken

weeks of years (as in Daniel), This the total is 539 years. from when subtracted 588, Jerusalem was destroyed, gives as

49 B.C.

But this is not intelliMerx thinks there is a

play on seven in crit.

note.

Lord

of

heaven."

remember them on account

covenant which

gible.

Eegard and

4.

great vanity.

have compassion on them,

Then God

of strange peoples

the words seventythe Semitic. See

Can seventy and

seven signify here an indefinite number, as it actually does in

5.

of the

with their fathers, and the 0. and N.T. (cf. Gen. 24 Mt. xviii. 22). IV. 1. One, i.e. Daniel; Dan. ix. 4-19. 2. Rulest the world. See

iv.

;

cf.

xi.

17, note.

Thine

Cf. Isa. Ixv. 15, etc.

elect people.

xlii. 1, xliii. 20,

Observe the contrast 3. 2, existing between Israel s reasonable expectations and their actual lot God s chosen covenanted people the slave of an idolatrous human power, 3. crit. 4.

See Vanity, i.e. idolatry. note (pp. 68, 69). Cf. Dan. ix. 18, 19 Apoc.

Bar, xlviii. 18.

;

CHAPTER He

will manifest

IV. 1-8

15

His compassion in those times

And He

put it into the mind of a king to have compassion on them, and he will send

also.

6.

them

will

land and country.

off to their

their appointed place,

the

place renewing

continue

will

6.

A

i.

i.e.

king,

Chron.

xxxvi.

in

23

; ;

cf.

2

Ezra

1-4.

because they 8. Lamenting will not be able to offer sacrifices, etc. Worship in the second temple during the Persian period and later was discredited by several writers in different cen turies and no doubt on different

grounds.

Thus Malachi

(i.

7)

bread "ye upon Mine altar." Next, in the Eth. En. Ixxxix. 73 the sacrifices are declared to be unclean under "all the the symbolical words bread on it was polluted and not Our next reference to pure." the low estimation in which the worship of the second temple was held is found in the Apoc. "And at that Bar. Ixviii. 5, 6 time, after a little interval, Zion will again be builded, and its offerings will again be restored and the priests will return to their ministry, and again the writes

:

offer polluted

:

:

;

Gentiles will

come

and they

And

8.

to glorify

it.

Nevertheless, not as fully as in the beginning." The passages from Malachi and the Eth. En. seem to arraign only the imper fect character of the victims, and

will

will

the

their prescribed

Cyrus

22,

(it).

Then some

up and they

portions of the tribes will go to

7.

two

faith,

come

entrench tribes

sad and

the spirit of those that offer them. That in the Apoc. Bar. may not amount to anything more than a reflection on the lesser glory of the second temple as compared with that of the first, such as we find in Hag. 3

ii.

Who

"

:

is

left

among you

that saw this house in its former glory ? and how do ye see

it

iii.

12.

now

"

?

also

Cf.

Ezra

But the passage

in our text It implies an imperfection attaching to the validity of the entire temple

seems to go deeper.

There is, indeed, no objection to sacrifice as such in this book hence no Essenic tenet is to be sought for here. The writer s views may possibly service.

;

be explained on the ground that he regarded it as impossible for Israel to render perfect worship so long as they were subject to heathen powers. From these powers God alone could deliver them. They were not, as we gather from IX., to attempt this task themselves. God Himself would achieve it for them when

they duly repented, writer

is

I.

17.

The

a Pharisaic quietist.

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

i6

lamenting because they will not be able to sacrifices to the

Lord

of their fathers.

ten tribes will increase

9.

offer

And

the

and multiply among the

Gentiles during the time of their captivity. V. And when the times of chastisement draw

nigh and vengeance arises through the kings who share in their guilt and punish them, 2. They themselves also will be divided as to the truth. 3.

Wherefore

it

hath come

9. Multiply ammig the Gentiles during the time of their captivity.

See crit. note (pp. 70, 71) for the grounds for this emendation, for the passages from con temporary writers supporting the present statement. V. 1. Vengeance arises through

and

the kings

who share in

their guilt.

The writer shows that there was a special Nemesis in the instru ments of their chastisement for the very people, whose manners ;

and customs they were

so eager to adopt to the destruction of Hebrew religion and character, became in due course the actual

means through which a righteous

vengeance overtook them. We find the same thought expressed

in reference to the Hellenising priests of Jason s time in 2 Mace. iv. 16: By reason whereof sore "

calamity came upon them for they had them to be their enemies and avengers whose customs they followed so eagerly, :

and unto

whom

be like in

all

rets

ayuyas

they desired to

things"

/ecu

(&v ^rjXovv

Ka.Qa.irav ijdfXov

TOVTOVS

TroAe/a ous

"

to

pass

They

:

will

Here as in our text the writer regards the persecution under the Seleucidae, especially Antiochus, as a judgment on the Hellenising and apostasies of the leaders of the nation. 2. They will be divided as to the truth. The enormities of .

.

.

the Sadducean priesthood pro moted in the way of reaction a religious awakening among the scribes, and gave birth to what later known as the Pharisaic

was

The origin of this party symbolically described in the Eth. En. xc. 6, 7 as taking place

party. is

at this time.

(See

my

edition

Schmidt-Merx wrongly describe these two parties as the war party of the Maccabeans and the stricter Chasids. Hilin

loc.

)

genfeld strangely interprets these words as referring to the disper sion (diaairopd) under the Seleucids, and the preceding verse to the Persian kings. The two verses refer to the period of the Seleucid domination. There is no question of the Maccabees as yet. 3. It is impossible to trace this quotation, but portions of it

CHAPTERS

IV. 9

V. 4

turn aside from righteousness and approach iniquity, and they will defile with pollutions the house of their

worship,"

strange

and 4.

gods."

they will go a whoring after For they will not follow the "

their phraseologymay be found in the O.T. For turn aside from righteousness, cf. Ezek. iii. 20 for "they will defile the house of their at

least

;

.

.

.

worship," "Ye

...

cf.

have

Ezek.

brought

to be in

My

xliv.

7

:

aliens

in

sanctuary, to "

profane it, even My house "her Zeph. iii. 4 priests have profaned the sanctuary"; see also Pss. Sol. i. 9, where of the

;

:

Jewish

priesthood it is said i ra ayia Kvpiov ev and viii. 26 e^iavav /ecu ra i)yi.a0-/j.ei>a TOV Beou. The clause "will go a whoring after strange is found in Dent. xxxi. It!, gods" j, 4. All previous writers have, :

:

T<

I

believe, wrongly interpreted these verses. They have taken

them as referring to the early Maccabean high priests and their Sadducean supporters. But there are certain statements here which make such an inter pretation

words

"

i.

The

whoring

after

impossible.

will go a

strange gods" cannot possibly be applied to the Maccabean In ii. high priests, 160-103. no case could the latter be de scribed as those "who are no No such charge is priests."

brought against them in all Jewish literature, whereas they are everywhere acknowledged to be of true priestly descent see 1 Mace. ii. 1-5 Joseph. Ant. xii. 6. 1. They were ;

;

sprung from Joiarib or Jehoiarib who returned from the Captivity. 1 Chron. ix. 10 1 Mace. ii. 1 :

;

Neli.

xi.

10,

xii.

6,

19.

iii.

book the statement that the Maccabees should be succeeded by one who was "not of the race of the i.e. Herod, shows that priests," the writer regarded the Macca Finally, in vi. 2 of this

bees as being of priestly descent. But the very facts that make against the application of these verses to the Maccabees make it clear that they can only be rightly explained as descriptive of the high priests who held office previous to the Maccabees, together with their Sadducean i. There was every following, ground for charging the pagan ising high priests Jason and Menelaus with "going a whor

ing after strange gods." Thus, not to dwell upon the contri bution Jason sent to Tyre to be expended in a sacrifice to Hercules in that city, 2 Mace, iv. 19, 20, he set up a palaestra under the citadel, in which the young nobles of Jerusalem prac tised the Greek games, and even the priests, forsaking their ser vice at the altar to do so. This Jason also, called in 2 Mace. iv. 13 "that ungodly wretch, and

no high priest," encouraged Greek fashions and heathen "

manners,"

"put

down

the in

stitutions that were according to law, and brought up new

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES some

truth of God, but

will pollute the altar with

the very gifts which they offer to customs against the law," 2 Mace. iv. 11. Jason is finally declared in 2 Mace. v. 8 to be as a forsaker of the "hated laws, and being had in abom ination as an open enemy of his country and countrymen."

The

above facts will amply account for such words also as "

they will approach iniquity, and they will defile with pollu tions the house of their worship," in ver. 3, and lute the altar gifts

"some

with

which they

will pol the very

in ver.

otter,"

For similar charges against the priesthood, cf. the quota tions given on ver. 3. But the words conclusive ii. some for our interpretation are 4.

:

.

.

.

who

slaves,

have clause

not priests

are

sons

of

shown above "who

show that

that

but

We the

are not priests" case be referred to

cannot in any the Maccabees. to

slaves."

We it

have now

applies to the

Hellenising high priests under Antiochus Epiphanes. Amongst

we have undoubtedly in Menelaus a high priest who was these

not of priestly extraction at all, but was of the tribe of Ben In 2 Mace. iv. 23 he is jamin. called the brother of Simon. This Simon, a Benjamite, was a Hellenising governor of the temple, 2 Mace. iii. 4. Josephus represents Menelaus as a brother of Onias in., Ant. xii. 4. 10, 5.1; but wrongly, as is univers This illegiti ally admitted.

mate appointment was exactly in

keeping with the policy of

who

the Lord,

It was his aim, not only to outrage the Jewish Law, but to procure its entire aboli tion. Although this is the only authenticated instance of the high priesthood being held by one who was not of priestly Grimm and other descent,

Antiochus.

scholars are right in concluding that the occurrence of similar irregularities in appointments to the high priesthood is implied in 1 Mace. vii. 14. There the Asi-

daeans declare, on the appoint ment of Alkimus to the high that they could priesthood, suffer nothing at the hands of the

army which was marching

against them, because "one that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with the army." These Slaves, sons of slaves. words have been referred to the

Maccabean

high priests

;

and

the passage in Josephus, Ant. xiii. 10. 5, has been quoted in

support of this view, where, at a banquet given by Hyrcanus, a Pharisee named Eleazar requested Hyrcanus to lay dow n the high priesthood, on the ground that his mother had been a captive during the reign of Antiochus. T

This statement, which Josephus declares to be false, is repeated in the Talmud. But, (1) as we

have already seen in the preced ing notes, there can be no refer ence here to the Maccabean high priests ; and (2) the first reference to them is found in If v. 4 already referred to the Maccabean high priests, we should not find in vi. 1 the

vi. 1.

CHAPTER

V. 5-6

5. And are not priests but slaves, sons of slaves. many in those times will respect the persons of the

and receive

rich

and wrest judgment [on And on this account the

gifts, G.

receiving presents].

special record that the Maccabees

themselves high priests The phrase "slaves, of God. sons of slaves," then, is to be in terpreted, not of the Maccabees, but of their predecessors. In called

this regard it is full of signifi cance, and points to the condition of complete degradation in which the holders of this office stood tinder Antiochus ; for they were the nominees and absolute tools

of that despot, being made and unmade by him at pleasure. Thus Onias in. was deposed to

make room

for Jason,

and Jason

in turn to make room for Menelaus, 2 Mace. iv. 7-9, 23-29. o. And many in those times. The Latin text here is, qui eniin

doctores eorum In the crit. note (pp. 72,73)1 have shown that an incorrect is doctores eorum marginal gloss in the Hebrew MS. on the preceding words D mm, which are here wrongly rendered by qui enim magistri These "many" were the sunt.

magistri

illis

stint

temporibtis.

Sadducean party who supported the Hellenising high priests. Probably the reference may be more specific, and the "many may signify the large Hellenising Sadducean majority in the San hedrim in Jerusalem. The San hedrim was the chief court for the administration of civil and See p. 26. criminal justice. "

Respect rich.

See

the

persons note

crit.

of (p.

the 73).

Dettt. xvi. 19 is the source of and the two following this clauses "Thou shalt not wrest judgment thou shalt not re :

;

neither persons thou take a gift." spect

shalt

;

and wrest See preceding note ; note (p. 73).

Receive gifts

judgment. also crit.

.

.

.

I [On receiving present* ]. have bracketed this phrase as

a dittography.

See

crit.

note

(pp. 73, 74), where I have shown that, if it is genuine, as it may be, we should probably be right

in regarding accipientes munera in the preceding line as

greedy of gain (cf. Prov. xv. 27), and accordingly render the whole verse: "And many in will respect the of the rich, and be greedy of gain, and wrest judg ment on receiving presents." In this case 1 Sam. viii. 3 was clearly before the mind of the writer: "And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes,

those

times

persons

and perverted judgment. 5, 6. crit.

See

Win

Will forsake the Lord. note be

(p. 74). to

ready

See

judge for

money,

etc.

(p. 75).

Cf. Isa. v. 23.

note

crit.

VIII. IX. The persecution of the the Jews under Antiochus breach between the Chasids and the early Maccabees, and the resumption by the former of ;

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

20

colony and the borders of their habitation will be filled with lawless deeds and iniquities they will :

forsake the Lord

they will be

they

:

ready

will be impious

to judge for

money

judges

as each

:

may

wish.

VI. Then

there

their quietistic attitude.

will These

chapters should be read immedi ately after V., where they be For the longed originally. grounds for this conclusion see notes in loc. VI. 1. Kings bearing rule, and they will call themselves See crit. note. high priests. Previous scholars have referred these words to Antigonus as sumption of the title of king in

104 B.C. It is true, no doubt, that Antigonus was the first to do so but, on the following grounds, it seems clear that the line of kings mentioned in the text begins, not with Antigonus, but with Jonathan or Judas. For (1) the name "king" is ;

it used loosely in this book does not necessarily mean any thing more than commander or prince. Thus the Roman general :

Varus king

"

title

who

is

in

called 8.

vi.

"a

powerful

Hence

this

could be used even of Judas, was the de facto ruler of the

and on still better grounds who was invested by Alexander Balas of Syria with princely rank through the symbols of the purple robe and diadem in 153 and on the most Jews

;

of Jonathan,

;

adequate grounds of Simon, who was the first independent Maccabean ruler of his nation. (2)

up unto them

be raised

Now, according

to the text, their

assumption of the high priest hood is regarded as subsequent to their assumption of the office of supreme military and civil rulers of the nation. Hence, as the office of high priest was usurped as early as 153 B.C. by Jonathan, and this usurpation made legiti

mate, and the office declared to be hereditary in the Maccabean line in 141 B.C. by a council of the nation (1 Mace. xiv. 41), 11

words "kings bearing rule must be referred to the Maccabean the

rulers previous,

at

all

events,

141 B.C. Hence this verse (vi. 1) embraces the entire Mac cabean dynasty from Judas, 165 to

B.C., to

Antigonus, 37

B.C.,

was succeeded by Herod. High priests of God. Latin, which is here

who The

sacer-

dotes summi Dei, "priests of the Most High God," I have, in my critical text, necessarily emended into summos sacerdotes Dei (see crit. note, p. for such a title 75) (1) would be unparalleled in con nection with the Maccabees. In 1 and 2 Mace., and in the An tiquities and Jewish Wars of ;

Josephus, they are simply de scribed in their sacred character as

"high

priests,"

priests of the

or

nation."

"high

(2)

The

CHAPTER Kings bearing high

and they

rule,

God

of

priests

VI. 1-3 will

call

themselves

will assuredly

they

:

21

iniquity in the holy of holies.

2.

And an

work

insolent

king will succeed them, who will not be of the race of the priests, a man bold and shameless, and

he will judge Jewish

high

them

as was

priesthood

never, so far as I can discover, called a priesthood of the Most

High God.

"

divine

Most

Again, if the were here the we should find, (3)

title High,"

according to universal Biblical usage, Dei stimmi or altissimi or excels! (cf. Gen. xiv. 18, 19, 20, 22; Ps.

Ivii. 2, Ixxviii.

iii.

v.

26,

Luke

viii.

18,

28

;

21

;

Heb.

56; Dan.

Mark

v.

7

;

and

vii. 1),

not summi Dei. (4) Summi sacerdotes is in many instances a Vulg. rendering of dpxiepets (cf.

Mark

61, 63, 66

xiv. ;

47,

Acts

53,

54,

xxiii. 4).

60, (5)

The phrase "the high priest of God is found in Acts xxiii. 4. The Maccabees had no wish "

to differentiate themselves

from

the high priests that preceded them. Their claim to this oiiice, so far as they had any, rested on their Aaronic descent.

Will assuredly work iniquity. this Hebraism see crit. note. 2. This verse refers to Herod the Great, who reigned from 37 He could not assume to 4 B.C. the high priest s office, as he was not even a full-born Jew, much

On

less

of priestly descent.

phus, Ant. xiv. 15.

2, calls

Jose-

him

Tjfj.uovda ios.

Not of the race of the priests. Herod was the son of Autipater

they shall

deserve.

3.

of Idumea, and not of Jewish descent, according to Joseph. Ant. xiv. 1. 3 Bell. i. 6. 2. Our text does not go so far. Its silence seems to concede the Jewish origin of Antipater, and thus to agree with the statement of Nicolas of Damascus to that ;

effect (Ant. xiv. 1. 3). See Sehurer, i. i. 314, 315, notes. Judge them as they deserve. The persons here declared to be deserving of punishment may be (a) the surviving members of the Maccabean family, all of whom were ultimately cut off by Herod (&) the Sadducean aristocracy forty-five of whom he had exe cuted on becoming king (Ant.xv. 1.2; Bell. i. 18. 4). To the Phari sees, on the other hand, Herod was on the whole favourable. Even when they refused to take the oath of allegiance, they were spared at the intercession of Pollio and Sameas. The Essenes were also excused, but not the rest of the people. See Ant. xv. 10. 4. (c) Or else the nation at ;

VI. 1. We should observe that VI. 4, 5 support the last interpretation. large, as in

3.

Out

off their chief

the Sadducean nobles.

ceding note. Destroy (them} in

Murders of

men,

i.e.

See pre

secret places. this secret sort are

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

22

And

he will cut

off

their

men

chief

with the

sword, and will destroy (them) in secret places, so that no one may know where their bodies are. 4.

He

and the young, and he

will slay the old 5.

spare.

them

in

Then the their

fear of

land.

6.

him

will not

will be bitter unto

And he

will

execute

judgments on them as the Egyptians executed upon them, during thirty and four years, and he will

And

he will beget children, succeeding him will rule for shorter periods. punish them.

in

reported 10. 4

\e\Tjd6Tws

Ant.

Joseph.

TroXXot re

:

7.

fts

TO

/ecu

xv.

(fiavep&s /ecu

(fipovpiov v, e/ce?

dvacue<-

OeipovTo.

Perhaps, as Hilgenfeld and suggest, we should omit the et before non and translate: "He will slay the old, and the young he will not 4.

Volkmar

spare."

Of. Jer.

Cf. for

5.

li.

3.

phraseology 2 Mace.

vi. 3.

and four years. 6. Thirty Herod reigned thirty-four years the death of Antigonus, and thirty-seven after he had been declared king by the Romans. Cf. Joseph. Ant. xvii. after

8.

1

;

Bell.

i.

8.

and Philip thirty-seven. From these facts we must con clude that, as Herod died 4 B.C., this book must have been written earlier, at all events, than 30 A.D. Reuss, on the other hand (Die Geschichte der h. Schriften A.T., 1890, pp. 738-740), does not agree that these words necessarily determine the date. Philip and Antipas did indeed

years,

reign longer than their father, but our author, he urges, was thinking only of Archelaus and die allein ftir einen Agrippa, Jerusalemer Interesse hatten." In this view Reuss is followed by Rosenthal and Baldensperger. 8.

See

33. 8.

who

Into their parts, cohorts, etc. crit. note.

who will 7. Children rule for shorter periods. See crit. note. Although there is some corruption in the text, there is no difficulty as to the

A powerful king. Varus, governor of Syria, who sup

sense. Herod s sons, it states, are to reign for shorter periods than their father. this was true of Archelaus alone ; for Antipas reigned forty-three

10.

.

.

.

Now

pressed a rebellion of the Jews against the Roman authority in 4 B.C. See Joseph. Ant. xvii. 9,

10,

11.

1

;

Bell.

ii.

5.

1-3.

Burn a part of their temple. The temple was set fire to, not by Varus, but by the soldiers

CHAPTERS Into their parts cohorts

who

the west will come,

VII. 3

VI. 4

and a powerful king conquer them

will

of 9.

:

And

he will take them captive, and burn a part of temple with fire, (and) will crucify some around their colony. their

VII. ended,

And when this is done the times in a moment the (second) course

(ended), the four hours will come.

be forced under his lieutenant Sabinus. See Joseph. Ant. xvii. 10. 2 Bell. ii. 3. 3. The injuries done to the temple on this occasion were not made good till as late as Xero s reign, though 18,000 men were employed in the re See Ant. xx. 9. 7. storation. Will crucify some, etc. 2000 were crucified by Yarns (Ant. ;

xvii. 10. 10).

VII.

1.

And,

3.

And when

this is

the times will be ended.

done

With

these words the actual history recounted by our author, as Ewald, Wieseler, Dillmann, and Schiirer have recognised, comes to a close. have arrived at the date at which he is writing.

We

Up

to this point his historical allusions have been easy to in series of predictions terpret. follow, couched by their author in enigmatical symbols to begin

A

with, and afterwards corrupted by translators or transcribers beyond the possibility of restora tion. 2. It is worse than idle to attempt to deal with this verse till we know something about its actual wording. On the for

2.

in

lorn attempts

will be

will be

They

will

the time of

made

to restore

it,

by Hilgenfeld, Yolkmar, Merx, Colani, and Wieseler, see crit. note (pp. 77, 78). 3-10. Who were the persons aimed at by the writer ? They are

evidently contemporaries. picture is drawn from life. And yet there is the greatest di versity of opinion among scholars as to the class designed by the writer. They have been taken to

The

(i.) The Her odian princes, by Hilgenfeld, Mess. Jud. 464, 465. But there are many objections

be

to this identification. (ii.)

The

Pharisees,

(a)

in

decade after Herod s death, by Ewald, History of v. Israel, 367, note 5 (Eng. Dillmann. tr.), Drummond, Schiirer, II. iii. 79, 80; (b) be tween 54-64 A.D., by SchmidtMerx (Merx, Archiv.f. Wissenschaftl. Erforschung des A.T., the

first

i. p. 121, 1868). Though cer tain traits in these verses seem to favour this view, the prevailing tone of the entire passage makes

vol.

impossible. The persons here arraigned are unblushing Epi cureans, gluttonous men and

it

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES and impious men

these, scornful winebibbers.

Now,

although

nearly every other vice has been 1 aid to the charge of the Pharisees, even their worst enemies have not accused them of open glut tony and drunkenness. Indeed, the Pharisees were decidedly ascetic in character, according to the testimony of Josephus ; he writes, "the Pharisees," make little of the pleasures "

and do not sur render themselves to the com of the forts (Ant. body" of the table,

xviii. rrfv

1.

3

diairav

o i re

:

yap

^aptcrcuoi

eevTe\iov(rLi>,

ovdej>

touch

will rule, saying

me,"

etc., in their relation

the people of the land. He points out, further, that the words dicentes se haec facere propter misericordiam are to be explained by a decree of the Sanhedrim in that period, which forbade a man to give more than ^th of his fortune to the poor. Colani s views are decidedly ingenious, and might win our assent if he could likewise con vince us of the late date he assigns to the book, i.e. after 136 A.D. But that a Jew, writ ing the history of his people in "

to

main outlines, should omit mention of the final and

TO fj,a\aKwrepov ev$LbvTe<s. In Matt, xxiii. 25, indeed, they are

its

accused of secret profligacy, "but within they are full from ex

completed destruction of Jeru salem under Titus, and pass on

els

tortion

and excess

"

(e

apirayTJs

/ecu cl/cpacrta?).

But this ascetic tone was not universally characteristic of the Hence Pharisees after 70 A.n. this objection will not tell against

the views of Philippi (Das Buch 176) and Colani p. (Revue dc Thcol. 1868, 2nd part, pp. 73-79), who interpret the passage as referring to the Pharisees in the earlier half of the second century. Colani, in particular, identifies the class assailed in the text with the Jewish doctors at Jabne and Usha. At the head of the Sanhedrim at these places was a ffenoch,

president ( = Nasi), who lived in princely luxury, and enjoyed immense authority over the Jews of the Dispersion. Such phrases,

he urges, as princes,"

"we

shall

"we

shall be as

have

feast-

and luxury," would apply him and his likewise not

ings to

;

"do

all

at a bound to the national troubles which were consum mated by the erection of Aelia Capitolina on the sacred site of

indeed simply im this date of Colani is dealt with elsewhere. (iii. ) The Pharisees and the Sadducees, (a] in 4 B.c.-6A.r>. This view was first advocated by Wieseler (Jahrb. f. deutsche Jerusalem, possible.

is

But

Thcol. 1868, pp. 642, 643), who referred vers. 3, 4 to the latter, arid 6-10 to the former, (b) Soon after the fall of Jerusalem, 70 A.D. is urged by Rosenthal (Vicr Apocryph. Biichcr, 1885, pp. 20, 21, 25-30), who follows Wieseler in attributing vers. 3, 4 to the Sadducees, and 6-10 to the Pharisees. But this two

This view

1

fold interpretation is just as un tenable as those that precede.

The attempt

to assign vers. 3, 4 and 6-10 to another, can only proceed from a superto one class,

CHAPTER for if ficial study of the passage the persons denounced in ver. 4 are charged with gluttony, this if in 3 is no less true in 8 ;

;

they are said to hold high office, if in 3 they do so also in 8 they proclaim their justice, in if 10 they assert their purity in 3 and 4 they are declared ;

;

to be

"deceitful,"

"treacherous,"

denounced "

pious,

"

as

"impious,"

in 6-10 they are

"deceitful,"

"im

filled with lawlessness.

"

We have therefore one and the same class of persons to deal with in the entire passage, and these are not Pharisees prior to to 70 A.D., as we have already seen under ii. (&). But, accord ing to Rosenthal, the classes 6-10 in are the vers. designed Pharisees, 70-90 A.D., i.e. R. Jochanan ben Sakkai and his companions and pupils, who for sook Jerusalem during the siege

and established themselves at Jabne. That a small body of learned men, whose main pur suit was the study and applica tion of the law, who alone in the time of universal prostra tion held on high the standard of national hope and faith, could be so described by any thoughtful and learned Jew of that period (a Zealot, as Rosenthal supposes), this is, I confess, simply in credible. Besides, there is not a shred of evidence to show that the rabbis of Jabne (70-90) could with the faintest approach to truth be described as gluttons,

drunkards, traitors, hypocrites, and murderers. Other argu ments, on the ground of chron ology, etc., might be advanced against the hypothesis of Rosenthai, but no more are needed.

VII.

(iv.) The Roman procurators, by Baldensperger (Das Scllst-

bewusstsein Jesu, 1888, p. 31). is a very attractive inter pretation, and several of the charges made in the text, such as those of gluttony, drunkenness, and murder, could be amply substantiated against the Roman On the other hand, governors. there are phrases that cannot

This

with any propriety be applied to them; i.e. "do not touch me, lest thou shouldst pollute me"

(ver. 10),

and

"concealing

themselves lest they should be recognised."

(v.)

The Sadducees.

(a) in

the

time of Nerva and Trajan, by Yolkmar (p. 105). This view may be at once dismissed. The Sadducees were nobodies at this (b) Between 15-70 A.I). period, It is This is my own view. likewise advocated by Lucius (Der Essc.nismus, 1881, pp. 116119)

and by Geiger

(Jiidlnche

1868, pp. 45, 46), though they assign no date to Zcitschrift,

The latter adduces such phrases as regnabunt de the book. his

homines

pestilentiosi,

and

In principes erimus. dicentes se esse justos, he points to the play on the words D pnx and D pns. These Sadduqim or Sadducees cover themselves with the mantle of priestly holiness. They emphasise their special

tanquam

priestly purity, and keep the In the people afar from them. notes that follow, this passage will be dealt with verse by verse, and the chief charges which it brings against the Sadducees justified by parallels from the

Psalms of Solomon. from Ryle and James

I s

quote

edition.

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

26

that they are just.

wrath

And

4.

these will conceal the

minds, being treacherous men,

of their

self-

It will be suficient to premise here that from tlio deposition of Archelaus in 6 till 70 A.D. the government of Judea lay practically in the hands of the

is

Sanhedrim, which was almost Josephus, wholly Sadducean. Ant. xx. 10, describes the form

It standpoint of a Pharisee. could not, however, be used of a

of government as aristocratic, as opposed to the monarchical rule of Herod and Archelaus (see

Schiirer,

words are

rr/v

La, oi

ii.

de

72). T-TJV

priests

jj.ev

Pss.

Pharisee.

Will

rule.

8:

Cf. ver.

"we

We

shall be as princes." have shown in the preceding column that the government of Judea was

an aristocracy from This aristocracy ruled through the Sanhedrim, which

practically

6-70

<ru

A. D.

And

in the time of these. here supposing that de his is a rendering of eVt rovrwv. It may, however, be a rendering of 6K rovrwv. have here an Scornful. instructive instance which illus trates the necessity of translat ing, not the Latin before us, but the Greek or Hebrew which

We

The Latin

is

=

homines

pestilentiosi a.v6pwiroi ? cox. This Hebrew \oLiJ.oL pis in is found Prov. xxix. phrase 8 Is. xxviii. 14 and the Greek in 1 Mace. x. 61. Xot^,6s is a

Cf. Pss. Sol.

iv.

1

:

ivarL

Kadrjirai, j3/3v)\e, ev avvedpia). Diccntes se essejustos. Geiger

has rightly recognised here a play on the words D pm, "Saddu cees,"

4.

presupposes.

cf.

natural descrip Impious. tion of the Sadducees from the

cees.

am

it

;

A

was mainly composed of Saddu

government. 3.

the scorn

to

1, 35, iv. 28.

ii.

eireiriffTevvro.

often the willing tools of the Roman governors. Every abuse in the government would natur ally be traced to those who were the actual though not nominal

I

Sol.

were but too

dp^tepas

The high

His

TOVTUV

^v 77 de irpoffracriav rov

dpiaroKpaTia

,

edvovs

I.

/zero,

:

nearly related

spoken of in the text

See

and

crp iK, "righteous." the wrath, etc.

Conceal crit.

"rouse

the

Text

note.

Treacherous,

i.e.

reads

etc.

wrath,"

56Xtot.

The

Sadducees are so described in Pss. Sol. iv. 27 diro dvdpuiruv :

8o\id}v /ecu d/mpraAcDj

.

So

the Latin should prob of the read ably "pleasers We See crit. note. mighty." should then have in some measure a parallel to the de Self-pleasers. sibi placentes.

We

Cf. frequent rendering of f7. i. 1 Prov. xix. 25, xxi. 24,

signation so frequently applied to the Sadducees in Pss. Sol. iv., of "Pleasers avOpwirapeffKOL. the mighty" would best be applied to the Sadducees owing to their subservient attitude to

xxii. 10, xxiv. 9.

Rome and her Roman

;

;

Ps.

The

;

ascribed to the Sadducees in the Pss. Sol. virepr/fiavla

Dissemblers. ficti,

The

which may be

governors. text gives v

CHAPTER dissemblers in

pleasers,

VII. 4-7

their

all

27

own

affairs

and

lovers of banquets at every hour of the day, gluttons,

gourmands goods *

ground

....

5.

...

Devourers of the

6.

the poor saying that they do so on the

of

of their justice, but (in reality) to destroy

them, complainers, deceitful, concealing themselves they should be recognised, impious, filled with

lest

lawlessness and iniquity from cf. 2 Mace. v. 25, vi. 21, ir\aaroL In Pss. 24, or else Sol. iv. 7 the Sadducees are

res

;

=

spoken of as living Lovers

hour of

ev vTTOKpicrei..

banquets at every

of

Cf. ver. 8.

the day.

The Gluttons, gourmands. text is devoratores, gulae. Pre vious editors take gulae as a genitive or dative in connection with devoratores. Devourers of the goods of A similar charge is brought against the Sadducees in Pss. Sol. iv. 23 T}p7]^u<rav 0.

the poor.

:

7TO\Xoi)j

Oi /COUS

/ecu

dri/jiiq.

dvfjila

;

cf.

dvdpdoTTWV eaKOpirLcrav ev also iv. 11, 13,

15,

though profligates in secret, were stern administrators of justice

text

5i

by

justice. Propter eXe-q^oavv^v.

=

<5t

however, taken is hardly in Hut the difficulty

eXerjfj.oavv riv,

in its usual sense telligible.

disappears when we call to mind that this word is a not infre quent rendering in the LXX. of np-is. Thus we are here to translate. not misericordiam,

the

see Pss.

Hebrew word

it

but

presupposes.

Sol.

iv.

2, 3.

severe, as the

Joseph. Ant. xx. 9. 1, Pharisees were proverbially merciful in judgment, Ant. xiii. 10. 6. 7.

Cf.

Deceitful.

like state

ments regarding the Sadducees in

Ps.

Maying that they do so on ground of their justice. I have rendered misericordiam in the

;

They were proverbially

Sol.

iv.

12.

:

4

:

ot

TJ

y\Coacra.

\6yoi avrou

7rL0virpa ^iv 14. TrapeXoyia-aro ev ei s

the

misericordiam

:

:

avrou ^evdrjs

xii. 2, 4.

sunset

to

The text thus recovered agrees well with the statement in ver. 3 "saying that they are just," and this second reference to the professed justice of the Sadducee repeats the play upon the name. The Sadducees,

ev eirt.-

sunrise

aSiKov

:

Concealing themselves lest they should be recognised. For this also we iirid an excellent parallel in a similar accusation of the Sadducees in Pss. Sol. iv. 5 :

ev VVKTL Kal

ravei

<i>s

oi>x

diroKpixpoLS dfj.apat I. 7. bpu/j.evos

ei>

:

Impious, filled with lawless

and iniquity. irapdvo/Aoi and d/xaprwXot are standing epithets

ness

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

28

We

"

8.

Saying

:

have feastings and luxury,

shall

eating and drinking, yea we

be as

shall

9.

princes."

shall drink our

And though

we

fill,

hands

their

and their minds touch unclean things, yet their mouth will speak great things, and they will say furthermore:

10.

shouldst pollute

And

VIII.

(See Ryle and James s ed. Introd. xlv-xlviii.) In iv. 3, moreover, of that book there is a like accusation against the Sadducees to that in our text aVTOS ?1>OXOS V TTOi/CiX/Ct a/JLapTLUV :

ev

and

25

d/cpacricu?. :

"filled

Matt.

Cf.

From

The

to sunset.

ab oriente usque ad occidentem, which dfi i)\LovdvaTe\is

dvofifvov.

The

Greek can mean either

"from

^XP

XOJ TOS

1-

to west" (cf. xi. 8), or sunrise to sunset." The context requires the latter mean Thus "from sunrise to ing. sunset is the equivalent of at every hour of the day," in ver. east

"from

"

"

4.

Cf. ver. 4.

8.

Yea we See

shall drink our note. Though their hands

their

minds

ye.

For the Hebraism see

touch, etc.

.

.

.

.

in

(TTO.TOVV

Pss.

rb

is

Sol.

also

dwelt 13

viii.

dvaiacrrripiov

:

Kvpiov

dwo d0e5py

iv aKadapffias /ecu a 1/j.aros rds efj.io.Lvov Bvaias ws /cpea (3t(3ri\a. See also 7rd0"r)S

Pss.

i.

10.

8, ii.

14,15, xvii. 17.

Do not touch me =

probably derived from Come not near to am holier than thou," me, and the jnrrW here may be a corruption of the K jrrW in Isa. VIII.-IX. We have now come to one of the most difficult questions in this difficult book. How are we to regard VIII.-IX. ? Two interpretations have been Is.

is

Ixv. 5

"

:

for I

offered. Volkmar, Philippi, and Colani contend that they are a record of what is already past, and constitute in fact a

and

bellion of

yet crit.

Their mouth will speak great

Dan.

.

short history of the persecution under Hadrian after the re

note. things. 9, 10.

.

fill.

crit.

9.

cean priesthood

upon

This

sunrise

.

sacerdotal holiness in the Saddu-

from extortion

excess."

text

thou

"

come upon them a second

there will

Sol.

/ecu

lest

the place where I stand

of the Sadducees in the Pss. of

xxiii.

me

touch

not

"Do

me in

vii. 8, 20.

This combination of inward uncleannessand outward

Bar Cochba, 136

A.I).

All other scholars agree in re garding them as a forecast of what is yet to be the final woes that are immediately to precede the advent of the theo cratic

kingdom. Both views are untenable on

CHAPTERS visitation

VII. 8

VIII.

and wrath, such as has not befallen them

from the beginning until that time, in which The following grounds. former, which regards VIII. -IX. as a record of the persecution of 136-138, is impossible for the Look was written in the first the

;

century (see p. xiii. ). The second view is equally impossible for VIII. -IX. are not a prophecy of ;

the final woes.

They

are clearly

designated as "the second visi tation that is to befall Israel The first (see VIII. 1, note). visitation was the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The last woes could not be de scribed as "the second visita tion." Other facts that support this conclusion will be dealt with in the sequel. If, then, "the second visita tion is not to be explained as the last woes, how are we to in terpret it ? Clearly as that which actually befell the Jews "

"

under

The

Antiochus

Epiphanes.

was that in which Jerusalem was destroyed under Nebuchadnezzar. That VIII.-IX. are to be re garded as an account of the per secution under Antiochus is to be inferred from the fact that they furnish an accurate descrip first visitation

of that

tion

accuracy

We

29

Its persecution. be gainsaid.

cannot

shall prove it presently be possibility of refuta

yond the tion.

But the question now natur ally arises, How comes it that we an accurate description of the Antiochian persecution at a period in our book where it is find

chronologically impossible

?

Has

He

our author not already taken account of it in its proper chronological sequence ? These questions lead to the final solu tion of the problem. For on re viewing the past chapters we are unable to discover a single reference to the persecution by Antiochus and the desecration of the temple, and as we study the context we further discover that such an omission is im For as we proceed we possible. find on investigation the facts to be as follows. A gap in the history exists between V. and VI.; ori ginally there was no such gap : its place was filled by VIIL-IX. For () in V. the history is bro light dowr n to the Hellenis-

ing high priests under Antiochus, and VI. opens with a clear refer ence to the Maccabean princes, beginning with Jonathan. Thus there is not even an allusion to the severities of the Antiochian persecution and the horrors that accompanied it, or to the dese cration of the temple ("the abomination that maketh deso late and its subsequent reconan event that was secration, kept green in the national re membrance by the yearly "Fes tival of the Dedication." That one of the most tragic and ")

never-to-be-forgotten periods in Jewish history should be wholly unrecorded is therefore highly is more (b) But improbable. than improbable. It becomes a matter of moral certainty when we further observe that not only the main fortunes of the temple

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES will stir

up

against

them the King

of

the kings of

who who confess to their circumcision: who conceal (it) he will torture and

the earth and one that ruleth with great power, will crucify those

And

2.

those

are closely followed throughout this book, but even the minor injuries inflicted on it are re

corded cf. II. IV. 7, 8 V. ;

;

4,

8,

3,

4

9; III. VI.

;

Its greatest desecration, fore,

1,

2; 9.

there

could not have been passed

over in silence. (c) But the moral certainty that there was no such gap originally, is resolved into scien tific conviction when, in addi tion to the former facts, we ob serve, that in VIII.-IX. we have not only an accurate account of the Antiochian horrors, but also the very fragment that is needed to fill up the gap between V. and VI., and one that harmon ises perfectly with that context. This transposition of the text For is due to the final editor. other transpositions the reader can consult the Introduction (p.

xxx v).

VIII. 1. A second visitation. It will be seen through reference to the critical notes that the

word for "second" is partially restored. That this restoration of Schmidt- Merx is right is clear from IX. 2, where it is referred to again as

We

"a

second.

.

.

visitation."

already remarked (p. 29) that the final woes prelud ing the theocratic kingdom could never have been so described. This "second visitation" is the

have

Antiochian persecution, of which we have a faithful description in the subsequent verses.

Such as

lias not befallen, etc.

From Dan.

xii. 1 cf. Jer. xxx. Mace. ix. 27 Matt. xxiv. 21 Rev. xvi. 18. On the re semblance between Matt. xxiv.

7

;

1

;

;

;

21 and our text, see crit. note. The phrase was clearly a current one.

of the Icings of the earth. used of Nebuchad nezzar in Ezek. xxvi. 7 Dan. ii. 37 and of Artaxerxes in Ezra vii. 12. It is a title peculiar to Oriental despots. Hence it is aptly used here of Antiochus iv.

Kiny

This

title is

;

;

u ho

Crucify those

confess to

Antiochus forbade circumcision, 1 Mace. i. 48 Joseph. Ant. xii. o. 4 their

circumcision.

:

;

e/orAeucre

5e

/ecu

avrovs ra reKva

who

/ZTJ :

TrepLTe/jt.ve<.v

certain women this edict were

disobeyed hurled headlong from the city 1 Mace. i. 60, 61 2 Mace. wall, From 1 Mace. vi. 10, viii. 4. ii. 46, and Joseph. Ant. xii. 5. 4, ;

is clear that this edict was to a large extent obeyed till the Maccabean rising. But Josephus, Ant. xii. 5. 4, writes that the best and noblest amongst the Jews refused to obey this and similar commands of the king, and were accordingly tortured it

and

crucified alive iJ.a<?TiyovKai ret TL Kal ffiTTveovTes avefutvTes CTTCLVpOVVTO. 2. I

Those who conceal

emend, but the text

ful.

See

crit. note.

So doubt

(it}.

is

CHAPTER deliver

And

3.

among

them up

to be

bound and led into

wives will

their

VIII. 2-4

be

given

the Gentiles, and their

prison.

the

to

gods

will be

young sons

operated on by the physicians in order to bring 4. And others amongst forward their foreskin. 3.

given

Ami

wives

will

be

to the gods, etc., i.e. for

the

their

of Venus, as Colani has observed. According to 2 Mace;. vi. 4, the abominations peculiar to this goddess were carried on even in the temple and its courts. Antioch was a centre of this worship especially its notorious suburb Daphne. Many women were, no doubt, as stated in the text, transported to An tioch and elsewhere to serve these purposes. Josephus, Ant. xii. 5. 4, says that upwards of

removed by an opera To bring forward fheirfore-

cision were tion.

cult

10,OOU men, women, and chil dren were carried away captive

by the king. Their young

sons will lie operated on by the physicians, etc. Some years before Antiochus adopted ultimate measures in dealing with the Jews, many of the latter of noble birth volun tarily underwent this operation in order to appear like Greeks

when they undressed and took part in the Hellenic games es tablished in Jerusalem 1 Mace. i. 15 Joseph. Ant. xii. 5. 1 T l-jv rdov aidoiwv irepLTO/mTj \v ^a.v, u}s &v elev /ecu ra

:

;

"YA\r]ves.

when final mea

But,

the king resorted to sures. not only was circumcision forbidden, as we bave seen above, but in the case of young chil

dren who were already circum cised, the traces of the circum

See Levy

s

Neu-

hebrdisches Lex. iii. 275, 276. Cf. 1 Cor. vii. 18, where this Wetoperation is referred to stein and Lightfoot on 1 Cor. :

vii.

and

18,

Hor.

Sclioettgen,

Heir. i. 1157, 1177; Celsus, De Medic, vii. 18 Winer, Rcalworterbuch licalHerzog, Schenkel, Bib. Lex. Encycl. ;

;

;

under article Beschneidung." 4. Will be%>unished by tortures. "

Josephus, Ant. xii. 5. 4, says of those who refused to obey the commands of Antiochus, that Kara ira.a a.v rj/mcpav at Kal TriKpas fiacrdvovs vircKpt also 2 Mace. u.Tre6vriffKQv ;

vi.

28, viii.

And

fire.

Mace.

2

Cf.

vi.

11.

Forced to bear in public their In Amos v. 26, Isa.

idols.

reference is made to xlvi. 7, Israel having voluntarily carried idols in the wilderness, and later. Cf. also Epist. Jcr. 4 Secede iv evr &JLLOLS KafiuXuvi. deous :

.

aipo/~Levovs

;

and

.

.

ver. 26.

In the

passages we have parallels in expression, but in 2 Mace. vi. 7 we have a parallel in fact yevo/j-tv-r/s 51 kLovvcriuv

preceding

:

eoprfjs

ZXOVTCS

rjvayKai. ovTO TTOfj^reveiv

TU

KICTCTOVS

Acovvcrw.

Antiochus compelled the Jews

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES them

be punished by tortures and fire and to bear in public are idols, (which as) polluted as are the

will

sword, and they will be forced their

(shrines) that

contain them.

likewise be forced

enter

by those

they will

torture

and

inmost sanctuary,

their

And

5.

who

them

they will

to

be

forced by goads to blaspheme with insolence the

name, finally after these things the laws and what they had above their altar. IX. Then in that day there will be a to observe his birthday by join ing in the Dionysiac festival. Polluted as arc, etc. This is the best I can make of this obscure clause. 5. Enter their inmost sanctuary, i.e. the ddvTov of the heathen

temples. According to Josephus, Ant. xv. 5, 4, the Jews were compelled to "build temples

and

raise

idol

in every

altars

and village, and offer swine Cf. npon them every day." city 1

Mace.

i.

47.

Blaspheme

.

.

.

the

name,

i.e.

Lev.

xxiv. 11. fear Israel was commanded to the name," and one of "the seven precepts of the children of Noah enjoined Israel to "sanc tify the name," ci?n ro-a (Sanh. 566). 2 Mace. viii. 4 speaks of the Diy.TnN

npj,

"

"

blasphemies committed against God s name during the Antiochian persecution yevo^vuv :

eis

TO

6vofj.a

The

avrov

laics, etc.

What

they

their altar.

and

/3\a(T0?7 iucDi>. See crit. note.

had above

J

(or

upon)

to

mean

This clause = ityjrnN appears

the

sacrifice.

man

Cf.

of the

Matt,

xxiii.

18.

Interpretation and his source of this chapter. This chapter belongs closely to the preceding one. It is at once historical and parenetic. It is historical, (a) Its historical root is to be found in 1 Mace. ii. 2938, where we are told of a large body of men who, with their wives and children, forsook all

IX.

torical

that they had and took refuge in the caves in the wilderness in order to worship there. When

Antioclms

officers

were informed

movement they went in pursuit, and, coming up to the of this

caves where the Jews had taken demanded that they should submit to the king s com mands. When the refugees re fused they wr ere put to the sword, offering no resistance because it was the Sabbath. Their words : Let us all die in our innocency

refuge, they

37), correspond perfectly in sense with the words in our text, ver. 6 Let us die rather than (ii.

"

:

transgress."

Those that were

CHAPTER slain were, accord ing to Josephus, xii. 6. 2, in number about

Ant.

Let 1000, but many escaped. us next try and determine the religious affinities of this body of zealous adherents of the law in the wilderness. In the first place,

lowers

were

they

not

of Mattathias

fol

and

his

party ; for it was not till after the massacre that its survivors became adherents of Mattathias, Ant. xii. 6, 2. In the next, it is most probable that they belonged to the Chasid party. For the survivors of this church in the wilderness, Ant. xii. 6. 2, as well as the Chasid party, 1 Mace,

many

42, gave in their adhesion to Mattathias after, and, without doubt, owing to the massacre In 1 Mace. ii. just mentioned. 42 the Chasids join Mattathias ii.

just after the latter had resolved henceforth to fight in self-de fence on the Sabbath a new line of action adopted in conse quence of the murder of their

In brethren, 1 Mace. ii. 41. Josephus, Ant. xii. 6. 2, the only fresh adherents gained by Mattathias at this period are the survivors above mentioned. "These,"

he says,

"appointed

Mattathias to be their ruler, and he taught them to tight on the

Sabbath

Thus

day."

this

mas

sacre, which is the historical fact at the root of our text, con tributed to two results. (1) It

was the direct cause of a new line of action as to the legitimacy of defensive warfare on the Sab bath (1 Mace. ii. 40, 41 Ant. xii. 6. 2). (2) It secured for Mattathias and his party the temporary support of the Chasids ;

(1

Mace.

ii.

42

;

Ant.

xii. 6. 2).

IX.

33

i

In addition to 1 Mace. ii. 29which w e have dealt with above, our author has drawn upon other materials such as we find in 2 Mace. vi. 18-vii., where we have an account of the mar tyrdom of Eleazar and of the mother and her seven sons under Autiochus. Thus ver. 6: "Let us die rather than transgress the commands of ... the God of our fathers," is obviously the same as 2 Mace. vii. 2 erot^uoi r

38,

:

yap

a.irodvf]a Kciv

ecr/nev

fiaivetv roi)s Trarpiovs

latter statement

?)

Trapa-

i>6fj.ovs.

This

is

reproduced For a similar in 4 Mace. ix. 1 expression of Eleazar s feeling, see 2 Mace. vi. 19. Again, in ver. 7 the strong assurance that God will avenge the blood of His servants is likewise found in 2 Mace. vii. 14, 17, 19, 34-36. Finally, the visitation is called an "unclean" one, ver. 2. This epithet better than any other would describe the Antiochian persecution from a Jewish stand .

pointtheir holy

altar polluted

unclean ani mals, the temple and its courts profaned by the indecencies of the Venus cult, and the faithful adherents of the law forced to eat swine s llesh and to join in the Dionysiac revels. This martyrdom of the mother and her seven sons was a very favourite subject both with Je\v and Christian. It forms the theme of 4 Mace, It is alluded

with the

in

to

sacrifice of

Heb.

xi.

35,

and Origen

(Exhortatio ad Martyrium, 2227 Comment, in Epist. ad Rom. :

;

iv.

10)

atum,

and Cyprian (ad Fortunand Testim. iii. 17)

xi.,

recount retold

it

at length.

It

by Prudentius,

has been irepi

are-

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

34

x., and Maiius Victorinus. Augustine was so fascinated with it that lie thought (de Civ. Dei, xviii. 36) that the books of the Maccabees should on account of these chapters be regarded as

canonical. (6) But the character of this chapter appears to be not only historical, but also parenetic. Its

purpose is to indicate tne line of action which the Chasids or Pharisaic party of his own time should ?mrsue. Thus he ignores the temporary coalition of the Chasids with Mattathias and Judas Maccabteus. This coali tion lasted, as wo know, but a few years. Very early the aims of the Maccabean party began to change with their successes

and their strife, at first nothing more than a life and

in arms,

death struggle to maintain the faith of their fathers, soon re solved itself into a war for the independence of the nation. When this phase of the conflict appeared, the Chasids withdrew from all further share in it. Their attitude was quietistic. Their sole duty was to obey the law, and leave the rest to God. It is this conception of duty

that

is

depicted in historical But the actual in our author s hands

actuality. cident in is

more than an

historical event.

precedent and It pre scribes the duty our author would enforce on the Pharisaism of his own time. Just as his complete silence as to the Maccabean up It is likewise a

example

for after ages.

rising forms an emphatic censure of its aims, so his vigorous state ment of the opposed and Chasid line cf action is designed as a

commendation of its character. Thus while some of the Phari saic party of his own time were seeking to give a political char acter to religion, and so to follow Maccabean precedents, others, as our author, were as vigorous ly upholding the old traditions of quietude and resignation, and while the former urged, "Let us war," the latter, with equal de

termination, rejoined: "Nay rather, let us die." But let us return for a mo ment to the history of the

Chasids after 164 B.C. their coalition with Judas,

When

which we have already mentioned, came to an end, they forsook so completely the field of pol itical

and public

life,

that they

are practically unknown to his tory till the reign of J. Hyrwhen they reappear canus, under their new name of Phari sees. This characteristic aver sion of the Pharisees to patriotic aspirations began to disappear towards the close of the next century a change that is in part attested by the Psalms of Solomon. About this time a fusion took place between their traditional doctrine of Law and

popular Messianic beliefs, and thus the bulk of the Pharisaic party

became

political

ments

committed to and move the bulk, but not all interests

;

for some, like our author, clung to the old attitude of non-resist

ance.

But he protested in

The leavening with

patriotism

of

vain.

Pharisaism

and

earthly

political ideas, and its corruption through success, went on apace, and became the fruitful mother

of

national

disasters.

These

CHAPTER culminated in the

fall

In that day

1.

there icill be.

crit. note.

A man

of the tribe of Levi.

Chasid movement thus sprang from or was associated with the priestly tribe, according to our author. He was probably thinking of Eleazar, who, in 2 Mace. vi. 18, is called one of the principal scribes, and in 4 v. 3 a priest.

Whose name

will be

Taxo.

We

have here the crux of the Scholars have to no pur book. pose wasted their ingenuity

upon

it.

The various

inter i. Hil-

"

Nm

who, before he was slain in 137 A.D., ordained the seven last disciples of Aqiba as rabbis. At the close of this explanation Colani adds: ordainer,"

Tout

bien entendu, est qu un jeu and we agree with him but his pleasantry is finer than the seriousness of his two prede

nil

cela,

jeu,

rien

"-

;

pretations are as follows Next, genfeld takes it rd^w. he suppresses the second letter, and supposes the last to be cor = rupt, and thus arrives at r^y 363. But rrsron ( - the Messiah) 363. Hence Taxo is the Messiah. It is needless to criticise this further than to add, that if it is allowable to change without some external documentary evi dence two letters out of four, :

hypothesis of a Semitic original. iii. Colani (Revue de Theologie, 1868, pp. 90-9-1) takes Taxo to be a corruption of rd^wv, This last = ordaining = ny. 340. So also does p ,m,T Hence R. Jelmda ben N3X Baba is the great Taxo, "the iv.

The

Mace.

35

i

Later scholars sense be right. have essayed the problem on the

of Jeru

salem.

See

IX.

possible to make what we please out of anything. Volkmar takes it = rd^w, ii.

it is

which, he assumes, was corrupted from Taio-431. But xnpy pm

cessors.

Carriere (Revue de TheoL pp. 94-96), like his predecessor, believes in an Ara iv.

iv.

1868,

The words cujus original. nomen eritTaxo retranslated into

maic

Aramaic = NODS noisy n, which is "who corrupt, for NDDB D ^H will promulgate a decree," i.e. trace a line of conduct. NODE,

which = ordinance, etc. was wrongly taken to be a proper name by the Greek translator. v. Hausrath (Neutestamentl. "

,

which we

iv. p. 77, note) thinks that here by the method Ath Bash r\h*v was transposed into can. The Greek translator took ni v here is for the the D as D. Messiah. We might say here with Colani in reference to Hil-

need not enter. These last two attempts at solution proceeded on the hy

genfeld s interpretation: "This passage has as much to do with the Messiah as with the

pothesis of a Greek original but if the original was Semitic, no interpretation arrived at on that hypothesis could in any

peror

(Rabbi Aqiba) = 431. Hence Taxo is Rabbi Aqiba. But. unhappily for Volkmar, }m is an impossible form, and Aqiba was never writ ten without the yod. There are further objections into

;

Zeit<je*ch.

Em

Barbarossa."

Other

have

been

made on the hypothesis Hebrew original.

of u

attempts

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES Wieseler (Jahr. f.

vi.

1868, p. 629 ; p. 193) thinks goes back to This like one. to be explained dwell to having the earth cf. 2

ZDMG,

Th.

d.

1882,

that that Taxo the badger-

e>nn,

;

tv

rols

designation

from the pious

history.

in the caves of Mace. x. 6 Kal

Mann Name

:

cnn]\aloiS Orjpiuv

ve[j.6/j,voi.

^CTOLV

marks on

is

rpljirov

Hilgenfeld re

this

interpretation melis Wieseleriana e sua iiunquam prorepspelunca :

U tin am

sisset. vii.

(Tier

gested, corresponds to n^w, we have a mystical reference to a second Moses who was to rise He appeals to Detit. again. xviii. 18 in support of his con tention. None of these solutions is The person re satisfactory. ferred to is, as we have seen, not one living in the future, but one who was a contemporary of

Judas the Maccabee.

From

the

standpoint of this interpretation I offer the following suggestion. In the Samaritan Legends of from the translated Moses," Arabic into German by Dr. Leitner (Viertcljahrschrift f. TJieol. dcutsch - und cnglisch Forschung, iv. 1871, p. 210), the following passage occurs, which seems to be to some degree de pendent on our text: "AngeMann zeigt wurde dass ein auferstehen wurde Levi und

Name

sollte

sein

Eiferer

der Gemeinde/ und er die Ebraer und das Hans des "VVeines heil-

The

phrases Levi and

"ein

"

.

.

.

sein Eiferer der

sollte sein

Gemeinde

seem to be drawn from our text. Hence we con "

jecture that in cujus

nomen

erit

Taxo, which = Kopn 101? -IS^N, the last word is corrupt for Njpn = "the

Rosenthal

Apoc. Biic/icr, 31, 32) pp. adopts llausrath s idea. He points out that nyp is numerically equal to ne-D, and thinks that in isan, which, as Hausrath has sug

sein

Er wiirde in drei Tagen auferstehen ohne Recht." This passage appears to be very cor rupt, and to be derived partly from our text, partly from N.T. igen.

Hence the text

zealous."

will be,

man

of the tribe of Levi whose name will be the zealous one." This person will be zealous for the law only, and

show death

"A

his zeal

by submitting than

rather

to

transgress

the commandments. Cf. vers. 4, The writer regards the 6, 7. person here described as repre senting those who were truly xealous for the law, over against the Maccabean party who claimed to be so. Zeal for the law Avas the most conspicuous as well as the most essential charac teristic of the religious move ment which opposed Antioehus. Cf. the words of Mattathias, 1

Mace.

ii.

27, ?ras 6

tfXuv r$

This comes out still /JLOV. more clearly in the words attri buted to Mattathias in Joseph. Ant. xii. 6. 2, ei TIS ^XWTT/S ian TUV TTOLTpiuV 60UV Kal T7/S TOU Qeov prjff Keias (f)7]fflv, oTriffu

,

efJLoi

;

sons,

reKva, ^Xwcrare

rds

e7recr#ct>,

also in his address to his 1 Mace. ii. 50, Kal vvv, r<^

^VXCLS V/ULUV Trartpuv VJJLWV.

v6fji.it}

virtp

Kal Sore Siatf^KT/s

Seven sons. The reference here can only be to the seven sons of the widow in 2 Mace.

CHAPTER tribe of Levi,

whose name

IX. 2-6

37

who having

will be Taxo,

2. seven sons will speak to them exhorting (them) ruthless second a (and) Observe, my sons, behold :

"

unclean visitation has come upon the people, and a punishment merciless and far exceeding the first. 3. For what nation or what region or what people are impious towards the Lord, who many abominations, have suffered as

who

of those

have done

calamities as have befallen

great

therefore,

my

sons, hear

me

us

Now

4.

?

and know

for observe

:

that neither did (our) fathers nor their forefathers

tempt God, so as

And we vii.

ye

will

and

know do.

4 Mace.

to transgress

that this 6.

Let us

See notes on

p. 33. 2.

The III.,

Second unclean visitation, has been described in which they endured at the

first

hands of Nebuchadnezzar the second is that which they suffer under Antiochus. This latter ;

far exceeds the first," writer proceeds to say.

the

Why

was called unclean we have shown above in the notes on p. 33. this

3.

visitation

What

nation,

etc.

"VVe

might compare Josephus words in reference to the sufferings of the Jews during the wars between Ptolemy Philopator and Autioelms Epiphanes, Ant. xii. 3. 3. 4. Neither did (our} parents nor their forefathers tempt God. This absence of See crit. note. the sense of demerit appears

His commands.

5.

our strength, and thus

is

fast for the space of three

many of the Psalms. Our author must have supposed that in

a faithful remnant at all times.

had existed

To transgress His commands. Cf. ver. 6. 5.

And

this

we will

i.e.

do,

as our fathers. Cf. Dan. vi. IS, ix. 6. Fast. 3 Apoc. Bar. v. 7, ix. 2, xii. 5, 4 Ezra v. 20, xxi. 1, xlvii. 2 ;

;

vi. 35, ix. 26, 27, xii. 51.

Let us go into a cave in the When the persecution field. became severe in B.C. 168, 167, those who still clung to the law took refuge in caves, 1 Mace. i.

53, ev Kpvcfiiois.

These hiding-

places are described in 1 Mace. 31 as "secret places in the ii.

wilderness

"

(

/care/3 -rjaav

.

.

.

ei s

a very TOVS Kpvfovs v rrj ep^y) close parallel to the phrase in

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES days and on the fourth is

and

in the field,

commands

gress the

God die,

us die rather than trans

For

7.

of

the

lords,

we do

if

this

and

our blood will be avenged before the Lord. X. And then His kingdom will appear through out

our text.

His creation,

all

Mace.

also 1

Cf.

ii.

Those who were zealous law fled with their wives and children, and finding conceal 36, 41. for the

ment in these caves lived there, Joseph. Ant. xii. 6. 2 ^erd rCjv T^KVWV /cat yvvaLK&v etyvyov as :

Kai ev rols a7rr]\aiois Heb. xi. 38 points to

TT]V epri^ov

8i7jyov.

this period. In these also they observed the religious festivals, 2

Lord

the

of

our fathers.

of

go into a cave which

let us

let

Mace.

:

6

x.

fj.er

:

.

.

crTT^Xatots

.

.

.

r)<ra.v

endured death passively as of those who rushed to arms in defence of their religion. These words are almost exactly those that were used by one of the seven martyrs in 2 Mace. vii. 2 yap airo6vqffKei.v ecr^v 7} :

T/^epas 6/crw vevovres wy irpb /xi/cpou -^povov TT,V T&V GKf]vQ)V OpTl]V if TOiS

ijyov

originated with the persecution It gives a char acteristic and true note of the temper of the persecuted. It stereotypes the attitude of the faithful, as well of those who of Antiochus.

.

.

ve^b^voL.

But these hiding - places were betrayed to the Syro- Macedonian governor, and many Jews slain or burnt, 2 Mace. vi. 11 ere/sot :

Cf.

Mace.

4

d r]a

ai>,

(Ha TO ev

eauro?s Kar T-^S (Te/jLvoTaTrjs rj/j,epas.

Lei us die rather than trans gress,

etc.

had been Taxo and

As their fathers faithful to the law, his seven sons are

resolved to be so likewise, lest they transgress the commands of their fathers God. The ex pression, "let us die rather than transgress," etc.,

appears to have

They

1.

are

:

Their echoed in Mattathias address to his children, Ant. Travres eV

thought

cruve(f>\oyia

ix.

the same as those uttered by the 1000 that were martyred in the wilderness, 1 Mace. ii. 37 a.Troddvw^ev oi essentially

TTJ

d7r\6T7?Tt

7]/u.u>i>.

is

Kpelrrov avrdis elvai Q.TT od O.V LV OVTWS d56ws ; and the re 1

xii.

6.

VTTfp

T&V iraTpLWV VOpiWV

r)

^r/v

:

solve they express is ascribed also to the martyred Eleazar, 2

Mace. 7.

vi. 19.

Our

blood will be avenged,

This assurance that God will avenge is frequently found in the history of the seven mar tyred brethren, 2 Mace. vi. 14, etc.

17, 19, 31, 35-37.

X. 1-10. These

verses

form

CHAPTERS And And

39

then Satan will be no more,

sorrow will depart with him.

Then the hands

2.

X. 2

IX. 7

And And

of the angel will be filled

he will be appointed chief, he will forthwith avenge them of their

enemies. a

of ten stanzas of three It falls into three sections. The first constitutes the introduction, and consists of

hymn

tiating

1, 2 and 3-10 other than mentioned by Schmidt-

lines each.

those

two stanzas.

Merx, as will appear below. 1. His kingdom will appear, etc. This seems to promise a

The second and

third consist of four stanzas each. The two last sections open with words almost identical. It will be observed that every stanza has a triple movement or paral lelism at all events, the greater number. This i act makes it

highly probable that where this triple parallelism is not observed the error is due to corruption of the text. The error may be of the nature either of defect or

redundancy.

Tims

vers. 3

and

new heaven and a new

earth,

but this is not the case if ver. 10a is right. Satan will be no more. Does Satan mean here the head of the kingdom of evil or the adversary of Israel ? The follow ing line makes for the former view.

10

Cf. Sorrow, etc. Rev. xxi. 4. 2.

le

xxxv.

Isa.

;

The hands of the angel will

filled,

the

i.e.

angel

will

verses, they may be due to dup licate renderings or incorporated

be delegated, appointed. The phrase T N^D = to fill one s hand means, to deliver the priest hood to him. Cf. Exod. xxviii. Lev. xxi. 10 Test. 41, xxix. 9

marginal glosses.

Lev.

9 are defective in this respect,

and

4, 5,

10

may

be redundant.

If there are redundancies in these

Schmidt-Merx are of opinion that the 3,

and

is

begins with ver. therefore only of eight They regard the enim

hymn

stanzas. in ver. 3

as =

3

introductory. They point out that the subject of ver. 3 is "God," but that is the subject in ver. 2. angel" Hence they suppose that the "

hymn

is

of earlier

authorship than book.

and

different the rest of the

There are grounds

"

;

;

Tr\ripw<rav

^f/x/a/aaros

axrre

Job xxx ii. 3. The angel,

ras xetpas p-ov iepareveiv

i.e.

patron saint of

yu,e;

Michael the

Israel.

Cf.

Dan.

xii. 1.

And

he will be appointed chief.

Michael will lead text, qui est in

tutus =

Israel.

The

sunmio consti"

"who

is

placed supreme, appointed chief," cannot be This clause, as it stands, right. or is

for differen

8,

"

a mere epithet of

"angel"

(nuntii) in the preceding

line,

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES 3.

For the Heavenly One will arise from His royal throne,

And He will go forth from His holy habitation And His wrath will burn on account of His 4.

And

sons.

the earth will tremble

will it be

And And

shaken

:

the hills will be shaken and designation author. Of.

Hence appears in the first line. for est I have read erit and taken as in 6. I. In sumnio qui Kim,

miDta

tfN 1

1

?

or

or

i?K-a,

equivalent. And he will

.

.

something avenge, etc.

that destroys the Gentiles and avenges Israel (vers. 7, 8), it is probable that 1, 2, and 3-10 are not from the same author. This conclusion gains confirma tion if we compare the picture of perfect goodness and perfect

happiness throughout all crea tion depicted in ver. 1, and compare it with vers. 4-6, and particularly with ver. 10, if the text is there right. Vers. 3-10 are, I believe, native to the text, but not 1, 2. 3-6. Second section. which will accompany

Signs

God

s

coming.

The Heavenly One.

This

fall.

our

to belongs IV. 4.

II. 4,

From His royal throne. The Latin a sede regni sui = NDa JD

He 3

Of. Dan. v. 20. will go forth, etc.

Mic. i. Eth. En. i. 3. holy habitation.

Isa. xxvi. 21

;

From

7/is

Deut. xxvi. 15 .

Michael will avenge Israel. But since Michael is not so much as once referred to again in this hymn, and as it is God Himself

3.

made low

the high mountains will be

whereas the parallelism requires, in the second line, the statement of a fresh fact which will modify or develop the statement which

=

to its confines

:

And His The

text

tionem

;

Isa. Ixiii. 15.

;

wrath will burn.

cum

here

is

indigna-

But the

et iram.

paral lelism requires a finite sentence,

and not an adverbial phrase depending on "will go forth." The corruption seems to have

Cum

arisen in the Greek.

which

Kal opyrj,

corruption of

= isx

mm,

/ecu

fli

pirn,

^uxrercu

6/3777

and His wrath

The text

burn."

f]Ni

"

"with

in-

= eV

dv/mf re I take to be a

dignatione et ira

will

as it stands

=

indignation and

wrath."

4.

And

will be

Eth. En.

And and

the

made i.

high mountains low.

Isa.

xl.

4

;

6.

the hills will be

shaken

The text, which was fall. corrupt, I have emended by means of Eth. En. i. 6 (Greek See crit. note. Version).

CHAPTER 5.

And

X. 3-7

the horns of the sun will be broken

and he

And

moon

the

turned into darkness

will be

;

will not give her light,

and

be turned wholly into blood.

And

the

circle

of

the

stars

will

be

dis

turbed. 6.

7.

And And And

the sea will retire into the abyss,

the fountains of

For the Most High will

And

5.

will

the horns of the sun On this restor

where the parallel passages from the O.T. and the

(pp. 86, 87),

cited.

Circle of the stars will be dis turbed. Of. Mark xiii. 25.

Fountains

Cf. fail. Pss. Sol. xvii. 21, Tnrjyal avveffxfdfjo o-v aluvtoi Test. Levi 4 Ezra 4, \>5a.rwv ^pa.ivofj.evwi vi. 24, et venae fontium stabunt. .

.

.

;

;

Fountains and rivers. For this collocation, cf. Rev. .

.

.

10, xvi. 4.

viii.

7-10.

Third

God

punishes the Gentiles, destroys

makes Israel to idols, triumph over Rome, and exalts r finally to heaA en.

The Most High will arise. ver. 3, "The Heavenly One

7.

Cf.

will

editors have wrongly connected Summus and Deus. Yer. 3 shows that Summus here, as Coelestis there, are to be taken

by themselves.

Dip

"nStf,

as

Sa certainly

is

from

the same chapter, and Sb probably from the same

29 of

ver.

verse.

Alone. The text solus = vn^. The meaning seems to be God alone will come to punish the Gentiles and exalt Israel, and :

a Messiah.

This is said clearly in 4 Ezra, where, to the question in v. 56, Dernonstra servo tuo per quern visitas creaturam tuam ? God answers in vi. 6, Finis per me et non per alium. Thus this forms another argu ment against 1, 2 and 3-10

more

being from one and the same

arise."

The Eternal God.

Deus aeternus,

moreover, is in all probability derived from Deut. xxxiii. 27,

not

section.

their

them

the Eternal

appear to punish the Gentiles,

ation of the text see crit. notes

X.T. are

arise,

will destroy all their idols.

into blood.

.

will fail,

alone,

And He And He .

r

the rivers will dry up.

God

.

w aters

Previous

author.

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES Then

8.

And

thou, Israel, wilt be happy, thou wilt mount upon the neck[s and

wings] of the eagle,

And (the days of thy mourning) will be And God will exalt thee,

9.

Israel s

8.

triumph over

its

enemies in this world.

Then

Israel, wilt le

thou,

This is taken directly happyfrom Dent, xxxiii. 29.

Thou

iv iU

and.

mount upon

the

the text is right, it recalls Dent, xxxiii. 29, -pin iO jii!23-Sj,, and gives the interpretation of that verse that was current for some time before and long after the Christian era. necks

It

Thus, whereas modern scholars render "Thou shalt tread upon their high places," the LXX., Syr., Vulg., Targ.-Onk., Targ.Jon., Jarchi translated "Thou shalt tread upon their necks," or

This rendering was probably due to Joshua x. 2-J, Put your feet upon the necks "neck."

"

of these

kings."

Our text

re

Dent, xxxiii. 29, but does not agree exactly with it or any of the Versions. In Bar. iv. 20, eVi Tpaxtf\ovs avr&v eVt/S^crrj is derived directly from it. If our text is trustworthy, the refer ence is clearly to Israel s triumph over Rome. The plural "necks ought in that case to be written

calls

"

mount on the Mings

ended.

of eagles,

and was derived from Isa. xl. 31. So the Targ.-Jon. interprets Isa. xl. 31. cervices et

Si: hy p^o. Thus a later inter This figure of Israel

pa>j

would be

polation.

wings" "mounting on eagles would harmonise well with the

If exalted tone of the passage. this be so, there is, of course, no reference to Rome in the text.

The days of thy mourning. So the lacuna is supplied by See crit. note. Dr. Cheyne.

On

the vision of the three-

headed eagle with see 4 Ezra xi.-xii.

many

wings,

9. Israel s exaltation to eternal blessedness in heaven.

Cause thee heaven of the

approach the This lan

to

stars.

guage might be metaphorical. For other examples, cf. Pss. Sol. i. 5, v^uOtjcrav e ws r&v ttarpuv Jer. li. (LXX., xxviii.) 9, #%>ev ;

cos

TtDi>

"the

have

(SiffTpwv.

heaven of the "the

stars of

Instead

of

stars"

we

heaven"

in

13 (LXX.), eiravw TUV affTepwv TOV ovpavov (^N 3313) rbv dpbvov /J.QV. These Isa. xiv.

Qri<r<j)

"

"neck

it

is

for ontox, from which derived, can, according ;

Hebrew

usage, be rendered singular or plural as the context But it is not at all requires. impossible that the text is cor rupt, and that it ran originally, to

ja-^y

n^?n,

"thou

wilt

"stars

of

God"

("of

heaven,"

LXX. ) are rendered by the Targ.

-

in this passage by "the people of God," and thus re garded as a metaphor. But the language seems not to

Jon.

be metaphorical, but to relate to Israel transfigured

and

glorified

CHAPTER And He

X. 8-10

43

will cause thee to

approach to the

heaven

And He

of the stars,

will establish

thy habitation among

them. 10.

And

thou wilt look from on high and wilt see thy enemies in Ge(henna),

And And

thou wilt recognise them and rejoice, thou wilt give thanks and confess thy

Creator. after the Israel not

final judgment to in the body, but in In this case we should

the spirit.

compare Eth. En.

civ.

2,

"Ye

will shine as the stars of heaven, . and the portals of heaven will be opened to you civ. 6, ; "Ye will become companions of the hosts of heaven." The words, "Thou wilt see thy enemies in Ge(henna)," in the .

.

"

next

verse

favour

this

inter

pretation.

And He will establish tJi ij habitation among them. The text is here, loco habitations eorum=:C3E iD Dip.tn, and is be yond question corrupt

;

for (1)

the parallelism is wanting, and (2) we expect here a statement as to the place of Israel s habi tation and not that of the stars.

= "their Hence we regard habitation as defective for en -pens = thy habitation among them," the ~3 being omitted owing to the copyist s eye passing from the first 3 to the second. In the next place, cips3 = loco, is, as the structure of the rest of the stanza shows, a corruption of some transitive ciw\z>

"

"

verb preceded by vav, it to

establish."

text.

10.

Cf.

Eth. En.

See

I

take

pm "and He will Hence the above

be of D

thy

civ. 2, 4, 6.

enemies

in

Ge(henna] videbisinimicostuos in Ge(henna). So I emend and restore the corrupt text vides inimicos tuosin terram. Previous editors have merely changed this text into videbis inimicos tuos in terra. But the sense thus If arrived at is impossible. the words in terram are not corrupt, it is difficult to take

them otherwise than literally but if we do so, how are we to Israel s them ? If explain enemies are on the earth, and Israel beholds them from on must be Israel high, then But that already in heaven. ;

could only be alter

the final

judgment, and after that event the enemies of Israel could no

Hence longer be upon earth. we must take the phrase "on the

"

earth metaphorically, or But to regard it as corrupt. take it metaphorically as="in the depths is not possible. "

Hence

it is

corrupt, or rather,

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

44

And

11.

do thou, Joshua (the son

words

these

and

this

death

(my) assumption

will be

CCL

times.

13.

The context points

defective. to Israel

enemies

s

being

in

torments for Israel rejoices over the plight of the latter. They are, moreover, in sight of Israel. These two facts at once suggest the thought of Gehenna here, and that the original was ;

DJH

:3.

But

njn

was

lost

and

rendered ev 777, and this in cjma un is turn by in terrain, twice rendered tv yfj Beevvd/ut, in 2 Chron. xxviii. 3 and in xxxiii. J3

yaL is likewise merely N J transliterated in Josh, xviii.

777 or

6.

or

:

16 1 Sam. xiii. 18 1 Chron. iv. 14 2 Chron. xxxiii. 6 Ezek. xxxix. 11,15; Eth. En. xxvii. 2. Hence I take the true text to be, "Thou wilt see thy enemies ;

;

;

in

;

and

Gehenna,

thou

wilt

recognise them and rejoice." portrays faithfully the expectations of the Jews as to the future life. In early times

This

(Isa. Ixvi. 2,

liv.

3,

until

And

24 1,

;

Eth. En. xxvii. 2,

xc.

27)

Jews, who should there suffer in the presence of the righteous but in N.T. times it had be come the future abode of the

;

wicked generally, who were to be tormented within view of the blessed. Cf. 4 Ezra vii. 36,

Et apparebit locus tormenti, et contra ilium erit locus requietionis clibanus gehennae ostendetur, et contra eum jucunditatis paradisus.

Nun, keep from my

His advent there

this is their course If

Recognise them, etc.

both

and their enemies were on and Israel had just earth, triumphed over the latter, this statement would be absurd. But if they are respectively in heaven and gehenna, the recogni tion is full of point, and just Israel

cause for rejoicing. 11. This book. Cf. 12. My death

I.

16,

XL

1.

as

(my]

The word "assump was not in the original here, which told only of Moses death. Cf. ver. 14 and I. 15. It was introduced by the final one editor, who combined in work the two distinct books, The Testament of Moses and "The Assumption of Moses." Our present book is what sur of vives "The Testament of Moses," which knew nothing of Moses "Assumption." His Advent, i.e. God s advent for judgment. COL times. Each time = sumption. tion"

"

"

"

26,

Gehenna was regarded as the place of punishment for faithless

;

of)

12. For

book;

7 years, or a year-week.

"

Thus Hence

250 times = 1750 years. from the creation (see I. 2) to the final judgment was to be a period of 4250 years, or 85 This estimate is found jubilees. elsewhere, I think, only in Sanhedrin 97b but there the goal is the coming of the Messiah. ;

14.

/

shall go

to

sleep, etc.

Moses here looks forward to an ordinary death, and to joining his fathers in Sheol, as also in I. 15 (see note) and X. 12 (note).

CHAPTERS which they

And

14.

will

till

pursue

I shall

X.

to sleep

(thee) to be

XI.

of)

Nun, (be strong

(for)

God hath chosen

And when Joshua had

Moses that were written all

;

same covenant.

successor in the

my

45

they are consummated. with my fathers. 15.

go Wherefore, Joshua thou (son and) be of a good courage

XI. 7

ii.

heard the words of

in his writing as well as

that he had before said, he rent his clothes and

Moses

cast himself at

feet.

And Moses com 3. And Joshua

2.

forted him and wept with him. answered him and said 4. AVhy dost thou com "

:

And how shall I be me, (my) lord Moses ? comforted in regard to that which thou hast spoken

fort

word which has gone forth from thy mouth, which is full of tears and lamentation, in that thou departest from this people ? 5. And the

bitter

now what

place will receive thee

?

6.

Or what

be the sign that marks (thy) sepulchre In XL 4, 9 also, an ordinary death seems to be implied.

tions

(Be strong and) be of a See crit. note. good courage. Successor. See I. 7, note. Joshua is the prophet promised in Dent, xviii. 15, according to our author. Thus no Messianic interpretation is here given to this passage by the Jews.

word

15.

XL

1.

His

Of.

writing.

I.

16,

X. 11. 4.

Comfort me

forted ? See Departest

.

.

.

be

com-

crit. note.

from

this

people, Bar. xxxiii. Apoc. 3, Ixxvii. 12, for similar lamentaCf.

on

Baruch

See also 4 Ezra Bar. etc.

,

"depart"

is

?

s

xii.

will

Or

7.

departure, 44.

The

used in Apoc.

xiv. 19, xv. 1, xliii. in the sense of dying

2,

an

That seems to ordinary death. be implied here, and in ver. 9 also.

5-8.

No

single

locality

is

worthy enough to become the burial. The place of Moses whole earth is his sepulchre. 7.

Baldensperger thinks that

is directed polemically against the Christians, since the of Christ was moved from body the cross to the sepulchre.

this verse

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

46

who

will dare

man from

a

move thy body from thence as ? 8. For all men when

to

place to place

they die have according to their age their sepulchres but thy sepulchre is from the rising to

on earth

;

the setting sun, and from the south to the confines all the world is thy sepulchre. 9. thou art departing, and who will feed this 10. Or who is there that will have com

the north

of

My

lord, ?

people

:

them and who will be their guide by the 11. Or who will pray for them, not omitting

passion on

way

?

a single day, in order that I

the land of (their) forefathers

am

12.

them

How

into

therefore

people as a father (his) only a mistress (her) virgin daughter, who

I to control this

son, or is

lead

may ?

as

being

prepared

husband she

will

to

handed

be

revere,

while

over

she

the

to

her

guards person from the sun and (takes care) that her feet are not unshod for running upon the ground. 8.

All the world

chra.

The

dvdpuiv

yap

is

thy scpul-

original of these words is, as Ronsch recognised, to be found in Thuc. ii. 43, eiri.(t>a.v&v

Tracra

777

As with a very slight change these words become Greek iambics, it is possible that they were popular expressions, rd0oy.

and thus reached Palestine as did those of Aratus, Menander, and Epimenides. Cf. Acts xvii. 1 Cor. xv. 33 28 Tit. i. 12. 11. Who will pray for him. See XII. 6. Not omitting. The text is nee patiens ; but here, as frequently ;

;

elsewhere,

we

must

translate

not the text but the Hebrew, or, as it is here, the Greek presupposed by the text, See crit. note. Trapieis. ou<5e

12.

See

Am I to control this people.

note. mistress her virgin See crit. note, daughter. To be, given to the husband. crit.

Or as a

See

note, where also parfrom Ecclus. will be found.

crit.

allels

She will revere. See crit. note and from Ecclus. parallels Guarding her person. (p. 93). Cf. Ecclus. vii. 24, dvyartpes etVt

;

Trpocrexe

r<f

crol

06part avruv.

CHAPTER 1 3.

And how

XI. 8-17.

shall I supply

47

them with food and drink

1 4-. For according to the pleasure of their will ? of them there will be 600,000 men, for these have

multiplied to this degree through thy prayers, (my) 15. And what wisdom or understand lord Moses. ing have I that I should judge or answer by word 16. And the kings of in the house of the Lord?

Amorites also will

the

attack us

then

be

emboldened

(and) believing that there

;

amongst them the sacred

is

who was worthy

spirit

to

no longer of

the Lord, manifold and incomprehensible, the lord

the word,

of

who was

faithful in all things,

God s

most perfect the world, (yea) that he is no longer

chief prophet throughout the earth, the

teacher in

will

among them, they them. 18.

17.

See

note.

crit.

See 600,000 men. Cf. Exod. xii. 37. note.

crit.

14.

111

is,

= 6^

in tuis oratiouibus. 3.

That there is no longer amongst them. See crit. note. Sacred spirit manifold. vii. Wisd. Cf. Trvev/ma 22, 16.

.

.

.

.

ayiov

.

.

.

.

.

7roXi;/x.epes.

Worthy of the Lord.

Cf.

Wisd.

5, 6 6eos eTreipaffev avrovs /ecu ous eavrov. eupei/ O.VTOVS Lord of the word. I cannot

iii.

dt

suggest the origin of this phrase, Cf. Faithful in all things.

Num.

xii.

7,

faith ful in all iii.

2.

"Moses

.

Let us go against

:

.

Thy house"

God s chief prophet throughout the earth. The text is divinum per orbem

The The

Through thy prayers. text

say

enemy have but once wrought

If the

.

;

was Heb.

ten-arum prof et em. superlative underlies this phrase. It = TOV Oelov dia rov KOfffjiov irpo^r-qv = N 33 pxn DTiSxri = "the prophet of

A Hebrew

etc.

God,"

The most perfect teacher in world.

The text

matum

in

saeculo

the

consuniiloctorem

is

:

another Hebrew superlative = 3 D Dnn mien. C^i>

17.

No advocate to offer prayers,

Cf. ver. 14. This office of praying on behalf of Israel is frequently ascribed to Jeremiah. Cf. 2 Mace. xv. 14, where Jeremiah with appeared along Onias in a vision to Judas

etc.

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

48

impiously against their Lord, they have no advocate to offer prayers on their behalf to the Lord, as did

Moses the great messenger, who every hour day and night had his knees fixed to the earth, praying and looking for help to

Him

that ruleth all the world

with compassion and righteousness, calling to mind the covenant of the fathers and propitiating the

is

not with them

He

18. For they will say:

Lord with the oath.

us go therefore and destroy from off the face of the earth. 19. What

them

become

will then

let

:

of this people,

my

And when Joshua had

XII.

lord

Moses

finished

"

?

(these)

words, he cast himself again at the feet of Moses. 2. And Moses took his hand and raised him into the seat before him, and answered and said unto

him

"

3.

:

thy mind

Joshua do not despise and hearken to

thyself, but

Maccabaeus, and

words.

my

at ease,

described by 6 TroXXd irpoa-evxbfJievos wepi rov Xaou /ecu T?)s dyias TroXews Iepe/j,[as 6 rov 6eov 7rpo0?7T7;s. Rest of words of

installation of Joshua in

Baruch

judgment,

the latter as

ii.

:

3,

is

ovros

e<m

8rai>

-rmdpravev 6

Xads ... 6 lepe/ads rjvx TO virep rov Xaou, e ws See also Apoc. Bar. d/mapria. ii. 2, and the Talmudic passages cited in the notes. .

.

.

&i>

d(f>e6fj

avru>

rj^

Looking for help to ruleth all the earth. note

on this

Him

that

See

crit.

difficult passage,

where

also parallels are given. XII. 2. Took his hand and raised into the seat before

him.

Cf.

place.

Sifri

Num.

xxvii. 28: a teacher that in

may

question,

set 4.

Moses

Piska 140 on Give Joshua thy lifetime he "

expound, give thy death

lest after

the Israelites may say During the lifetime of his teacher he did not give judgment, but now he does. Thereupon (Moses) raised him (Joshua) from the ground and placed him beside himself on the chair." Quoted by Heidenheim, Deutsche Vier:

tcljahrschrift, 1871, p. 102. 4.

Both the Gentile and the work of God s

Mm

Israelite are the

This verse refers to the

hands.

The

destinies

likewise

CHAPTERS

XI.

1

XII.

8

49

God hath

All the nations which are in the earth

He

created as

hath

us,

He

hath foreseen them and

us from the beginning of the creation of the earth unto the end of the age, and nothing has been

things

He

forth.

5.

earth

the

Him

even to the least thing, but all hath foreseen and caused all to come

neglected by

(Yea)

all

things which are to be in this

Lord hath foreseen and

lo

are

they

!

brought forward (into the light of both

are

^Vhateve^

of

befalls

His making. whether of

disaster to Israel or exaltation to the Gentile has been fore seen even to the smallest detail, and nothing can set at nought or hinder God s original purpose in creation for the world was created on Israel s behalf, I. 12. However glorious the fortunes of the Gentile and depressed those of the Jew, there is no reason for downheartedness or ;

God s pur despair (see ver. 3), pose standeth sure, and will ultimately assert itself. Foreseen and caused to come, forth.

See

crit.

note.

Appointed me

p a ll for their sins. This was a genuinely Jewish conception, and not bor rowed from Christianity. Thus, as we have already seen in the note on XL 17, Jeremiah was held to discharge this office in the spiritual world, 2 Mace. xv. 14. Enoch also (Slav. En. (MSS. AB) Ixiv. 5) was conceived of as "one removes the sins of men." Philo speaks of the 6.

intercessions

to

and prayers

offered

6.

on behalf of

Israel by the right eous forefathers of the nation these intercessions of the de parted saints of Israel were to be the second of the three chief means for the restoration of their descendants, De Extcrat. ix. :

430) rpicri xprjcrofj.evoi TrapaK\ f]Tois T&V Trpbs TOV Trartpa :

(ii.

.

.

.

devrepaide

TOV edvovs

rrj

rdoi>

oaihTfjTi., 6 rt

TCUS d0ei/xcfrats (rw/idrwj i^i^cus &ir\a(TTOv /cat ^TriSeiKyvfj.vr)v vv/j,tvais

Trpos

TOV

rds

inrp

deparrelav

t/ceret aj

dpxpvra, viu>i>

ou/c

/cat

a.Te\eis

ytpas aurots TOV ?rarp6s rb eirrjKooy Ill Joseph. Ant. i. 13. 3, Abraham is described as to Isaac, when on saying the point of sacrificing him LfLffdcLL,

:

eu^ojf t KeivOV TT]V

yuer

ov

5e

/cat

~(pv-)(T]V

/cat fj.ol

iepovpylas TTfV

ffrjl

Trap airry Kadeets

K~r)5e[j,6va,

In the Slav. En. doctrine is denied. See my note in loc., where a his tory of this doctrine is sketched

liii.

1

briefly.

this

ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

5o

The Lord) hath on their behalf appointed me to pray for their sins and make intercession for them. For not for any virtue or strength of mine, but His compassion and longsuffering was He pleased it is 8. Fur I say unto you, Joshua call me.

7.

in to

:

not on account of the godliness of this people that 9. The lights of thou shalt root out the nations. the heaven, the foundations of the earth have been

made and approved by God and signet ring of His right hand.

under the

are

10. Those, there

commandments of God fore, 11. But those will increase and be prospered: who sin and set at nought the commandments will

who do and

without

be

the

fulfil

the

before

blessings

they will be punished with 12.

nations.

7.

But wholly

For not for any

virtue, vie.

He

pleased to call me, See crit. notes. Just as in Rom. ix. 11, 12, the selection of Jacob rather than Esau is declared to be due not to works, Imt to the divine purpose, so also here, .

.

.

icas

This election privilege

is

and not

an election to to eternal

life,

As regards the latter, it is written in the Tanchuma Pikkude 3, God does not determine beforehand whether a man shall be righteous or wicked, but puts this in the hands of the man See Slav. En. xxx. 15, only. note. 8.

Not

on

account

of

the.

and

mentioned,

many torments by

to root out

the

and destroy

godliness of the people, etc.

Ezek.

xxxvi.

22,

32.

By

Cf.

a

writer who so frankly recognises the wickedness of his nation and its need of frequent chastiseraent, its selection as the people of God could not well be ascribed to its merits, but must be traced back to the divine And yet he holds purpose. that the world was created on behalf of Israel, i. 12 and in ;

xii.

4,

5,

13,

it

is

God

s fore-

knowledge, and not His predetermining purpose, that is dwelt upon. 9. See crit. notes. 12. Destroy. See crit. note.

CHAPTER them

not permitted. forth who has foreseen is

XII. 7-13

13. For all

things

51

God for

will

ever,

go

and

His covenant has been established and the oath

which

.

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA THE LATIN VERSION OF THE ASSUMPTION OF MOSES CRITICALLY REVISED AND EMENDED TOGETHER WITH

THE UNEMENDED LATIN TEXT OF THE SIXTH

CENTURY

MS. IN

THE MILAN LIBRARY

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

THE LATIN VERSION OF THE ASSUMPTION OF MOSES CRITICALLY REVISED AND EMENDED Words included within round Editor

;

brackets

words within square brackets

[ ]

(

are supplied by the regarded as in-

)

are

to be

When the text is corrupt, but the corruption is not tcrpolations. native to the Latin but to the Greek or the Hebrew, then the text is corrected accordingly, and attention is drawn to the correction *

by an asterisk

I.

placed in the margin.

(Et factum est anno aetatis Moysi centesimo

2. Qui est bis millesimals annus a creatura orbis terrae, gentesimus

et

vigesimo),

secus qui in oriente sunt

mus

et

exivit

.

.

.

plebs

.

post

numerus

profectionis

1.

Tliis

verso,

wanting in the MS.,

which is

vicesimo

is

nam

miis* et 4.

fiebat

.

.

Cum per

cf.

et

est

;

by Ronsch

:

Liber

anno

3. With Volkmar and SchmidtMerx I have omitted nam secus .... mus as a marginal gloss,

Such a remark is impossible in a book of Hebrew or Aramaic

;

quae facta

5.

receptionis Moysi factae vitae ejus Cmo et XXmo.

supplied

byHilgenfeld: AssumptioMoysis

Liber

.

quae

trans

Deut. xxxi. 2, by Schmidt-Merx, save that I have written Moysi instead of Mosis, as this is the form of the genitive used by the Latin translator as above,

Cmo

.

fynicis.

profectionem

Amman

.

[3.

Jordanem, proquae facta est a moysen in libro deutero-

Moysen usque fetiae I.

inns

et quin-

anno vitae ejus

Profectionis fynicis are also to be omitted with Volkmar, though Schmidt Merx retain them, inserting before them the origin.

XXmo; by Volkmar:

profetiae Moysis, quern aiio aetatis centesimo

scripsit

54

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

TEXT OF THE SIXTH CENTURY LATIN IN THE MILAN LIBRARY

MS.

The figures in clarendon in the margin denote the folio in MS., and the letters a and b in the margin denote respectively beginning of the first and second columns in a folio.

.

.

et

4 2

3

mus

.

.

.

.

.

et

.

the

mus

.

mus

tionis fynicis

the

profec

cum

qui est bis millesi

exivit plebs post

rnus et quingente

profectionem quae

simus annus a crea

fiebat per

tura orbis terrae

usque aminan trans

nam

5

secus qui in ori

ente sunt numerus

follows

sunt

:

nam

secus qui in oriente

numeros [MM]

[CC] mus

et

mus

[XXXXX] mus

et

pro-

Ronsch phoenicis. 1874, p. 556, regards cum exivit qui est bis plebs as a parenthesis and thus restores vcr. 3 nam secus qui in oriente sunt numeros mus et fectionis

Z.f.

jordanem profetiae quae facta

word quadragesimo. Hilgenfeld, wlio holds the book to ho of Greek origin, regards the entire verse as genuine and restores as

W.T.

:

MM

mosysen

est a

CCLV mus

DCCL

rnus, et fectionis Pha-nices. 4.

as

I

an

moy pro-

have bracketed this verse Moses interpretation.

could not have spoken of Amman as across the Jordan only a dweller in Jerusalem could have so described it. :

5. Schmidt-Merx rightly re In a ject this verse as a gloss. book of Hebrew origin the phrase libro Deuteronomio could not

have been

original.

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

56

(Emended and Revised Text) 6.

nomio],

Qui vocavit ad se lesum

hominem probatum Domino, 7. Ut plebi et scene testimonii cum omnibus Et ut inducat plebem

8.

Ut

9.

eorum,

detur

filiuin

Nave,

successor

sit

sanctis illius,

in terram datani patribus

per testamentum et per jus-

illis

jurandum, quod locutus est in scenae dare de lesum dicendo ad lesum verbum hoc: 10. firma te secus industriam

Qui-

6.

X. 2

Kim.

see

;

III.

Of.

Introd.,

lesum

p.

14

;

xxxiii.

l-rjvovv filiuin Nave, This shows that the Nau??. i.e.

mbv Latin was derived directly from the Greek. If it had been directly from the Hebrew, these words would have been Josue filium 7.

Nun.

Ut

iva

plebi

Aaa;. What is cudoo%os It the meaning of diddoxos 1 r<2

cannot mean as

"a

successor"

here,

Schmidt-Merx recognise when

they propose successor antecessor). of such a

(sibi

et

But there is no need

violent remedy. 8id5oxos means also (1) a court official of the second rank in the

Egyptian

papyri (see Steph. Thesaurus); (2) the chief minister of the king LXX. 1 Chron. xviii. 17 2 Chron. xxvi. 11, xxviii. 7; Ecclus. xlvi. 1. This 7iieaning is found in Joseph. Ant. xv. 10, and is frequent in :

;

;

And

exactly what the context requires "that he be the of the minister might Philo.

this

is

:

have now to dis people." cover the Hebrew behind didThis we learn from ooxos. Ecclus. xlvi. 1, where it is a rendering of rny;?. This word "We

(Confortare) et

oinnia quae

mandata

often means the chief minister or servant thus in Exod. xxiv. 13 ; xxxiii. 11 ; Num. xi. 28 Josh. i. 1, Joshua is described par excellence as Moses servant, ntyD me D. It is also used of service in the tabernacle ; cf. :

;

Num.

viii.

1

same

the

Hence the

26, etc.

cyn nna-D nvn ?.

text

sit successor

er/7

tuam

"

meaning

In is

x.

to

15 be

is, of course, pos Siddoxos here may represent ~\y, as in 2 Chron. xxvi. 11. But this would not differ materially from the sense we have reached above. 8. I read et ut instead of ut ct, and patribus instead of ex

followed. sible

It

that

tribus,

with Schmidt-Merx.

After illis Schmidt-Merx adds ut dens illis, and for quod tv read quondam. In scenae rr) just as scene in I. 7 Dare de lesum rrj 0-K-rjvrj. seems interpolated. De is used in the sense of by means also in V. 1, de reges, "by means of the kings." 9.

-

<rKf)vy,

"

of,"

Verbum hoc, (confortare) The text here is te. verbum hoc, ct promitte. Now 10.

ct

firma

Moses address to Joshua cannot Some verb has begin with et. fallen out between hoc and et.

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTER

sen in libro deute 6

9

ronomio qui voca vit ad se jesum filium

turn

mitte secus indus

sanctis illius

triam tuain omnia

ut et inducat plebem

quae mandata sunt

datam ex

Thus there was probably here the oft-repeated phrase addressed to Joshua in Deut. xxxi. 6, 7, 23 Josh. i. 6, 7, 9, 18, pm Now if we retranslate the DKi. ;

j

present text into Hebrew we shall discover the source of the corruptions and at the same The time the original text.

words verbum hoc

=

nDNi

missing

nm

et promitte

Now

n:nn.

verb

before

the

the

i

is

clearly pm, as suggested above for this could readily fall out after nm, and IDN is an easy cor ruption of fCN as Rosenthal has Hence the text already seen. ran This pDNi pm nm 131 n ;

:

confirmed by X. 15. See note in loc. Hilgenfeld emended the above words into verbum hoc ait pro mitte. Volkmar took vTrotrxov promitte to be a corruption

restoration

is

:

of vwocrx^

"undertake."

Omnia quae mandata facias.

In

my

xvnt translation

ut,

I

have supposed ut facias to be wrongly transposed to their present position.

locutus

de jesum dicendo ad jesum 10 verbum hoc et pro

successor plebi et

in terram

per testamen

et per jusjuran

est in scenae dare

b scene testimonii

cum omnibus

57

eorum ut de

illis

dum quod

naue hominem pro domino ut sit batum 7

8

tribus

tur

6-10

I.

The Hebrew

order requires us to place them But since such before omnia. faulty transpositions of the Latin text are frequent we cannot

argue on this ground against the Hebrew original in favour The Aramaic of an Aramaic.

would admit of this order, and Dr. Neubauer assures me the But it is later Hebrew also. possible to regard the text in present order as derived from

its

the Hebrew. Thus "be strong, and hold fast according to thy might to all that is commanded to be done" would represent niB yS

D Tipan

"?:n

This construction 2 Chron. xxxi.

-rim pDKi pin. is

4,

found in ipm jycS

"mina.

Quemadmodiimsincquaercllam den. I have here emended

sin

est ideo into sis deo.

The

ideo

cannot stand here, as ver. 11 refers to ver. 10. In Luke xxi. 14 of the Vulgate, praemeditari respondeatis re presents /u.?7 TrpOyU.eAeraj aTroXoThe text = D on invnS yri6ijvat. Sine has often the

quemadmodum

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

58

(Emended and Revised Text)

sunt ut facias

sine quaerellam sis Dorninus orbis ten-arum. 12.

quemadmodum

Haec

11.

Deo."

dicit

Creavit enim orbem terrarum propter plebem suam.

Et non coepit earn inceptionem creaturae ab

13.

terrarum palam facere, ut in ea gentes

initio orbis

et humiliter inter se disputationibus

arguantur

guant qui ab

14. Itaque excogitavit et

se.

initio

orbis terrarum praeparatus sum, ut

sim arbiter testament! facio

meae

meorum

et

transio

nunc palam tempus annorum

15. Et

illius.

quia consummation est

tibi

vitae

ar-

invenit me,

dormitionem

in

patrum

palam omnem

16. (Tu) autem plebem. ad hanc scribturam percipe recognoscendam tutationem librorum quos tibi tradam 17. Quos et

:

accusative in the Itala. SchmidtMerx emend est ideo into est deo. 13.

Non coepit. The text here,

tb non coepit =OVK -fjp^aro Win. But the Greek translator

has here followed the inappro-

He meaning of *?K\ should have rendered OVK epovXero. Hence render "He was Merx was the not pleased." tirst to discover the real meanpriate

ing here.

He

retranslation N ?.

did so through into Aramaic,

Inceptionem = "design." So Schmidt-Merx. Hilgenfeld has missed the sense of the passalso

of reproduction OVK ijp&To the Greek shows as

his

:

TO.VTTJV rrfv a-rrapx^v T??S Acrttrews:

likewise coepit

to

taking non be a corruption of

Ronsch

air^p^aro KTicews.

W. T.

OLVTOV

1874, p. 557 a.irapx nv

Volkmar

is

:

TTJS

wholly at

sea.

Ab

The MS.

initio.

et before these words. Humiliter inter se.

inserts

Humiliter

be corrupt for humilitate. In my translation I have sought to only to give the sense:

may

their

own"

(or

miliation."

"common") "hu-

Hilgenfeld emends

humiliter into similiter.

This verse is found in the See exeg. note, p. 6. Ab initio orbis terrarum. This phrase has already occurred 14.

Greek.

1

ns>

age,

incepit, Z.f.

in

I.

XII.

13. 4,

It recurs twice, I. 17, ab initio crea-

in the form

Of this turae orbis terrarum. verse the Greek (see I. 14, exeg. note) is happily preserved irpb = nnoiD J3 ? /caraj3oX^s Kb<r^ov :

1

TEXT OF ut facias

modum 11 rellam dicit

12

CHAPTER

MS.

59

praeparatus sum ut sim arbiter testa

rum

sine

quae ideo baec

dominus orbis

15 menti

ter

illius et

tune

rarum

palam

Creavit enim orbem

consummatum est tempus annorum

terrarum propter

13 plebem suam

et

vitae

non

facio tibi quia

meae

et tran

dormitionem

coepit earn inceptio

sio in

nem

patrum meorunr et palam oninem

creaturae

lllaet ab

initio orbis ter

rarum palam

16

face

bem

pie

autem

re ut in earn gentes

percipe scribturam

argnantur et humi

bane ad recognos

liter inter se

cendam tutationem

dispu

librorum quos tibi &17tradam quos ordina

tationibus arguant

14

11-17

initio orbis terra

quemad

est

I.

se itaque excogitavit et invenit

me

bis et chedriabis et

qui ab

It is to be observed that the Vulgate renders Heb. ix. 26 Rev. xiii. 8, a-rro K ara/3oA?)s Koff/j-ov by ab origine mundi, similarly as in our text, but elsewhere in the N.T. Matt. xiii. 35, xxv. 34 Luke xi. 50 Heb. iv. 3 Rev. xvii. 8

cSiyn or o nyn ipirnp.

;

;

;

;

by a constitutione mundi.

The.

phrase in I. 17, XII. 4, ab initio creaturae orbis terrarum = dir TOV

apX^s Kriaeus

Mark Snnn

x.

6,

rus nn.

xiii.

On

Kocr/mov

(cf.

= rrc x-iD ;

19)

the other hand,

possible that the latter form of the phrase goes it

is

quite

back to the same Greek as the former, for our Latin translator is far from being consistent or accurate.

Nunc. MS. tune. Palam. Hilgenfeld emends 15.

=

into I d,7raAXdw. pellam follow Rb nsch in taking it as a proposition, but the text is doubtful. 16. recognoscendam tuta

Ad

The obscurity

tionem librorum.

of this phrase disappears when re translated into Hebrew, jnn jyoS nnsD.TnN met? mayst know "

how

to

preserve."

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

60

(Emended and Revised Text)

ordinabis libus in

et chedriabis

et

loco quern fecit

ab

repones in vasis fictiinitio creaturae orbis

18. Ut invocetur nomen illius usque in diem paenitentiae in respectu quo respiciet illos Dominus in consummatione exitus dierum.

terrarum,

II.

intrabunt

per te in terram, dare patribus eorum:

decrevit et promisit

quam In

2.

nunc)

(Et

qua

stabilibis

regnum,

tu

eis

et

benedices sort em

in

et

me

dabis et

unicuique, et

constabilibis

magisteria locorum dimittes

Domino eorum

eis

secus

illis

in judicio et justitia.

quod placebit 3. (Fiet) autem postquam intrabunt in terram suam anno s(exto), et postea dominabuntur a principibus et

tyrannis per

abrumpent

annos XVIII, et XVIIII annos

tribus X.

4.

18. Diem poenitentiae. Rosenthai supposes an error on the part of the Greek translator, i.e. that lie took rnie nn cv to mean the day of repentance, whereas it incant "the day of the return," or of the coining again," and refers to the return of the people to Palestine. "

In respectu quo

respiciet

=

ev

a eTriaKoirrj y e7ri(T/cei//ercu familiar Hebraism, ic x mpsn nn ~\ps\ Cf. Test. Lev. iii., iv. ; Pss. Sol. xi. 2. In consummatione exitus di-

T7)

erum II.

=

Q 1.

genfeld. 2.

DM

fp m^33. So Hil(Et nunc). Volkmar, ecce nunc.

Schmidt-Merx bracket

stabilibis eis as spurious. In me. Hilgenfeld, in

et

Nam Ronsch

(Z.f.

in earn

W. T.

1874, p. 558),

where the in earn goes

back to in qua,

iv y

.

.

.

ev cu rjy.

=

Magisteria locorum roirap1 *Probably roTrapxtas is corrupt for Toirapxas. Dimities. This is corrupt, X"

Schmidt- Merx emend it into dimetieris, but their reference to Pss. Sol. xvii. 30 gives no support to their suggestion,

be for demittes = may be a corruption of Kadicreis or /faratrr^creis "thou wilt In any appoint." case the sense required is clear.

Dimittes

may

Kadrjaeis.

This

=

The

original may have been Tp?fi D 1p9, "thou wilt appoint local Cf. Gen. xli. 34. magistrates." 3.

qua.

descendent tribus

Fiet.

So Schmidt-Merx

Volkmar, dat

;

Hilgenfeld,

illi.

;

TEXT OF reponis in vasis

MS.

CHAPTERS

ab

rum

11

18 rum ut invocetur

in

illius

respicit illos

in

usque

et postea

xviir et xviiii* annos

promisit dare pa

qua tu benedicis et da

nam

runt scenae

tri

testi

moniunr tune deus

bilibis eis sorteni

From

and Joseph. Ant.

v.

Tribus.

Josh.

4.

i.

19, Israelites

appears that the spent five years in the conquest of Canaan. Hence the above emendation. Hilgenfeld, annos (quinine); Merx, annos(eptiino).

it

x

descendent

bus duae et transfe

unicuique et sta

s(exto}.

tib

abrumpens 4

tribus eorunr in

Anno

dominabi

tyrannis per annos

decrevit et

xiv. 10

in ju

tur a principibus et

intrabunt

bis

domino eorum

suain annos

per te in terrain

2

illis

autem postquarn intrabunt in terrain

3

quo dominus

consummatio

quam

dimittes

dicio et justitia

ne exitus clierum II.

regnum

secus quod place bit

diem paenitentiae

in respectu

61

4

et magisteria loco

initio crea

turae orbis terra

nomen

II.

et constabi

libis eis

tilibus in loco quern fecit

me

in

fie

18

I.

MS.

Nam.

tib.

Nam

and enim are

frequently used in this version to render Se. Dependent. Schmidt-Merx, discedent.

So Schmidt-Merx

Duodecim.

emend from

In

So Hilgen Dominabuntur. feld and Schmidt-Merx. MS.

rightly

dominabitur.

of Israel and

So Hilgenfeld, Abrumpent. Volkmar, and Fritzsche. Abrumpentes, Schmidt-Merx MS. abrumpens.

David. The corruption arose in the Greek ai ifi (pvXai by the L falling out, or else in the Hebrew.

;

2

Sam.

vi. 1, 2,

duae. the chosen

men

Judah accompanied

TranferenL

MS. transform! t.

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

62

(Emended and Revised Text)

duodecim

Deus

transferent scenam testimonii.

et

caelestis faciet

aulam scenae suae

et

Tune turrem

sanctuarii sui, et ponentur duae tribus sanctitatis. 5.

Nam X

suas regna 7.

tribus stabilient sibi secus ordinationes 6.

:

Et VII

VIIII

Et adferent victimas per annos XX:

circumvallabunt muros,

et

circumibo

(IV) transgredientur testamentum Domimi,

et

jusjurandum polluent quern fecit Dominus cum eis. 8. Et immolabunt natos suos diis alienis, et et

ponent

idola

scenae,

domo Domini

servientes

illis

:

9.

Et

in

omnem

facient sceleste, et sculpent

(similituclinem) animalium idola multa. III.

illis

(Et)

veniet

temporibus

Scenam testimonii. MS. scenae testimonmm. So I emend Faciet aulam. from fecit palam with HilgenChron. feld, who compares 2 The phrase aulam scenae xx. 5. is found in Exod. xxvii. 9. For

Tribus

= irnpn 7. i.e.

illis

ab

Hebraism

sanctitatis.

auty.

Circumibo = I will protect, Cf. Deut. xxxii. 10 1

miDiS

.

;

Jer. xxxi. 22.

Et(IV). I have added the (IV). Transgredientur testamentum

the various uses of -ran see the new Hebrew Lexicon in loc.

Domini et jusjurandum poll uent. So I emend the corrupt text

Rb nsch,

adcedent ad testamentum Do mini et iinem polluent. First of all, iinem = opov, which, as we see from the context, is corrupt for opKov. Hence for finem we should read jusjurandum. This combination of testamentum

Merx,

figet fecit

palum palam

;

Schmidt(zelum)

;

Fritzsche, faciet palum.

Turrem.

So

I

emend from

ferrum. In a similar description of the future in Eth. En. Ixxxix. 50, 67, 73, the temple is spoken of as a tower. Hilgenfeld,

forum, comparing 2 Mace. x. 2 Schmidt-Merx, fervorem. Volkmar gives the whole passage thus fecit palam (locum) scenae suae et terram sanctuarii sui ; ;

:

Haupt,

W.T.

1867, p. 448, faciet palam (portam) scenae suae et forem sanctuarii sui. Z.f.

:

jusjurandum occurs four other times in this book I. 9, III. 9, XL 17, XII. 13, and thus confirms our emendation. arid

The same combination

is familiar in the O.T. Cf. C4en. xxvi. 28 Deut. xxix. 12, 14 Ezek. xvi. ;

;

59, xvii. 16, 18, 19.

place,

adcedent

In the next testamentum

TEXT OF caelestis fecit

MS.

CHAPTERS

tis*

nam

dominus cum

cit

eis et

molabunt natos suos diis alienis* et

*x tribus sta

ponent idola scenae

bilient sibi secus

servientes

ordinationes suas 9

bQ regna et adferent

7

et finem

polluent quern fe 8

sur et ponentur

duae tribus sanctita 5

i

men turn dominr

ferrum sanctua

rii

III.

5

adcedent ad testa

pa

lam scenae suae et

II.

illis*

domo domini

et in

faci

victimas per annos

ent sceleste et

xx

culpent omnern ani malium idola multa

et *vir

circumval

labunt muros et circumibo

III.

viiir et

and jusjurandum polluent arc clearly parallel expressions, and as the latter according to

is

obviously right the context, the The former must be wrong.

lies in therefore corruption adcedent, and is easy to discover. Adcedent = 7rpo<r/3?7cro; Tcu, corrupt for irapa-^rjaovTai.. rty 5i.a9 qK7]v Trapaftrjvai. is the actual phrase in Ezek. xvi. 59, xvii. Iti, 18, 19. Hence for adcedent read

illis

s

temporibus

xxxii. (xxxix.) 34, Kal edrjuav /AtdcTjUaTCt

auTWf

TTK\r]drj TO

iv

TOJ

ftvofjui JJ.QV iir

TO.

oi /cy

ou

aimo

iv

aKadapaLaiS avr&v. 9. Omnem (similitudinem}

animalium. Similitudinem fell out after omnern through homoioteleuton. Hilgenfeld and Yolkmar changed omnem into om nium, but the text thus arrived at

is

intolerable.

They

failed to

recognise that this verse

is

based

on Ezek. viii. 10, Every form of ... abominable beasts and all the idols graven upon the "

transgredieutur. On this passage previous editors are wholly at sea. They

accept adeedent jusjurandum. For et finem, Volkmar reads sed in fine finem ; SchmidtMerx, et (iv) fidcm. Hilgenfeld accepts the words as they stand. 8. Scenae I take as a dative, "in the Sanctuary." Rb nscli (Z.f.W.T. 1874, p. 558) in to read idola geniously proposes

all

obscena, comparing

LXX.,

Jer.

.

.

.

Thus omnem similitud inem animalium ncm man- ?:!. wall."

1

Idola mitlta,

The word

j

piy

c

i.e.

m

c

sipty.

used immedi

is

ately after ncnn in Ezek. viii. The whole verse = 10, as here.

ipm nnjnn ivy m,T III.

1.

Veniet

MS. veuient

.

.

.

.

equitatu. equitatus. .

.

im

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

64

(Emended and Revised Text)

eorum 2. Et eorum igne cum aede sancta sancta vasa omnia toilet 3. Et omnem

oriente rex, et teget equitatu terrain

incendet

:

coloniam

Domini, et

:

plebem eiciet, et ducet illos in terrain patriae suae, duas tribus ducet secum. 4. Tune invocabunt

et

X

duae tribus

tribus, et

indignabunt, ut liena in

et sitientes. 5. Et campis pulveratis, clamabunt Justus et sanctus Dominus, quia enim

esurientes

"

:

vos

nos

et

peccastis,

vobiscum cum infantibus

X

abunt

tribus

audientes

tribuum duarum, vobis fratres

Nonne

?

advenit clibsis haec

in

8.

MS. colonia. Coloniam. 2. Sancta vasa omnia. SchmidtMerx point out that onmia after sancta vasa is not Hebraic but Aramaic order, prta N JKD *rt?np. This is quite true, but it is impossible, on this ground only, to argue back to an Aramaic; for the Greek and original ;

Latin

translators frequently to observe the Hebrew order when it was possible to do so. Thus, though ^o in Hebrew failed

always precedes its noun, it is placed after it, as here, in the

LXX. Gen.

in the following passages xiv. 11, DID BOT^DTIN

LXX. Zod6fj-wi 01

rriv .

1.

LTTTTOV

troLffav

14, D Vvn-^3

:

TTJV

LXX.

Lev. xx. ravra irdvra.

ffwafiavTes TraWey.

23, N^N

*?a

LXX.

2 Chrou. xxi. 18, HNI-^D nnt Hence /u-era ravTa Travra.

LXX.

"

:

plor-

verborum

Quid fecimus

omnem domum

"

?

Tune

6.

inproperia

Et dicent

7.

sumus

abducti

pariter nostris."

Istrahel

Et omnes tribus

plor-

we can attach but little value to this argument in itself, and when we consider that our Latin Version is but a careless rendering of the original, it ceases to

have any weight at

all.

Terrain patriae suae els ri]v yrjv TTJS yevtatus avrov = imSio px. 3.

Indigndbuntur. The MS. se. These words cannot be right. Observe et ducent Tune invocabunt se et clamabunt. The ten tribes cannot address the two, then march or be marched about, and then proceed with 4.

gives ducent

.

.

.

.

.

.

words of rebuke. Hence, instead of ducent se, we expect a verb expressive of anger, and this all the more because of the words immediately subsequent ut

liena

in

campis.

Now

TEXT OF venient

ab

illis

MS.

CHAPTER entes

ori

ente rex et teget

2

5

cum

nostris et

infantibus

clamabunt

equitatus terram

Justus et sanctus

eorum

quia enim vos peccas tis et nos pariter ad

colonia

et incendet

eorum

ig

ne cum aede sancta

109&domini 3

2-8

III.

et sancta vasa

om

6

omnem

nia toilet et

plebem

ducti

eiciet et

bunt

du

tes

patriae suae et duas

7

secum

4 Tune invocabunt duae tribus x tribus

b

se,

if

retranslated into

probably stood originally in the

Greek Version. Hence my cor rection of ducent se into indigCould ducent

audien

improperia ver et dicent

tres*

nonne in

quid faciemus vobis fra

domum

omnem

istrahel

ad

omnes

tribus plora

bunt clamautes in

siti

Greek =dx(?Tj(r0vTatj and as this word is confounded in MSS. with axOfoovrai, the latter most

nabuntur.

x* tribus

rum

8 et

in campis pulverati

ducent

tune plora

venit clibsis haec

et ducent se ut liena

esurientes et

sumus vobis

borum tribum dua

cet illos in terram

tribus ducit

cum

dominus

se be

a corruption of succensebunt ? MS. pulverati. Pulrfiratis. Schmidt-Merx omit. Here the MS. adds SUientes. This cum infantibus nostris.

phrase I have, with SchmidtMerx, transposed after vobiscum in ver. 4. If retained here, nostris must lie changed into suis ; for

the children of the two tribes cannot be called children of Moses and Joshua. 5. Alducti. So Fritzsche MS. Schmidt-Merx, deducti. ;

adducti.

Cum infantibus nostris. See note on ver. 4. 6. vcrboru/n = Inproperia, mmin. 7. Fecimus. So I emend with Hilgenfeld from faciemus.

Clibsis, i.e. 0\fyts.

There arc

several other Greek words

bystia (VIII. 2), (I.

eremus

3),

acro-

cathedra (XII.

(III. 11), chedriabis 17), allofyli (IV. 3).

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

66

(Emended and Revised Text)

abunt clamantes in caelurn et dicentes

Abraham

Deus Isaac

et

testamentum tuum quod

andum quod

terra

cum

factasti

reminiscentur me, die

dedisti

quam :

eis, et

unquam

jusjurdeficiat

10.

illis."

Tune

dicentes tribus ad tribum

illo

homo de proximo suo

Deus

lacob, reminiscere

jurasti eis per Te, ne

semen eorum a et

Deus

et

"

9.

:

"

11.

Nonne hoc

est

quod

testabatur nobis turn Moyses in profetiis, qui multa

passus est in Aegypto et in mail rubro et in heremo 1 2. Et testans invocabat nobis testes annis XL :

caelum in

et terram,

ne praeteriremus mandata Illius, 13. Ecce ea advenerunt

quibus arbiter fuit nobis

:

nobis de isto secus verba ipsius et secus adfirma-

tionem illis,

9.

ipsius,

quomodo

Reminiscere

10.

Homo os CTTL

X

11.

testatus est nobis temporibus

ecce ea convenerunt usque nos duci captivos in avap-LiJivriffKov,

de proximo sno TW TT^vLov avTov=

quomodo

.

Turn.

So Schmidt-Merx.

MS. cum. This name is written Moyses. thus in XL 1, and the interpolated passage I. 5. In I. 4

Elsewhere, in XL 2, 4, 14, 17, 19, XII. 1, 2, it is written as if from a .Nom. Monses. For a similar insertion

Mosyses.

Bobbio MS.,

Mt. vi. Moyses is the Coptic form of this name. The Hebrew form Moses = Mwo-?5s = nu D, which Schmidt-Merx give of n,

cf.

19, thensaurus,

in

q.

etc.

not found in this MS. Testabatur. This word means I. 1, is

here "he

5te/3e/3atoCTo,

declared."

It represents

and

this in turn,

TJH or jnin. The same diction behind adfirmationem ipsius

lies

<5ta/3e/3cu

testatus est (III. 13)

w0-ti

Ka#cl>s

=

diej3ej3aLovro.

It is due to the carelessness of the Latin translator that he used tester as a rendering of

two distinct Greek verbs.

MS. profetis. Profetiis. 12. Et testans invocabat nobis caelum. et terram,. For et testans the MS. reads, testatus but wrongly; for clearly et, testans invocabat testes tester

.

.

.

=5iaima.pTvp6/j.evos die/j.apTvpeTo

vyn

lyrr,

=

and the whole phrase =

nym. pK.vnNi DWn-nN 133 This statement is found, letter for letter, in the Apocalypse "pyn

of Baruch Ixxxiv.

2,

"Moses

TEXT OF caelum 9

MS.

CHAPTER

67

9-13

quod testabatur no

et dicentes

cum moyses

in

deus abraham* et deus isa

bis

ac et deus Jacob remi

profetis qui multa

-

85a passus

niscere testamen

tuum quod tasti cum eis et

turn

fac

et in

jus

in

quam

deficiat

eorum a dedisti

invoca

et

et terrain

quam

ne prae

manda

teriremus

ta illius in quibus arbi

illis

10 Tune reminiscentur

me

him

semen

terra

heremo annis xl

bat nobis testes cae

ne urn

rasti eis per te

est in aegypto mari rubro* et

12 testatus

jurandum quod ju

13

tor fuit nobis

die illo dicentes

quae advenerunt nobis

ad tribunr et

de isto secus verba

tribus

1 1

III.

homo de proximo

ipsius

suo nonne hoc est

mationem

assuredly called heaven and earth to witness against you." Of. Deut. iv. 26, xxx. 19,

DC

mandata praeteriremus Illius. These words, also in a slightly different form, follow immediately on those just quoted from Apoc. Bar. Ixxxiv. 2, i.e. if ye transgress the law." 13. Ecce ca advenerunt nobis. So I have emended from quae "

advenerunt nobis. That this is right is clear from the exactly

e

befell

you, and

befallen

you."

is

taken to

A

=

compari

them away from you (see XIX. 3), on this account they came upon you," appears to show that de isto = ririK = "after

him,"

death."

Cf.

Ecce ca. ct

quae.

Schmidt- Merx,

Cf.

"after

his

See above.

d.i>aro\r)S

Exod.

i.e.

Job xxi. 21. So I have emended

In partem TTJS

!

This

cast also

they have

lo

isto.

titelvov (xpbvov).

son of the parallel passage in Apoc. Bar. Ixxxiv. 4, "And after his (i.e. Moses ) death ye

parallel passage in Apoc.

Bar. Ixxxiv. 5, "And now Moses used to tell you before they

ipsius

followed by Hilgenfeld, emend quae into vae ; Volkmar resolves it into et ea.

etc.

Ne

et secus adfir

= et s fj.pos pN n^p 7K

oricntis

Dip

xvi. 35.

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

68

(Emended and Revised Text) "

orientis

partem

14. Qui et servient circa annos

?

LXXYII. IV. Tune intrabit

unus qui supra eos

est,

et

expandet manus et ponet genua sua,

et orabit pro

Domine omnis, rex

in alta sede,

dicens

eis

2.

:

"

qui dominaris saeculo, qui voluisti plebem hanc esse tibi plebem hanc exceptam, tune voluisti invocari

eorum deus secus testamentum. quod fecisti cum 3. Et ierunt captivi in terrain patribus eorum. alienam

cum

uxoribus et natis suis et circa ostium

allofylorum et ubi est vanitas magna.

eorum, Domine

reminiscetur

cum

fecit

reproduces

Aramaic TH, and

this

jnay n pjx

:

thinks that a play on the words = = idolatry), = ( 77)also .TTjrn!3y. ( as this latter phrase was often simply denoted by the initial pa>

"ly

there

is

"ly

i

"

letters.

Thus,

they shall also

idolatry through the If this play was inyears." tended by the author, it proves practise

an Aramaic original against a Hebrew, as mi mny is good Hebrew also. IV. 1. For intrabit, expannothing

for

ponet, MS. reads intravit, expandit, ponit.

(let,

2.

Domine omnis

vrds NHD.

illis

:

6.

Et mittet

in

regis ut misereatur eorum, et dimittet illos

Merx

14.

verse in

Respice 5.

caelestis."

patribus illorum, et palam faciet miseri-

cordiam suam et temporibus

animam

4.

Tune Deus eorum propter testamentum quod

miserere

et

Heb.

*?3

Ktipie

jriN

;

TOU

Aram,

Jianc exceptam. Hanc the Greek represents rbv \abv rbv K\eKr6v

Plebem here article

vmn

=

:

Cf. Isa. xliii. 20.

oyn.

ceptam

is

here

We

rendering. electam. 3. Vanitas.

an

Ex-

unhappy

should

have

The MS. reads majestas. This is corrupt. Hilgenfeld and Merx emend it into maestitia Fritzsche into moles;

Volkmar supports the text, but without success. The cortia.

ruption Latin.

is

not native to the

Majestas

=

/u.eya\(i6Tr)s,

corrupt for /iarcuoY^s, i.e.

"idolatry."

"

vanity,"

Nothing im-

pressed the Jews so much in their captivity among the Gentiles as the idolatry of the latter.

TEXT OF testatus

quomodo est nobis

bus

14

illis

CHAPTERS

MS.

III.

cum

cisti

eorum

3

tempori et quae conve

14

IV. 6

69

patribus

et ierunt

captivi in terram

cum

uxori

nerunt usque nos

alienam

duel captives in par

bus et natis suis et

tern orientis qui

circa ostium allofi

et servient circa

lorum

annos Ixxvir

majestas inagna

IV. Tune intravit unus

4 respice et misere re eorum domine cao

qui supra eos est et expandit et ponit

et ubi est

manus

5

b

et oravit pro eis di

2

cens

Tune remi

lestis

eorum

niscitur deus

genua sua

propter testamen

Domine omnis

turn quod fecit

SQa patribus

rex in alta sede qui

cum

illorum et

mise

dominaris saeculo

palam

qui voluisti

ricordiam suanr et

hanc esse

plebem 6

tibi

plebem hanc exceptam tune

temporibus illis et mittit in animani re gis ut misereator

voluisti invocari

eorum deus secus

tamentum quod

tes

fe

For this use of /xarcuoV^s

for

an

etc ra judrcuct, is frequent in this sense. Cf. 2 Kings xvii. 15 Jer. ii. 5, idol,

cf.

Ps.

xxxi.

6,

:

;

x. 3. 5.

*?3n is the Hebrew. Reminiscetur. MS. remin-

iscitur.

Suam

et.

faciet

Hilgenfeld

Schmidt-Merx delete

et.

and

eorum

et dimittit

illos in

terram eorum

MS. misere MS. dimittit. eorum et region-

Miscratur.

6.

ator.

Dimittet.

Terrain em, Semitic

syntax

requires

eorum after the regionBut the Greek and Latin translators of Hebrew omitted

an

em.

the suffix Cf.

LXX.

in 1

their

rendering.

Chron. xxviii. 11

;

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

70

(Emended and Revised Text)

eorum

in terrain

et regionem.

stitutum

suum

et circumvallabunt

Duae autem

fide

sua,

locum con-

tribus et

tristes

locum renovantes.

permanebunt

in

praeposita

gementes, quia non poterint

immolationes Domino patrum suorum.

referre

9.

X tribus crescent et multiplicantur apud nationes

Et in

Tune ascendent

partes tiibuum et venient in

aliquae

8.

7.

tempore captivitatis suae.

cum adpropiabunt tempora

V. Et vindicta

punientes eos,

18

8.

2.

Et

ipsi dividentur ad veritatem.

;

;

Merx emend

arguendi, et

participes scelerum et

reges

xli. 8 Exod. xii. 9, Neh. iii. 3, 6, 13, 14, 15. Sua. VolkmarandSchmidt-

Vulg. Gen. xl.

de

surge t

into sed.

Poterint. Sehmidt-Merx emend into poterunt. 9 Multiplicantur apud nation es in tempore captivitatis suae. So .

have emended the very corrupt devenient apud iiato.s in tempore tribum. Hilgenfeld accepts tlie text, but changes tribum into tribulationis, and takes these words as prophecy of I

text

The right word in such a case would be ascendent (see ver. Volkmar emends deveni 7). ent apud natos in tempore tribuum. But there is no meaning in the expression in tempore tribuum. Further, it is an un paralleled phrase. Schmidt-Merx emend devertent apud nationes But the in tempore turbarum. :

:

sense

is

poor,

amongst the

"they

will stay iu the

Gentiles

the return of the tribes to their descendants in Jerusalem. But

time of troubles," and Fritzsche and Eosenthal rightly reject it. Rosenthal emends devenient apud natos in tempore judici-

this

iorum.

is

absolutely impossible.

Not

to speak of the incredible change of tribulationis into tri bum, there are other insuperable difficulties. If apud natos could stand here at all, we should re And quire suos to be added.

devenient could not be used of going up to Jerusalem. great Songs of the As cents" would, in that case, be called "Songs of the Descents." finally,

The

"

:

In the criticism of Hil

genfeld s emendation we have already shown devenient apud natos in the sense of a return to Palestine to be impossible. Some interest, however, attaches to his restoration in tempore judici-

In tempore tribuum is, shows = D antsri njn, where

oruin.

he D

corrupt for D of the judgments is that of the final judgment of God. B32>n

is

The time

BSB>n.

TEXT OF 7

MS.

CHAPTERS

71

molationes domino

regionenr tune ascendent aliquae et

patruum suorum

partes tribuum et

9

et *x

venient in locum

1}

cent et devenient

suum

cons tit utum

tribus cres

apud natos

in tern

V. pore tribum et

et circumvallabiuit

8

V. 2

IV. 7

locum renovantes

cum adpropiabunt

duae autem tribus

temper a arguendi

permanebunt

et vindicta surgit

in

de reges participes scelerum et puni

praeposita fide sua tristes et

geinen

non pote referre im

2

tes quia

rint

dividentur ad ve

We

have now discussed all emendations of this text, and been obliged to reject them. My own restoration is

previous

First of all, I accept the emendation apud natos into

as follows.

nationes. Next, we see that something is wrong with devenient. It is coupled with crescent, and not improbably has a kindred meaning. Now devenient = /careXei;(j-oz rcu = nv, which is clearly a corruption

apud

of

UT=: multiplicantur.

the

text

runs,

We

have

now

in

tempore tribum is a

Thus

et crescent nationes. to deal with

apud

multiplicantur

tribum.

This

frequent fifthcentury equivalent of tribuum. The phrase, then, in tempore

tribuum D onty

=

nyn

D

B3B>

is

suae.

nyn.

corrupt for

crrnB^in tempore

entes eos et ipsi

Here njn

ca})tivitatis

Thus our emended

text

=

crescent

et

multiplicantur

apud nationes in tempore cap-

Now this agrees exactly with the statement of Joseph. Ant. xi. 5. 2, At de dtxa 0uXcu -rrepav tlaiv e ws Seupo, /u;ptd5cs atrapoi, Kal tivitatis suae.

Eu</>pdroi

dpidfjiw yvwffdrjvai.

p,r)

ovvd/J.evai,

and with the view expressed in 4 Ezra

xiii.

36-48

ad Caium, 31 (p6(3ovv

(ii.

de O.VTOV

Philo, Leg. 578, Mangey), Kal ai irepa.v ;

\(ova Kal TroXXds dXXas rGiv crarpajrei&v VTTO

V.

1.

louSatwv Karexo/J.evas.

MS.

Surget.

De regcs = did

rC>v

here = per, as in

surgit.

jSacriXew*

I. 9,

.

De

de lesum.

So Rbnsch and Hilgcnfeld. Schmidt-Merx, not observing the above sense of tie, propose to emend de reges participes into ad participes regis, and punientes into puriientis. 2.

Dividentur ad veritatem =

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

72

(Emended and Revised Text) 3.

et

Propter quod factum f uit "Devitabunt justitiam accedent ad iniquitatem, et contaminabunt in:

domum

quinationibus "

fornicabunt post

deos

veritatem

sequentur

servitutis

quia

Non enim

4.

quidam altarium

sed

Dei,

et

suae,"

alirnos."

de ipsis muneribus quae imponent Domino, qui non sunt sacerdotes, sed servi de servis 5. Qui enim magistri sunt [doctores nati. eorum]

inquinabunt

6eiav

= r\EKi

xvi. 21,

irpbs

?p0

In

O\T\-

rr\v

1

Kings pSn is used in the Niphal .

of the division of the people into two factions as here. In the Talmud it is frequently used in reference to difference of opinion. Cf.

Chag.

nnn=

xvi.fr,

"the

^ru

m

ipSn:

greatest Rabbis were

divided on this point," quoted in Levy s Lex. ii. 65. Propter quod

=

dionep.

J^arfwm.Volkmar emends into

naturally to be regarded as forming the class of teachers, their functions in the text are of quite a different nat ure. They are judges, and their justice is venal. Now if we retranslate into Greek and thence into Hebrew we shall be put in the way of discovering

not merely the original text, but also a most interesting case in Avhich what was at first an incorrect

was

Hebrew marginal

gloss

dictum, and Schmidt-Merx into fatum. So Volk3. Inquinationibus.

incorporated in the text. To proceed qui enim magistri sunt doctores eorum =

mar and Hilgenfeld, from inSchmidt - Merx genationibus. (and later Hilgenfeld also), in nationibus.

KCL\oi ovTeSj oi Kad ijyrjTal OLVT(JOV err-no D mni (cf. John i. 39). Now, first of all, we

4.

De

ipsis

muneribus.

I

have here followed Rb nsch, in supplying the lacuna of six letters with ipsis. Hilgenfeld Volkmar, omnibus ; gives iis Schmidt-Merx, donis et. 5. Qui enim magistri sunt If we study [doctores eorum]. this clause in connexion with the rest of this verse and that which follows, it will become obvious that there is some cor For whereas ruption here. doctores eorum are masristri ;

later

:

(with

Hilgenfeld)

diSda-

de

oi

=

that

D

either

mn, "the

many,"

which

can

know mean

or

Rabbis"

"the

cannot have the former

meaning in this context, as we have seen above and in we see that the next, ;

the

latter

meaning,

"the

many,"

harmonises perfectly with the For where rest of the context. as in ver. 46 it is said that some who are not true priests will defile the altar of God, it is here said that many w ill ad r

minister justice corruptly,

the

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTER

inquinabunt de

fuit

78$

devitabunt justi tiam et accedent

muneribus quae inponent domino qui

non sunt sacerdo

ad iniquitatem et contaminabunt in genationibus

73

sed quidam altarium

3 ritatenv propter

quod factum

V. 3-5

tes sed servi de ser

domum

5

vis nati* qui

ma

enim

servitutis suae

gistri sunt docto

et quia fornicabunt

res

post deos alienos

poribus erunt miran

4 non enim sequen

"some "and the "many" be longing alike to the Sadducean party, to the Sanhedrin, the chief council of the nation. The Sanhedrin possessed civil and criminal jurisdiction (Schiiii.

vol.

i.

187),

and was

at this period a body representa tive of the nobility, and not an association of learned men ( cit. p. 174), as the Rabbins and the glosser on our text conceived it later. Having now deter mined the meaning of Q mn to </>.

be not many,"

"

the

or

that DITTID

Rabbis,"

"

many,"

(i.e.

but

"

we now

s

suggestion of locuple-

in his

own

text.

Schmidt-Merx

propose (cupidi) cupiditatum. muncra = 8wpoAccipicntes \Tf]irTovvTe<s

or SwpoX^Trrets.

So

emend acceptiones munerum. The corruption may have arisen in the Greek by cJwpoATjTrrets be I

coming

i

dwpo\T)\f/La s.

So

Pervertent.

Wieseler

The

emends from pervendent.

three chief statements in this verse, that men will be mirantes

and acceptorcs

mun

personas,

erum, and pervertent justitias are drawn from Deut. xvi. 19. Pervertent justitias is based on t2-:ra nan N^, thou shalt not wrest judgment." Erunt miran tes ITT3D vrr justitias

the glosser misapprehended the sense of the word is now obvious. Hence we should translate, "and many in those times will respect the persons of the rich," etc.

The MS.

Fritzsche

tum, though he edits nobilitatum

see

doctores eorurn)

I

tern

the

must originally have been a Hebrew gloss inserted in the margin to explain D mn. That

Locupletum. cupiditatum.

illis

tes personas cupi ditatunr et accep

tur veritatem dei

rer, cliv.

eorum

gives

have adopted

"

.

Bsa io

.

.

lorn ins?

Q npi

1

?!

Accipiendo poewis

D

Tfyn

MS.

accipienuse, of the

tes poenas. Tliis ablative of the gerund for the present participle is characteristicof this Latin version. Cf. XL

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

74

(Emended and Revised Text) illis

temporibus, erunt mirantes personas locupletum

et accipientes

munera,

piendo poenas].

A

6.

Domino

Et ideo implebitur colonia

eorum

habitationis

fines

et pervertent justitias [acci-

et

sceleribus et iniquitatibus.

deficient, erunt impii judices, et erunt in

argento judicare quomodo quisque volet. VI. Tune exurgent illis reges imperantes, et in sacerdotes summi Dei vocabuntur facient :

facientes impietatem ab sancto sanctitatis.

succedet

illis

sacerdotum,

temeraiius et improbus,et judicabit

This usage is frequently found the oldest biblical transla tions. See Ronsch, Z.f. W. T. 1868, pp. 96, 97. As these words are simply a repetition of the

finis

1 7.

phrase accipientes munera, I have bracketed them as a clittogrMphy. The only other alter native is to regard accipientes

munera

as

representing j/

2:i

Q i?ii3

owpo-

= greedy

after gain (Prov. xv. 27). There will then be no tautology in the

will respect the persons of the rich and be greedy of gain, and will wrest judgment

verse:

Et

rex petulans, qui non erit de genere

homo

in

\riTTTovi>Tes

2.

"They

tiories

fines habita

habita

eorum

tionis

leribus

sceler

ibus

see et

ini-

quita tibus a deo ut

qui fa erunt impii ju dices erunt in

cit

earn post

et

iniquitat

ibus a

domino qui faciunt

erunt

impii judices

inerunt

in

campo

If we compare the concluding words of each column, it is clear

that erunt in earn post in the is first corrupt for erunt in

on receiving presents." This form of the text would imply a of 1 Sam. viii. 3. knowledge r 6. A\ e have here a remarkable in which six lines of dittography, the MS. are repeated twice with

campo

some

Hilgenfeld reads qui faciunt. Volkmar adeo jus qui faciunt. and Schmidt-Merx connect a domino and a deo respectively

variations. The slightly more correct. Th" scribe no doubt intended to delete the former, but forgot.

second

I

slight is

here append the repeated por

tions side

by

side.

I have given above et. the text presupposed by the twofold text.

A Domino deficient. So I emend from the corrupt twofold text a deo ut qui facit and a dno :

with what precedes, and proceed: Volkmar, (quae) qui faciunt

TEXT OF tiones et

G

MS.

CHAPTERS

munerum

V. 6

VI. 2

75

et iniquitatibus

pervendent

1}

domino qui faciunt

a

justitias accipien

erunt impii judices

do poenas* et ideo

in erunt in

implebitur colo nia et finis habita

judicare

tiones

eorum

campo

quomodo

VI. quisquae volet tune

see

exurgent

re

illis

leribus et iniquita

ges imperantes et

tibus a deo ut qui fa

in sacerdotes

mi

erunt impii ju

cit

sum

dei vocabuntur

dices erunt in earn

facient facientes

post fines habita

impietatem ab sancto 2

tionis sceleribus erunt impii judices SchmidtMerx, ut qui factarunt impie, ;

= in

judices erunt in ea iripost ( posterum), etc. Erunt in argenfo judicare. So I emend erunt in campo judi care. In campo = v aypw, cor

Erunt

for ev apyup(})=t}33i.

rupt

jndicare is either corrupt for erunt judicantes or else it is to 1)0 referred back to the Hebrew. ess? ? r,T= "they will be intent 1

For this 2 Chron. xxvi. Hilgenfeld takes in campo

or ready

to

construction f>.

judge."

cf.

iVn

sanctitatis* et succedit illis tine-

numbered

"were

the tribe of Levi." But the Niphal xnp has here a middle

among

sense, as in Isa. xlviii. 2 : will number themselves

the priests," i.e. themselves priests."

"they

among

"will

call

Thus the

non-Greek expression

els

iepels

is to be explained a Hebrew background. Instead of summos sacerdotes in the clause in summos sacerdotes Dei vocabuntur, the text reads For the sacerdotes summi.

K\T]dr)vait.

from

emendation

for this see exegetical note,

grounds

corrupt for fy-rredoi, but the resulting sense is bad. VI. 1. In summos sacerdotes Dei vocabuntur. This emended text (see below) eis dpxtepe?s TOV

pp. 20, 21. Fritzsche unjustifiably changes in into qui. Facient facientes the well-

Ocov K\rj6 f](rovTai- C 3nDrr hy isopn c n -x ? o^n^n. With this con struction cf. LXX., 1 Chron.

yet Schmidt-Merx emend it into in faciem facientes Volkmar

iv

TredLif),

1

xxiii.

TOU

H,

Aei t

(KXrjdrjcrav

Massoretic,

eis

Sy

(f>v\rii>

ijop

:

known Hebraism

=

ibjr

mby

;

!

and

Hilgenfeld omit facient, while Fitxsche omits facientes !

2.

Succcdet.

MS.

succedit.

ASSUMPTIONIS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

76

(Emended and Revised Text)

quomodo digni erunt eorum gladio, et locis

illis

nemo

illorum, ut

Qui

3.

:

elidet principales

corpora

stinguet

ignotis

ubi sint [corpora illorum]

sciat

:

4.

Occidet majores natu et juvenes, et non parcet.

5.

Tune timor

eorum

erit illius

Et

6.

:

fecerunt in

illis

et

eos.

punibit

acerbus [in in

faciet

eis

7.

Et

terram

quomodo

judicia,

XXX

Aegyptii, per

eis] in

et IIII annos,

(p)roducet

natos

(qui

8. su)ccedentes sibi breviora tempora dominarent. In partes eorum cohortes venient et occidentis rex

potens, qui expugnabit eos et

Et ducet captivos

9.

:

partem aedis ipsorum igni incendet, (et) aliquos

crucifiget circa coloniam eorum.

Ex quo

VII.

facto finientur

tempora,

momento

(fini)etur cursus a(lter) horae IIII venient. Judicabit

Is this to

illis.

be

explained by am pi (cf. Ps. ex. 6), or should we correct illis into illos 3.

?

MS.

Elidet.

Stinguet.

elidit.

So Ronsch,

MS.

denies

sibi

tempora So Hilgenfeld and Fritzsche, emending donarentof MS. into dominarent. Volkmar,

tempora donarent Schmidt-Merx, (p)roducet natos sibi duriora

breviora

have, with Schmidt-Merx, bracketed as an

pente. 8. Partes.

intrusion,

hortcs.

;

4.

Occidet.

genfeld and et

before

not spare the

I

MS. occidit. HilVolkmar omit the

non:

"and

he will

young."

Acerbus. MS.acervus. With Schmidt-Merx I bracket in eis. 6. Punibit. Hilgenfeld and 5.

Volkmar, from puniunt. 7.

Ireviora

(p)roducet natos, (qi d)ecedentes

from

et.

illorum]

Co-

dominarent.

singuli Hilgenfeld, Schmidt-Merx, jugulsepeliet abit. Stinguet = extinguet. [Cor-

pora

2.

(P)roducet natos (qui sn}cce-

;

succedeiites sibi et punientes eos

tempora

MS.

donee pares.

re-

Co-

So Volkmar, from MS. hostes mortes. Gutschmidt, Ronsch, martiales.

;

Occidentis.

Qui.

MS.

occidentes.

So Schmidt-Merx, from

quia. 9.

Ducet.

MS.

MS. ducent.

In-

Et I have added with Schmidt-Merx. cendet.

Crucifiget.

incendit.

MS.

crucifigit.

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTERS

rex petulans qui

non

et iiir

homo

annos

et

7 niunt eos et

.

.

pu rodw

cit

probus et judicabit

tes sibi breviora tern

quomodo

eorum

tis

ra illorum ut ne

9

sciat ubi sint

4 occidit majores natu et juvenes et

non

cervus in

modo

partem aedis ipso

to

1.

Facto.

quo

Merx and

Schmidt-Merx

So Hilgenfeld, Wieseler. SchmidtColani read (sequ)etur.

So Sclimidt-Merx, Volkmar, quando Hil

A(lter).

Colani.

genfeld, a(evi). Vcnient. So Hilgenfeld,

:

meant coguntur secim .

.

.

.

pos

2. Though it is quite im possible to restore this verse, many scholars have made the

We cannot discover attempt. the actual words of the writer even if we knew them, their in terpretation would be difficult, as :

they are enigmatical

Volk

Schmidt-Merx, from MS.

veniant.

nomen

.... etur cursus

ac

(Fini)etur.

Volkmar,

eorum

a .... horae iiir ve 2

fecerunt in

VII.

igni incendit

tur tempora

a

omit.

mar,

et

VII. ex quo facto finien

et faci

et in eis judicia

ducent captives

circa coloniam I

eis in ter

ram eorum

et

aliquos crucifigit

parcet* tune erit illius

mor

venient et occi

rum

77 corpora illorum

timor

ec^den

.

quia expugnabit eos

singuli et corpo

mo

.

dentes rex potens

gladkr et locis igno tis

.

pares eorum

3 ni erunt qui elidit principales

natos

8 pora donarent in

dig

1

6

77

temerarius et im

illis

5

VII. 2

aegypti per *xxx

illis

de genere

erit

sacerdotunr

VI. 3

bolical.

Yet certain

or sym scholars

presume they know the hidden meaning of the writer, and re-

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

78

(Emended and Revised Text)

gentur secun his

homines

justos.

4.

erunt

qui

omnibus

3.

Et hi concelabunt iram animorum suorum, homines dolosi, sibi placentes, ficti in

omni hora

et

suis

amantes convivia,

diei

5

devoratores, gulae.

bonorum

Et regnabunt de

pestilentiosi et impii, dicentes se esse

6.

(Paupe)rum

comestores, dicentes se haec facere propter

misericordiam suam

sed ut exterminarent eos,

7.

ne possent cognosci, impii, in scelere pleni et iniquitate ab (sole)

quaeru(losi),

fallaces, celantes

store thc text accordingly. such a defective text to

With

tres

se

septim(an)ae secunda, tria

tertia,

the text attest the period they have settled beforehand. Hilgen-

guntur

feld restores as follows

facto fmientur tempora

.-

:

Ex quo

momento

(fini)eturcursusa(evi). horae IIII

Coguntur secus (sepVII pos(tumas) initiis VIIII propter tribus ad exitus. venient.

quo

Colani, Ex finientur tempora

duae eractae.

start from, they can easily read their own ideas into it, and they so man age their restorations as to make

facto

momento a(lter)

.

(sequ)etur cursus horae IIII venient co.

.

secu(li

tempor)a e(jus)

ab

pos(trema)

tribu-

initiis

(lationi)s ad exitus VIIII ter initium tres septimae .

cunda

prop .

se

duae (p)eractae. Wieseler, Horae IIII ven tria

.

in tertia

thn)as

ient: cogentur secul(i septim)ae (dirae?) pos(tumae in) initiis

initium, tres septimae secunda, in tertia, duae quartae.

tribus ad exitus VIIII

tria

Volkmar,

Ex quo

tur tempora

.

facto finien-

momento

(fini)etur

propter initium tres septimae, secunda

tria(s), in tertia duae

;

h(o)ra(e p)er-

actae.

cursus, q(ando) horae IIII veniant. Coguntur secun(da, medi)a, e(t sic) pos(tuma in) initiis tribus ad exitus. VIII propter initium

3. Regndbunt. Hilgenfeld and Schmidt-Merx, from MS. regnarunt. Is et regnarunt a Heb

Secunda

Hilgenfeld, from docentes. 4. Concelabunt. The MS. reads suscitabunt. But the following word dolosi and ficti seem to show that not the rous ing of their anger, but its sup pression or concealment, is the thought here required.

.

tres

(e ws)

tria.

in tertia

septimae.

duae (p)eractae.

Schmidt-Merx, Ex quo finientur (sequ)etur tempora momento .

cursus alter horae IIII venient. ;

Cogentur secun(do septiman)ae VIIII, pos(tumae ab) initiis tribulationis ad exitus VIIII pro .

pter

(fort,

tempora)

iuitium,

raism

?

i.e. iScbi.

Dicentes.

MS.

TEXT OF ....

MS.

CHAPTER

ad

initiis tribus

vim propter

exitus

timae secunda in tertia duae

nus

.

.

ra

.

6

mi

facere propter

sericordiam qu

extermina

tores

quaeru

.

.

.

se et

7

.

.

.

fallaces celantes se

placentes

omni hora

bo

res dicentes se haec

qui erunt homines do

omnibus

rum

tes

tabunt iram animo

et

ne possent cognos

suis

diei

impii in scelere

ci

amantes convivia

pleni et iniquitate

devoratores gulae

ab orient e usque ad

This does not Sibi placentes. appear to give the right sense, coming as it does between dolosi

and be

ficti.

The corruption may

traceable

Sibi placentes

= CD:y

riNjn

.

noruin comesto

et hi susci

in

.

den

rae

rum suorum

ficti

.

.... u .... o ....

.

tilentiosi et impii docentes se esse

losi sibi

.

tria

li

ae et regnarunt

justos"

diis

.... omnis ....

de his homines pes

4

79

... n ... ca ....

s

initium tres sep

3

VII. 3-7

to the Hebrew. eavrols apeaK OPTCS

=

Here Dosy

"ppuD.

be corrupt for D Disy, i.e. the mighty." Hence we should render pleasers of the mighty." 5. This verse, consisting of seven lines, is undecipherable.

may

mar, emends into eorum; Hilgenfeld, quare. 7. tied ut.

mar,

et

si

;

MS.

se et.

yolk-

Hilgenfeld, sicut

;

Fritzsche, sed et. Quacru(losi). MS. quaeru VolkHilgenfeld, quaeru(nt) mar, quaeru(nt qui); Fritzsche, .

.

.

;

"

quem(li

6.

(Paupe)rum.

So

Volk-

.

Volk-

Suam.

Of.

XL

d0

rj\iov

[Aevov.

mean

mar.

MS. qu

.

.

et).

Ab oriente usque ad occidentem.

"

"

=

Observe that this dvareXXovTos yw-^xpt SvoThus it can equally well 8.

"from

east to

from sunrise to

west"

sunset."

or

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

So

(Emended and Revised Text)

oriente usque ad occidentem,

bimus discubitiones et

8.

Dicentes

Habe-

"

:

et luxuriam, edentes et bibentes,

9. potabimus nos, tanquam principes erimus." et mentes immunda tractantes, et

Et manus eorum

eorum loquetur ingentia, et superdicent 10. Noli (tu me) tangere, ne inquines me loco in quo

os "

:

(ego) s(to)

VIII. Et (al)te(ra) veniet in eos

quae

non

talis

fuit

illud tempus, in

in

illis

quo suscitabit

terrae et potentatem a tit en tes

torquebit

mutavimus

et

tradidit

If

;

Ron sell,

perpot-

with Fritzsche we

emend putavimus into putabimus, we should expunge erimus and render we shall esteem our selves as princes." 9. Mentes. Hilgenfeld emends The sentence et into dentes.

mentes im munda tractantes et os eorum loquetur ingentia is thoroughly Hebraistic, beginning with a circumstantial clause. Cf. 1 Sam.

manus eorum

ix.

11. (See niNOtsa

239.)

et

Driver, pp. 238, DnnSi cirri

c jna

mSia nar n.rsi. * 10. Noli (tu me) tangere. So Volkmar. VIII. 1. Et (al)te(ra) veniet. So Schmidt-Merx restore. Cf. IX. 2. Hilgenfeld and Volk

mar

;

illis

et cito adveniet

ec(ce) ta(nta) veniet.

;

Fritzsche,

ira,

regem regum

potentia magna,

8. Et potabimus. SoHilgenfeld, from et putavimus. Yolkmar, si

et

qui con-

circumcisionem in cruce suspendet, 2.

celantes

abimus.

ultio

saeculo usque ad

a

duci

Nam

vinctos

in

Quae talis non fuit in illis a saeculo usque ad illud tempus oia OVK eyfrero Iv avrols euro rod ai&vos ews faelvov rov Kaipov. This clause is based on Dan. xii. 1. Cf. Jer. xxx. 7. It will be observed that a saeculo usque ad illud tempus does not agree with

=

the TTJS

LXX.

ov gyevrjOrjaav e ws

a(f>

i]/j.epas

Theodotion,

^KeLvrjs,

nor

with

yeyevrjrai eOvos ev rfi yrj e ws rov Kaipov is nearer tKeivov. to the It a diebus saecuSyriac, which lorum, which is defective here. Instead of the Massoretic nvno d,0

-^s

nn nyn iy u, our text and the Syriac imply N nn nyn iy -\y nio-D.

Now it is remarkable that, in Mt. xxiv. 21, where this verse from Daniel recurs, w e have r

same text as that presupposed by the Syriac of Daniel and by our text. Mt. practically the

xxiv. 21 runs,

d\1\j/is /u.eyd\ij, o ia,

TEXT OF

CHAPTERS

MS.

8 occidentem dicen

habebimus

tes

1}

9

81

in re

dis

.

.

.

ram ....

.

VIII. in plebem quae ta ve illis et

cubitiones et luxu

riam edentes

VIII. 2

VII. 8

et

.

.

.

s

.

.

bibentes

niet in eos ultio

Et ^mtavimus nos

ira

tanquam

fuit in illis a saeculo

piincipes

erimus* et

eorum

et

maims

vit

su

67 a circumcisionem in cruce suspendit

s ...

2 .

us

In Isa. xliii. 12, d?r dpx^s is the LXX. rendering of era. CUWPOS would have been a better rendering of the Semitic original of Mt. than KOCT/UOU. Thus there seems some connec tion between our text and Mt. xxiv. 21. On the other hand, we have in Rev. xvi. 18 an in dependent rendering of the D.

Hebrew

of

similar xxx. 7

phraseology, Dan. ix. 12

ix. 27.

;

Dan.

Nam

necantes tor

quebit et tradidit

.

ov ytyovev d?r apxys KOCT/JLOV e ws rov vvv. Here air dpx?}s /cocr/zou is probably a free rendering of

ny niD

mag

na qui confitentes

d

.

regem regum

tern a potentia

10 per dicent noli .... fcmge ne inquiries is

illis

terrae et potesta

tur ingentia et su

...

non

pus in quo suscita

eorum loque

me IOGO in quo ...

talis

usque ad ilium tern

mentes

inmunda, tractantes et os

quae

et

xii.

;

1.

For

cf.

Jer.

1

Mace.

So Ro nsch, from Potentatem. Yet potestatcm. potestatem = may rbv ^ovffid^ovra = ^ y\iyn. Potestatem a potentia niagna {

may

rbv

^ov<yi.a^ovTa

e^ovcriq.

MS.

8us2)cndct. suspendit. Illud. MS. ilium. Huscitabit. suscitavit. 2. Gelantes. So I emend necantes of MS. Hilgenfeld,

MS.

negantes

;

Schmidt-Merx,

non

Those who conceal negantes. their circumcision are set over against those who openly confess it. Or should we read (circum)secantes, or possibly secantes

.

a.

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

82

(Emended and Revised Text)

custodiam.

et

gentibus,

(in)

Et uxores eorum

3.

filii

eorum

medicis inducere acrobistiam eis

cogentur

locum

pariter

secabuntur a

pueri

4.

illis.

et

igne

Nam et

et

cogentur intrare in abditum cogentur stirnulis blasfemare

illos pariter

eorum,

et

quod haberent supra altarium suum. IX. Tune illo die erit homo de

nomen

erit

ad eos rogans in

in

idola

verbum contumeliose, novissime post haec

cujus

illi

ferro,

eorum inquinata, continentibus ea. 5. Et a

baiulare

palam

quomodo sunt torquentibus

tormentis

in

punientur

donabuntur

dels

:

2.

tribu

Taxo, qui habens VII "

Videte,

plebe altera crudelis

filii,

leges et

Levi,

filios

dicet

ecce ultio facta est

inmunda

et traductio

misericordia et eminens principatum.

3.

Quae

sine

eniin

gens, aut quae regio, aut quis populus impiorum

Dominum, qui multa

in

only,

=

Of.

1

it

is

*

those

Mace.

who circumcise." i.

61,

where

recorded that those

who

scelesta

reads dominis instead of dels.

Haupt, disdonabuntur

Et

Medicis.

which tradidit.

If the text is

we have here an instance of strong vav with the Nam celantes torqueperfect. bit et tradidit ruy D Tnoon-nw Previous editors emend fnri. tradidit into tradet. If we ably read tradibit(?). 3. Deis donabuntur (in) gentibus. MS. diisdonabuntur genSo Merx, but that lie tibus.

= 5ia8o-

MS.

adds

pueri,

omit, with SchmidtFritzsche. Secabuntur. Schmidt - Merx I

Merx and

correct,

must change, we should prob-

(

d^a-ovTai) gentibus.

did this operation were put to death.

tanta

fecerunt,

add

et venabuntur. Inducere acrobistiam. MS. inducere acrosisam. 5. Novissime post haec. These

two expressions may have arisen from two alternative renderings of the same Hebrew word or phrase. is

Leges et. MS. et leges. This the simplest and, so far as I

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTERS

duel vinctos in cus 3

IX. 3

b stimulis

blasfema

verbum contu

todiam et uxores

re

eorum

meliose novissime

1

donabun

diis

tur gentibus*

post haec et leges

Et

quod haberent su

eorum pueri

filii

pra altarium suum IX. tune illo dicente ho

secabantur a medicis pueri inducere ac 4 rosisam illis nam

mo

illi

de tribu leuui

nomen

in eis punientur in

cujus

tormentis et igne et fernr et cogen

taxo qui habens vir filios

2

tur palam bajulare idola

5

VIII. 3

eorum

erit

dicens ad eos

rogans videte

filii

ecce ultio facta est

iniqui

nata quomodo sunt pariter continen

in plebe altera cru

tibus ea et a torquen

traductio sine

delis

immunda

et

mi

emi

tibus illos pariter co

sericordia et

gentur intrare in

nent principatum

abditum locum eo

3 quae enim gens aut

rum

et

quae regio aut quis

cogentur

the most satisfactory emen dation of the text. Hilgenfeld

see,

emends

leges into legis, and takes it as genitive dependent

on qnod. Volkmar changes quod into quas.

Schmidt-Merx would

omit et leges or read (latorem

et).

et legis

Fritzsche reads et

Dicet.

dom

ii.

2.

tuum.

;

Hilgenfeld, ducente.

8,

Wis

xviii.

5

vire-

So Ronscll and Hilgenfeld, from eminent prin Schmidt-Merx and cipatum. Fritzsche,

edicenti

xi.

Emincns principatum

pe^wz/ TT]v

Die erit. So SchmidtMerx, from dicente. Volkmar, 1.

14,

dicens. eXeyxos. Cf.

(Rcrnsch).

leges et.

IX.

MS.

Traductio

ap-)(j}v.

dementia

principa-

3. Dominum. So Hilgenfeld. MS. domum.

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

84

(Emended and Revised Text)

mala passi sunt, quanta nobis contegerunt ? Nunc ergo, filii, audite me videte enim et ;

4.

scite,

temptan(te)s Deum, nee parentes (nostri), nee proavi eoruni, ut praetereant mandata Illius. 5. Scitis enim quia haec sunt vires nobis.

nunquam

quia

Et hoc faciemus. die intremus in

6.

Jejunemus

speluncam quae

triduo. et quarto est in agro est, et

quam praetereamus mandata Do 7. mini Domimorum, Dei parentum nostrorum. Hoc enim si faciemus et moriemur, sanguis noster moriamur

potius,

vindicabitur cor am Domino.

X. Et tune parebit regnum

illius in

omni creatura

Illius

Et tune Zabulus finem

Et 2.

tristitia

erit in

summo

nuntii,

constitutus,

Qui protinus vindicabit illos ab inimicis eoruin. (Exur)get enim Caelestis a sede regni sui,

Et 4.

Labi.- bit,

eo abducetur.

Tune implebuntur manus Qui

3.

cum

exiet de habitatione sancta sua

NunquamtemptantesDeum,

tavimus

is a strong measure, likewise against the

nee parentes (nostri}, nee proavi eorum. I have here added iiostri

and

with Schmidt-Merx, and emended temptans of the MS. into temptantes, as Volkmar. The

his sons to do as their fathers before them, who never tempted God nor transgressed His cornmandments. And so, in ver. 7, he urges them to die rather

construction

is

purely Semitic.

The clause = the Hebrew crx CHUN DJ irnnx D3 D nVx nx n oao. The Aramaic is similar, pan ? 1

u

emendation of temptans into temptrn

PDJD.

Hilgenfeld

s

is

context.

The speaker

than transgress. 5. Faciemus.

is

urging

Hilgenfeld

emends into faciamus. 6. Speluncam. MS. spelunca.

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTERS

domum

qui mul

7

ta scelesta fecerunt

ciemus et morie

tanta mala passi sunt

mur

9la quanta nobis contegerunt 4 Nunc ergo filii audite

me

videte enim et

scite quia

nunquam deum nee pa temptans

sanguis nos ter vindicavitur

b

coram domino

X. Et tune parebit reg num. illius in omni creatura illius

Et tune zabulus finem

eorurn ut praetere

habebit et tristitiam

scitis

cum

illius

enim quia haec

et

hoc faciemus jeju

nemus

est in

1

triduo et

nus vindicavit

potius

a sede regni sui et exiet de habita

quam

Vindicabitur.

illos

get enim caeles

3 tis

praetereamus man data domini dominorum dei 7.

cons

ab inimicis eorum

quae in

agro est et moria

mur

summo

titutus qui proti

quarto die intremus in spelunca

eo adducetur

Tune implebuntur manus nuntii qui

2

sunt vires nobis 6

fa

rentes nee proavi

ant mandata 5

X. 3

parentum nostro rum hoc enim si

populus impiorum in

IX. 4

MS.

vindi-

cavitur.

X. 1. Zabulus, i.e. diabulus. This form is frequent in the Latin lathers. Of. Lactant. De mort. pers. XVI., a te Zabulus victus est. Tristitia. MS. tristitiam. Abducdur. So Hilgenfeld and

tione sancta sua

cum

from adducetur. Volkmar, Schmidt-Merx, deducetur. The 2. Implebuntur manus. phrase T K^D means, to give full powers to. Erit. MS. est. Vindicabit. MS. vindicavit. 3.

iram.

Cum

et indignationem For the emendation of

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

86

(Emended and Revised Text) t

Cum

indignation em et irarn t propter

suos 4.

filios

:

Et tremebit

terra,

usque ad

fines

suas con-

cutietur,

5.

montes humiliabuntur

Et

alti

Et

colles concutientur et cadent.

(Et) cornua solis eonfringentur et in tenebras

convertet

se,

Et luna non dabit lumen

et tota convertet se

in sanguiuem,

Et 6.

orbis stellarum conturbabitur.

Et mare usque ad abyssum decedet, Et fontes aquarum deficient,

Et flumina exarescent this corrupt text, see exegetical note on X. 3. 4. Schmidt-Merx bracket con-

cutietur

Et

et.

alti

;

8pi)

= Kal ra v\f/-r)\a Ta-n-eivudrjafTai. This phrase is ultimately derived fromlsa. xl. 4, probably through Eth. En. i. 5. Et colles concutientur et cadent. The MS.

is here impossible et concutientur et convalles cadent. In the first place, it would be absurd to speak of the moun:

tains being shaken after they

had

already been brought low and in the next, the valleys cannot be described as falling. Con;

v-^rjKoi

(Greek Version),

on which the present passage based,

montes humilicibuntur

Kal

v\[/f]\a

fSovvol

we

is

shall see that convalles

should be

colles,

and that con-

cutientur should be connected with cadent. So Eth. En. i. 6, aei<r0rio-ovTai

This

Kal ireaovvrai.

corruption might possibly have arisen in the Latin. It is easy to explain it as a confusion of rnypn with mjn;i. 5.

(Et) cornua solis

.

.

.

in

san-guinem. The MS. reads, sol non dabit lumen et in tenebris convertent se cornua lunae et eonfringentur et tota convertit se in sanguine,

which Hilgenfeld

valles is clearly wrong, and if we turn to Isa. xl. 4, irav opos Kal fiowbs Ta.irfi.vudr)ffTa.L, and

follows, merely changing convertit in to convertet. This verse

Eth. En.

Tai

emended tenebris convertent into

diaXvOtfcroi Tai

tenebras convertet, convertit in-

i.

6,

/ecu

Kal TrevovvTou. Kal

<rei<r0ri<roi

is

clearly

corrupt.

Fritzsche

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTER 5

indignationem et iram propter filios

4 suos

sol

lunae et confringen tur et tota conver

montes

tit se

to convertet,

cadent

and omits

et before

in sanguine as marginal glosses 20. But they ii. remark that Joel ii. 31 is the source of these phrases, and

from Acts failed to

ii.

20.

They

further

object (and I believe rightly) to the expression cornua lunae,

and think that cornua belongs Hence they read et to sol. :

cornua solis confringentur et It is luna non dabit lumen. not necessary, however, to de lete the above phrases. They are well-known O.T. expres sions.

This, indeed, might favour the idea of their being glosses, but the fact that their removal would destroy the vigour of the text makes for their re tention. Hence the text requires to be dealt with differently. First of all, in tenebras convertet se is a phrase nearly alw ays used of the sun. Cf. Eccles. xii. 2 Joel ii. 31, iii. Isa. xiii. 10 15 Mt. xxiv. 29 ; Mk. xiii. 24 ; Lk. xxiii. 45 Acts ii. 20 Rev. r

;

;

;

;

;

ma

ad abyssum

re usque

Schmidt-Merx confringentur. deal drastically with the text. They omit et in tenebris convertent se and et tota convertit se

not Acts

turvavitur et

6

et concutientur et convalles

in sanguine et

orbis stellarum con

humiliabuntur

2a

con

vertent se cornua

fi

nes suas concutie tur* et alti

non dabit lumen

et in tenebris

et tremebit

terra usque ad

X. 4-6

Hence we have vi. 12, ix. 2. good grounds for connecting it with the sun in this passage, against the MS., which relates it to the moon. Secondly, the phrase non dabit lumen is not used of the sun, but of the moon Mt. only. Cf. Ezek. xxxii. 7 xxiv. 29 Mk. xiii. 24. This may be due to the paranomasia nv in the phrase in Hebrew ;

;

:

1WNV.

ITIN

Thirdly, tota con

vertet se in sanguinem is only used of the moon Joel ii. 31 Acts ii. 20 Rev. vi. 12. Finally, I accept Merx s view that cornua confringentur must be connected with sol. Hence the passage should read (Et) cornua solis confringentur :

;

;

et

tenebras

in

convertet

se

Et

luna

non dabit lumen

et tota convertet se in san

guinem. Conturbabitur, vavitur. 6.

Dccedet.

Etjontcs. Exarcscent.

MS. decedit. MS. ad fontes. So Haupt, from Cf. Test. Levi

MS. expavescent. iv.

vddruv

i;

MS. contur-

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

88

(Emended and Revised Text) 7.

Quia exurget Summus, Deus aeternus

solus,

Et palam veniet ut vindicet gentea, Et perdet omnia idola eorum. 8.

Tune

felix eris tu Istrahel,

Et ascendes supra cervices [et alas] Et implebuntur (dies luctus tui). 9.

Et

altabit te Deua,

Et

faciet te herere caelo stellarum,

f

10.

Loco habitations eorum

Et

conspicies a

surnmo

t

aquilae,

:

et

videbis inimicos

tuos in Ge(henna),

Et cognosces illos Et ages gratias et 11.

Nam

tu,

hunc librum.

et gaudebis,

confiteberis creatori tuo.

Jesu Nave, custodi verba haec et 12. Erunt enim a morte receptione

m(ea) usque ad adventum

illius

tempora

CCL quae

(erit) horum quern con 14. Ego autem ad venient donee consummentur. 15. Itaque tu, dormitionem patrum meorum earn.

fient.

13.

Et hie cursus

Jesu Nave, (confortare, et) firma te (nam te) elegit Deus esse mihi successorern ejusdem testamenti. 7. Exurget. Aeternus solus.

MS.

exurgit.

Sclimidt-Merx transpose after deus in ver. 9. 8. Implebuntur. In the lacuna already recognised by Merx

and Fritzsche, following Dr. Cheyne s apt suggestion, I have supplied dies luctus tui from Lsa. Ix. 20, where the context, as he points out, deals with Israel s glorious future on earth,

Altabit. MS. altavit. te hcrerc. Herere,

9.

Faciet

i.e.

haerere^KoXXScr^cu, which may be a rendering of yjJ or tyjj (Job xli.

16).

9-10. Loco habitationis eorum.

For

my

emendation of this

cor-

rapt text, see exegetical note on X. 9. Schmidt-Merx think the words are transposed, and write

them

as

follows

:

et

videbis

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTER

decedit ad fontes

et flumina

7

in terrain et cognos ces illos et gaudebis

expaves

cent* quia exurgit

et agis gratias et

summus deus

fiteberis creator!

solus et

aeternus

palam ve

tuo

1 1

tes et perdet

nia idola

Time

om

eorum

12 erunt enim a morte

felix eris tu is

trahel et ascendes

receptionem usque ad adventum illius

supra cervices et

tempora

13

fiunt

rum nis

.

quae

.

.

consummentur tionem patrum me 15 orum eram itaque

et cons

pi#es a surnmo et vi

inimicos tuos in terra et conspicies a summo locos haluta-

Merx,

tionis eoruni.

rrjs

10. Conspicies. MS. conspiges. Videbis. MS. vides. Ge(henna). So I emend and restore the cor

MS.

rupt text terrain. See exegetical note on X. 10 for the grounds for

MS. agis. Ages. Hilgenfeld. jam. 12. morte receptions m(ea). Volkmar and Fritzsohe,a rnorte et receptione mea Hilgen so doing. 11.

ccl

hie cursus

14 Ego autem ad dormi

loco habitatio

eorum

et

horum quern conveniunt donee

plebuntur et alta vit te deus et faciet te lierere caelo stella

10

tu jesu na

haec et hunc librum

alas aquilae et in I 9

nam

con

ue custodi verba

niet ut vindicet gen

8

89

des inimicos tuos

deficient

aquarum

X. 7-15

Nam.

A

;

feld,

a morte mea ; Schmidta receptione mea^dTro

6fJ.7)S

avaXriyews.

Fient.

So Hilgenfeld, from

fiunt.

13. Convenient. MS. con This is a peculiar use veniunt. of this word. Ronsch thinks that it represents Fritzsche emends into conticient. 14. Earn. So all editors, from eram. [J,e0ode6ov<ri.i>.

15.

(Confortare

et}

Jlnna

U

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

90

(Emended and Revised Text)

cum

XI. Et

Jesus verba Moysi tarn

audisset

(quam) omnia quae praevestimenta et procidit ad pedes

scripta in sua scriptura dixerat, scidit sibi

Monse.

cum "

2.

eo.

Quid

Et hortatus

eum Monses

et ploravit

Et respondit illi et dixit Jesus 4. domine Monse ? et quo genere

3.

me

est

:

Solaris,

solabor de qua locutus es voce acerba quae exivit

de ore tuo, quae est plena lacrimis et gemitibus, 5. (Sed ec)quis quia tu discedis de plebe ist(a) ? locus recipiet (jam) te

mentum sepulturae ? tuum transferre inde 8.

6. Aut quod erit monuAut quis audebit corpus homo de loco in locum ?

?

7.

ut

Omnibus enim morientibus secus aetatem sepul

sole usque ad ad fines aquilonis usque

oriente

So I have restored te}. with Schmidt-Merx. For firma the MS. reads forma. The text here unquestionably goes back

(nam

addressed Joshua in Dent. xxxi. See Josh. i. 6, 7. 6, 7, 23 This critical note on I. 10. phrase is of frequent occurrence later, 1 Chron. xix. 13. xxii. 13, 2 Chron. xxxii. 7 ; xxviii. 20 Dan. x. 19, xi. 1 1 Mace. ii. 64 ; ;

;

;

1

Cor. xvi. 13.

For forma Hilgenfeld reads presumably meaning firmare Volkmar, firma te. XI. 1. Moysi = Volkmar adds dicta Tarn. firma,

;

M.<avffij.

quam.

nam

tua sepultura ab occidentem et ab austro

turae suae sunt in terris

;

:

omnis

terrarum

orbis

have added quam Schmidt-Merx and Fritzsche add it after omnia. Hilgenfeld makes no addition, (Quam}.

I

after scriptura

;

MS.

Praedixerat.

praedix-

erant.

Monse.

MS.

gives

meos.

but see Schmidt-Merx, Mose crit. note on III. 11. Volkmar, Moysis Hilgenfeld, Mosis. 2. Hortatus est = Trape/cdAecre. Eum. So Ronsch, Hilgenfeld and Schmidt-Merx, from cum. Monses. MS. Monse. Fritzsche Moyses. So solabor. 4. Solaris Schmidt-Merx and Hilgenfeld, celabor. from MS. celares ;

;

;

.

.

.

.

.

.

TEXT OF lOO&tu

MS.

CHAPTER

jesu naue forma te

crimis et gemitibus quia tu discedis de

elegit deus esse mini

successor em ejusdem

XL testamenti

1

et

cum

audisset jesus verba

I

plebe

5

quis locus recipit ....

6

te aut

nia

om

7

2

8

cum monse ploravit cum eo illi

4 dixit iesus quid lares et

Omnibus enim mori entibus secus aeta tern sepulturae su

ae sunt in terris

et

me

tuum traws homo

de loco in locum

ad pe

tus est et

sepul

turae aut quis aude

ferre in eut

des meos et horta

3 Et respondit

mo

erit

quod

vit corpus

quae praedixerant vestimen

scidit sibi

ta et procidit

ist

numentum

moysi tarn scripta in sua scriptura

XI. i-S

nam

ce

domine monse

tua sepultura

ab oriente sole usque ad occidentenr et

quo //enere cela

bor de qua locutus est voce acerva que

ab austro usque ad fi nes aquilonis omnis

exivit de ore tuo

orbis terrarum se

quae

est plena la

Volkmar, zelaris Quid me Solaris

.

TL

/u.e

pulcrum

.

.

.

.

.

zelabor.

solabor =

TrapeKaXfls Kal TIVL rpbirtg

ND ?

restore.

Hilgenfeld ist(a modo) Volkmar, ist(a multa) SchmidtMerx, ist(a et jam) Fritzsche,

;

;

;

1

ist(a

verum).

llecipiet (jam}.

De quo.

Volkmar, Schmidt-

Merx, and Fritzsche emend into de qua. Es.

MS.

est.

Acerba quae. MS. acerva que. 5. Ist(a. Sed ec)quis. So I

tuum

est

So

I

restore

with Fritzsche. Hilgenfeld, Schmidt-Merx, cipiendi ;

re-

re-

cipiet (mine). 7.

Inde

Audebit. ut.

in eut.

MS.

audevit.

So Gutschmidt, from

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

92

(Emended and Revised Text)

nutriet

10.

?

et quis eis

illis,

orabit

quis

Domine,

9.

istam

plebem

miserebitur

Aut

tuum.

est

sepulcrum

pro

?

12.

Quomodo

tanquam pater unicum filiarn

dux

nee

eis,

quidem diem, ut inducam

vorum

Aut

abis, et

quis

erit in via

in

ergo potero

qui 11.

?

unum

ne

patiens

illos

quis

est

terrain

ata-

plebem hanc

filium, aut tanquam domina

virginem, quae paratur dari viro,

quem

timebit,

corpus custodiens ejus a sole et ne (sint) scalciati 13. (Et pedes ejus ad currendum supra terram. qui) [de voluntate eorurn] praestabo illis ciborum

potui secus voluptatem voluntatis

et

9. Abis. So Schmidt-Mere and Hilgenfeld, from ab his.

Nutriet. 11

.

MS.

nutrit.

unum diem

Nee patiens ne

= ovde Now

Trapieis 7rapie/s

ovdefj-iav

=

rj/J-epav.

"permitting"

The Latin or omitting. translator wrongly followed the "

"

former

Hence

meaning.

for

read praetermittens. patiens Hence there is no need to sup pose a confusion of TCO.G-XWV and irap7]ffwv

with

Fritzsche,

or

regard patieus as a corruption of fatiscens with

Schmidt-Merx.

For unum, MS. reads uno. and Diem. Hilgenfeld into Schmidt-Merx change die.

Atavorum. So Ronsch, from araborum. Cf. I. 8. Schmidtabavorum Merx, Ewald, ;

Amorreorum. 12. Potero plebem hanc.

This take to be = dwaarevcrb) rbv nin \abv TOVTOV cya WDK. I

is

a

rendering

of

eorum

14.

?

hvo in the LXX., and in 1 Chron. xvi. 21 and Dan. xi. 4 governs an accusative. Here, as in ver. 11, we have to render not the Latin word before us, but the Greek, which it presupposes. In ver. 17 we have to resolve the difficulty similarly.

For

ergo potero, Hilgeufeld suggested regere potero, then He also suggests ego potero. that potero may be corrupt for Volkmar thinks that procure.

first

potero rupt for

dwijaofj-ai, Tjyrjcro{ji,ai

which

or

According to Ronsch

is

cor

65~r]yr)(rofjLai.

(Z.f.

W. T.

1868, p. 105), potero = 5 vvarrio-u or dwaarevcrw, (Z.f. W.T. 1869, or 5w?7cro/zcu 226-228), pp.

Domina filiam virginem. So emend filiam dominam virgi nem. Volkmar took Kvplav = begotten of his own body, Merx but this is impossible. reads filia dominam virginem. Fritzsche, tiliam domina virgiI

TEXT OF 9

domine ab

MS.

CHAPTER

lis

et

ro quae timebat cor

pus custodiet ejus a sole et ne scalcia

il

dux

eis

quis

erit

in via aut quis ora bit pro eis

1

pedes ejus ad cur

ti

13 rendtim supra

nee pati

ens ne uno quidem diem ut inducam il

ram

los in terrain ara

praestabo

voluntatis

tanquam pa unicum filium

b erant

If we could reject the second tanquam, we might then take dominam to be a rendering of Kvpiav, and this in turn to be a

Xrjfj.wv Kal

The sense corruption of upaiav. then would be admirable, as a father (his) only son or his

drjvat,

nem.

"

comely virgin-daughter. Darl viro. So I emend .

/cat

avopl avver(2

These words dupr/aac avrrjv. were most probably before the writer, as he has clearly drawn

upon

24, Trpocrex

T V o w^uari

Volkmar reads

(nup)t(i)-

vii.

O.VTUV.

Schmidt-Merx, thalamo viri Rbnsch, tradi viro. Quern timebat. So Rbnsch, from quae timebat, comparing Ecclus. xxvi. 28 (MSS. H., 248 ali viro

;

;

;

Vers.

C

milia*

nam

and Arab.), which

seems to have been in the mind of the writer:

dvydrtjp de

eva-

rbvavopa efTpatrrjO eTai. Ronsch thus restores the Greek jrapdevov TrapaaKeva^o^vrjv e/cooavopl ov evrpairrjcrfTai. 13.

tali

Cf. Ecclus. vii. 25, eicdov .

Syr.

eorum

enim illorum

14

aut tanquam filiam

.

illis ci

cus voluntatem

haiic

Ovyartpa

de vo

borurn et potui se

ergo potero plebem

viro.

ter

luntatem eorum

12 borunr quomodo

ter

tali vi

quae paratur

est

qui miserebitur

99

93

dominam virginem

his

Et quis nutrit plebem 10 istam aut quis

XI. 9-14

(Etqui).

Schmidt

Merx

So Volkmar and

the supply lacuna Hilgenfeld, quid. I have [De voluntate eorum]. bracketed this phrase as a dittograph y. vul untatis tfcctis I olupiatem co? w?;z- = cjiin Cf. Ephes. snD. i. 5. MS. secus voluntatem voluntatis eorum. Other editors read secus voluntatem voluptatis eorum. So Hilgenfeld 14. \Viri\ supplies the lacuna, comparing -

;

f

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

94

(Emended and Revised Text)

enim illorum

(Viri)

erunt (D)C

tantum increverunt in

in

Mouse.

aut

Et quae

15.

intellectus in

mihi

est

domo (Domini)

respondere

?

milia,

nam

aut

sapientia

verbis

aut judicare

16. Sed et reges

Amorreorum

turn audebunt expugnare nos, (et) credentes

non

esse t

non

consummatum in

esse

inimici

Si

17.

dicent

eis,

impie

;

;

erant.

have supplied

I

(D)

from

xii. 37.

So Hilgenfeld, orevenmt. Ronsch

qui

emends qui into quidein. Hence in tantum quidem = eis roaovrov Tl.

15. (Domini). So, rightly, former editors supply the lacuna in the MS. 16. Turn audebunt expugnare nos. So I emend cum audierint

expugnare nos. This, I think, gives the right sense to expug nare nos, making nos the object of expugnare. This thought is put into the mouths of the Amorites at the close of the verse

Merx

:

eamus ad eos. Schmidtadd audebunt after

audierint

:

cum

audierint aude

bunt expugnare nos.

verbi,

doctorem jam ad eos.

Eamus

:

semel

adhuc

in

Non esse semet. Hilgenfeld takes semet = cavrov, corrupt for Hence non esse semet eavruv. derived from oike n dvai is eavruiv

= was no longer amongst

them."

Increverunt.

from

saeculo

fecerunt

Exod. xii. 37 Volkmar, copia Schmidt-Merx, numerus. So Fritzsche, from Erunt.

Exod.

in

dominum

per orbem terrarum

omnia, divinum

in

profetem,

jam

semet t sacrum spiritum dignum Domino,

multiplicem et incompraehensibilem, fidelem

isti

orationibus, domine

tiiis

= avT6v,

Volkmar regards semet corrupt for avrbv, i.e.

emends it Schmidt-Merx into semen, and Ronsch into senem. Schmidt - Merx supply in eis before semen. Semet is corrupt, I think, for secum = avrols,

Moses.

"Wieseler

into semel,

<rvv

a

miswriting

of

avv

O.VTOIS.

Thus non esse cum eis is the same practically as the phrase at the close of the verse, non esse in eis.

Jam non esse in eis. Merx

brackets.

Schmidt-

Dicent.

MS.

dicens. 17. Inimici. Schmidt-Merx, enim ei. Mouses Quomodo ferebat magnus nuntius. So I emend quomodo Monse erat magnus

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTER

multiplicem et in

mon

orationibus domine se

-

et

quae

conpraehensibilem

dominum

mihi

est

sapientia aut intelle lectus in

in

domo ....

omnia divinum

per orbem terra

aut respondere

amor

et reges

reorum cum audie

non

expugnare nos credentes jam non

cens

rint

17

sacrum

esse semet ;

Moses

quomodo

must be connected non est defensor :

erat

either with "they

no advocate like unto

have

Moses";

or with qui ferat pro eis praeces "to olfer prayers for them as :

Moses

If

offered."

we pursue

must course, we emend erat into ferebat. Then quomodo Mouses ferebat praeces it^n. This will ?sn NBO the

latter

=m

I

l

nts>D

But the

have done above.

latter able.

course "No

may

be

advocate like

prefer Moses"

more suitable to the context. Hence the error originated with the Greek translator, who

is

misrendered unto "like

have

failed to

culty.

IN^EH n&3 = Moses the great Previous editors

Vmn

messenger."

remark

esse in eis di

Eamus ad

e

os si inimici impie

fecerunt semel ad

nuntius for the reading of the MS. does not give the sense re The quired by the context.

words

verbi fidelem

rum profetam con summatum in sae culo doc tor em jam

verbis aut judicare

16 sed

95

spiritum dignum domino

in tan turn qui creverunt in tuis

isti

15

XI. 15-17

this

diffi

Intuens potentem omnis orb is terrarum cum misericordia. The

MS. gives the corrupt text, intuens homini potentem orbem terrarum cum misericordia. First of all, cum misericordia is an adverbial phrase clearly Hence potentem. to be regarded as a participle governing orbem and

qualifying

potentem

is

qualified by cum misericordia. It is thus obvious that homini

cannot be compounded with it. It can only then belong to orbem terrarum.

Hence we must read

either oninem orbem terrarum or omnis orbis terrarum. The text thus runs intuens poten tem omnis orbis terrarum cum misericordia ^/tj8X^7rwi els rbv dwaarevovTa wavrbs TOV /c6cr/xou :

=

ev

e\v)[j,oavi>r}

= Whon

D Drra aViyn SDTIN.

Vy

nyw

See note on

For Greek potero in XL 12. expressions justifying the above.

ASSUMPTIONIS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

96

(Emended and Revised Text)

Dominum suum, non eis

pro

est defensor

qui ferat

illis

praeces Domino, quomodo Monses ferebat

magnus nuntius, qui

diebus

horis,

singulis

et

noctibus, habebat genua sua infixa in terra, orans

potentem omnis

intuens

et

misericordia

et

Non

:

placando Dominum.

net plebi

cum

est

confundamus eos a

facie

eis

cum

5

18.

eamus itaque

:

19.

terrae.

domine Monse

isti,

terrarum

reminiscens testamentum

justitia,

et jurejurando

parentum Dicent enim

orbis

et

Quod ergo

"

?

XII. Et postquam finivit verba Jesus, iterum 2. Et Monses prendit procidit ad pedes Monsi.

manum

ipsius et erexit ilium in cathedra ante se, et

respondit et dixit

Omnes

ii.

7,

rbv

arisen from the corruption of hy into *?D.

.

7rdo"r]S

Ezra

5vvd/j.eii)s

viii.

13,

SwaareiW

(9eos.

6

dwaaTevovra; ra iravra

Reminiscens = o.vo.^i^vi](rK.(jiv. So Rb nsch points out (Z.f. IV. T.

aTrdfftjs

TTJS

rQ>

KTto-ews dwacrrevovTi ..

;

v.

7,

1874, p. 562).

Previous editors tried

ways

et

gentes quae sunt in orbe terrarum Deus

3 Mace.

cf.

3.

:

securum

sed praebe te

many

of emendation, of which are best Hilgenfeld,

the intuens

Jesu, te ne contemnas, adtende verbis meis. 4. "

illi

:

omnipotentem

orbem

terrarum, which, he thinks, implies eiaopCov TOV iravra KparIs this conovvra TOV Koff^ov. ceivable ? Schmidt-Merx, intuens omni potent(ia tenent)em

orbem terrarum

arevio-as TTO.VTL

KDn KT\ Aramaic, ^n It is possible KD^V nnx m ?. that omnem does not belong to It may have the text at all.

ffdevei

"733

1

Placando

=

placans.

note on poenas in V. 5.

critical

18.

Confundamus.

See

accipiendo

We

must

here translate, not the Latin word, but the Greek (rvyxeufAev,

which

it

implies.

Facie.

MS.

faciae.

XII. 2. Monses. MS. Monse. 3. lesu te ne. So Hilgenfeld,

from lesus et Merx, lesu, set 4.

Ut

ne. ne.

Orbe.

MS.

nos.

So

Schmidt-

ore.

Rb nsch, from

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTERS

dominum suum

hue

in

non

est defensor

illis

qui ferat pro

eamus itaque fundamus

b

ergo

magnus nunti

bebat genua sua in

manum dra ante

Et

res

pondit et dixit

illi

nas sed praebe te securum et adten

reminiscens

testamentum pa

4 de verbis meis

rentunr et jure 8

se*

3 iesus et ne contem

sericordia et jus

1

ipsius et e

rexit ilium in cathe

potentem orbem terrarum cum mi

titia

plebi isti

Et monse prendit

2

orans

homini

et intuens

fiet

ba iesus iterum pro cidit ad pedes monsi

qui singulis horis diebus et noctibus ha us*

fixa in terra

con

et

eos a fa

XII. domine monse et post quam finivit ver

quomodo monse erat

97

19 ciae terrae quod

praeces domino

eis

XII. 4

XI. 18

om

jurando placando

nes gentes quae sunt

domiiium dicent enim

in ore terrarum

non et et

est ille

nos. nos.

cum

deus creavit et nos

eis

Schmidt-Merx, Hilgenfeld

(illos)

connects

nos with praevidit. SchmidtMerx omit the following illos et nos.

Usque ad. from ut ad. Fracxidit

et

So

Gutschmidt,

promovit ciwictct. So I emend praevidit et provovit cum eis for in connection with praevidit we require another verb expressive of action, as ;

7

in the preceding words, creavit praevidit, and in the clause immediately subsequent, providit et ecce aufertur (i.e. atfertur). Foreknowledge and action, or thought and actuality, are one in the divine mind. Volkmar reads praevidit et .

.

.

Schmidtpronovit cum eis Merx, praenovit et providit cunctis Hilgenfeld, praevidit et pronovit cunctis, ;

;

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA

98

(Emended and Revised Text)

ut

creavit

illos

nos, praevidit

ab

nos

et

initio

creaturae orbis terrarum usque ad exitum saeculi, et nihil est

ab eo neglectum usque ad pusillum, sed

omnia praevidit et promovit cuncta. omnia quae futura essent

5.

minus

Do-

(Et)

hoc

in

orbe

terrarum providit et ecce affertur (in lucem.

Dominu)s me eorum (orarem)

constituit et

eis

ut

pro eis.

in(plorare(m) pro

meam

enim propter

pro

virtutem

aut

6.

peccatis

Non

7.

[injfirimtatem,

sed temperantius misericordiae ipsius et patientia

contegerunt mihi.

8.

Dico enim

Jesu

tibi,

Non

:

propter pietatem plebis hujus exterminabis gentes. 9.

a

Lumina caeli fundamenta orbis facta et probata Deo et sub annulo dexterae Illius sunk 10.

Volkmar and Hil5. (Et). genfeld supply the lacuna with deus Fritzsche, with ut. So Volkmar, from Affertur. ;

aufertur. 5-6. (In lucem i.e. in lucem dns.

Dominu)s, So I supply the lacuna, but there seems to be a large gap here in the work, .

.

.

though the MS. gives no hint of it.

Hilgenfeld (itaque

Volkmar

(sic (is

Dmn)s

;

dmfi)s.

Volkmar, from et. So supplied by (Orarem). Volkmar. So Ronsch. Jm(pl)orare(m). 6.

Ut.

Volkmar 7.

in(pr)ecare(r).

[Iii] firmitatem.

I

have

bracketed the in as an intrusion: the context this. requires

Schmidt mea.

-

Merx,

in

meam

virtutem aut

firmitatem we expect an expression of God s will or purpose not my worth, but God s purNow, if we repose or call. :

translate ur text into Hebrew, shall find that the Hebrew thus arrived at furnishes the meaning we are in search of. First of all, temperantius =

we

^Trteu ws. Now, in the only two passages in the canonical books of the LXX. where ^TneiKwj occurs, it is a translation of W\

Sam.

1

xii.

^Trtei/cws

22,

Kijpiot

TrpocreAd/Sero v/j.as eavrt^ els =&jh i? nnriN mbyS M ^ Kin ;

\a6i>

and

2 Kings vi. 3, /cal elirev 6 efy ^TneiKws 5eOpo = NJ Win nnwn nDK i 1

firmitate

Over against

Temperantius.

non propter

I

?!.

Thus temperantius

cordiae ipsius

,

.

,

niiseri-

contigerunt

TEXT OF

MS.

CHAPTER

propter

tutem aut infirmi

turae orbis terra

tatenr sed tempe

rum

rantius misericor

1

ut ad exitum

eo neglectum us

entia contegerunt

mihr

8

sed omnia praevidit

gentes omnia caeli

I 9

firmamenta

orbe terrarum pro vidit et cccc aufcr

.

.

tuit

.

.

pro

eorum

et in eis*

.

.

.

et sub nullo dexte

10 Facientes itaque

pro pec .

ccare

.

ta ei crescunt et bo

.

nam viam

non enim

"\~iDn

YIIN Nipi

*?

from omnia.

Here

Nin.

we must

either change mpi into Nnpn, and translate "He was pleased to make his compassion light upon me," or else insert 3 or D before non, and then we have, "He was pleased to call me in His compassion dignatus est vocare me in misericordia ipsius. "

PaUenlia.

We

=

should

Lumina.

Hilgenfeld,

Fundamenta. So from firmanenta.

fr<jm

nullo.

Jer.

xxii.

Ronf- ch 24,

Hilgenfeld,

compares

&irocr^>pdyi<rfj.a

T^J X P (Dmn) pov, Ecclus. xlix. 11. eiri

S

L

T7? s

Se^ids

Schmidt-

Merx propose umbra. 10.

Crescent

.

Schmidt -Merx, So

exigunt

Schmidt- Merx read, omnia enim fundamenta orbis. Et probuta. MS. ut provata. So Gutschmidt, Annulo.

add

ipsius. 9.

et con

summantes manda

.

JJ.OL

avrov

fac deo

rae illius sunt

consti

eis et

pro

catis .

me

s

.

orbis

ta ut provata a

......

tur

non propter

jus exterminabis

.

.

ti

pie tatem plebis hu

dns omnia quae futura essent in hoc

eis

enim

dico

bi iesu*

cum

et provovit

vir

diae ipsius et pati

que ad pus ilium

7

meam

praevidit illos et

97 a ab

6

99

nos ab initio crea

saeculi et nihil est

5

XII. 5-10

.

,

.

exigunt,

.

.

So exigent. crescunlf

from

ioo

ASSUMPTIONS MOYSI FRAGMENTA (Emended and Revised Text)

Facientes itaque crescent

consummantes mandata

et

bonam

et

vitam

peccantibus et neglegentibus

quae praedicta sunt, tormentis

:

12.

extinguat eos

Nam

mandata carebunt bona

punientur a gentibus multis (ut) in totum exterminet et

et

Nam

fieri

11.

exigent:

Dei

non

potest.

13. Exibit

enim

Deus qui praevidit omnia in saecula, et stabilitum testamentum Illius et jusjurandum quod

est

11.

So Carebunt bona. from carere bonam.

Fritzsche,

Yolkmar, carent bona

ea.

12.

(Ut).

Added by Volkmar

and Schmidt-Merx. Extinguat.

So

I

emend

relin-

TEXT OF 11

nam

MS.

CHAPTER

peccantibus et

tibus multis

2

tis

fieri

non

man

13 potest exivit enim deus qui praevidit

quae praedicta sunt Et puniei^r a //en 1

quat eos

101

bonam

neglegentibus

data carere

XII. 11-13

tormen

*nam in toturn ex

om

nia in saecula et sta

bilitum est testa

mentum

illius

et

jurejurando quod

terminet et relin quat, which has after exterminet. 13. Exibit. So

no meaning

Jusjurandum jurando.

Volkmar and

Schmidt-Merx, from

exivit.

.

MS.

jure-

ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

WE

have already seen in the Introduction (pp. xlv-1) good grounds for regarding the Latin Fragment, i.e. the so-called Assumption of Moses, as constituting originally not "The Assumption," but "The Testament of Moses." We further learnt that this Fragment shows traces of

by means of which this Testament was adapted and combined with another document. For the leading characteristic of this latter document we are already prepared through the insertion in X. 12, which shows that it was the editor s intention to add to the "Testa ment" thus edited The Assumption of Moses." Of this editing,

to

"

original Assumption of Moses, thus foreshadowed in X. 1 2, not a single line has survived in the Latin Fragment ; but it is not entirely lost to us, for some of its most remark

able passages have been preserved in Greek in St. Jude and several of the patristic writers. From these scattered quotations and references we are able in some degree to restore the order of its thought, and in part its actual phraseology in one or more of its most important sections.

the surviving Greek fragments, give in extenso presently, the order of

Now, judging from which we

shall

105

ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

106

the action in the original Assumption was probably as follows

:

is commissioned to bury Moses Satan opposes his burial, and that on two grounds (a) First, he claims to be the lord of matter (hence the body rightfully should be handed over to him).

Michael

i.

:

ii.

To for

Michael rejoins

this claim

it

was God

mankind."

of matter.)

"

:

The Lord rebuke

thee,

Spirit that created the world and all (Hence not Satan, but God was the Lord s

(b)

Secondly, Satan

murder against Moses.

the charge of

brings

(The answer to this charge

is

wanting.) iii.

Having rebutted Satan

proceeds to charge to

Adam and

tempt

s

accusations, Michael then

Satan with having inspired the serpent Eve.

Finally, all opposition having been overcome, the Assumption takes place in the presence of Joshua and iv.

A

twofold presenta Caleb, and in a very peculiar way. tion of Moses appears one is Moses living in the which is carried to heaven the other is the ; spirit," up "

:

dead body of Moses, which the mountains. This sketch tions

is

founded, as

is

we have

and references occurring

quent writers.

We

shall

buried in the recesses of

now

in

observed, on quota Jude and subse

St.

reproduce

it

in the actual

phraseology of these writers. i.

TcXeurr/o-ai/Tos

Mt^a^X ii. "

(a)

TOO

opa

Mwvo-ews

6

d/o^ayyeAos

O ovv Sia/3oAo5 avT^i^f. ^eXoov aTrar^crat, Xeyan> art* 6 Se EjuoV eori TO o-oj/xa, obs TT)S v\r)$ <5eo-7rooi/Ti."

ap^ayyeXo? o~ot

iv

dTroo-TeXXeTeu /xera^rycrwv TO o-w/xa.

T<3

Kvptos* aTTO

Sia/3oXa>

yap

Tn/ev/xaTos dytov avrov

fj.V KO.I OLTTO 7rpoo-(07rov

6 Kooyxos

eyei/eTO."

SiaKpivoyueyos tiire

Tov

eov tf)\0e TO

(6) (ToTe) 6 Sia/3oXos

TTi/cv/xa

avrov,

ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION OF MOSES TOV

Oia

Marucrr/s*

TOV

ecrriv 6 AtyuTiTtov <ovov, (Aeycov) Sta TOVTO ov o-vyxcopeirai avrw Tir^etv r^s evvo/xov <ovei>s

Tore o dp^ayyeAos Mi^ar/A Sta/3oAa) StaAeyo/xevos wore amov yevecr$ai r^s eveTTvevo-as TOV

iii.

TO>

etTrev

o<tv

"]$-u

vrapayScxcrecos

rov ASa^u, Kat

TT^S

Eva?.

Kat rov Moovo-ea dvaXa/x^avo/xevov SITTOV

IV.

6 TOV Nav?;, Kat TOV /xev /XCT dyyeAcov, TOV 8e

Tas

107

eTSev 6

K^Setas d^tovyctevov.

<apayyas

cTSev

e^rt TO, op>;

I^o-ovs T^/V

KaTW Trvev/xaTi evrap^ei? o~vv /cat TW XaAe/3. The passages from which we have constructed this sketch

TavT-rjv

After each passage I enclose in brackets to what part of the above recon

are as follows.

numbers which show

struction the passage in question belongs.

Jude

St.

Be

6

9.

SiaK/nvojuevos

/3oAa>

6 d/^ayyeAos,

Mt^a^X

TOV

SieAeyeTO Trepl

/

OVK

erdA^cre

/?Aacr077/xt a5,

CTreveyKetv

/cptcrtv

Kvptos (ii.(a)). Clement of Alexandria (Flor. EtKOTCos apa Kat TOV

15.

I^crovs 6 TOV

SITTOV etSev

TOV Se

e?rt

eTSev 8e

o~w^taTos,

dAA

et-Trev,

o-ot

E7rtTi/xr;o-at

vi.

6Ve TO) Sia-

Mwo"ews

TO.

optfj

"I^erovs

Nav^, Kat TOV

Trepl TO,?

TT)V

190-203

Mwvaea

</>dpayyas

$eav ravr-^v

Strom.

A.D.),

dvaAa/x^8avo/>tevov fj.lv

fj.fr

dyyeAcov,

K^Seta? atotyx,evov.

KCLTCO, vrvev/xaTt

eTrapOels

XaAe/3 dAA ov^ o/xot oos a/x^xo ^eoovTat. dAA 6 Kat Oarrov KarrjXOev, TroAu TO /3pWov eTrayo/xevos 6 Sc

cruv /cat TOJ /xev

vcTTepov TT/V oo^av Si^yerro, ^v [email protected] 8ta^p^o~at

aTe Kat Ka^apwT^pos yevo/xevo?

/xaAAov Oarepov, .

.

.

8^Aoi;o-r/5,

OLfJLOil,

TT}?

i(TTOptas,

/xr;

TrdvTtov

etvat

T-^V

yvtocrtv (iv.).

Adumbrat. Clementinum,

cum

in

Ep.

p.

84).

Judae "

(Zahn s Supplementum Quando Michael archangelus

diabolo disputans altercabatur de corpore

Hie contirmat Assumptionem Moysi (ii.). Origen (185-254 A.D.). Prindp. iii. >e

2.

Moysi."

1

(Lorn-

ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION

loS

OF"

MOSES

Et primo quidem in Genesi matzsch, xxi. 303, 304). Evam seduxisse describitur, de quo in Adscensione serpens Mosis, cujus libel li meminit

in

epistola

sua apostolus

Michael archangelus cum diabolo disputans de corpore Mosis ait, a diabolo inspiratnm serpentem causam Judas,

exstitisse praevaricationis

In Josuam

horn.

Adae

et

Evae

(iii.).

1

(Lommatzsch, xi. 22). Denique et in libello quodain, licet in canone non habeatur, Kefertur enim mysterii tamen hujus figura describitur. quia duo Moses videbantur, unus vivus in spiritu, alius mortuus in corpore. In quo hoc est nhnirum quod adumii.

si intuearis literam legis inanem et vacuam omnibus quae superius memoravimus, ipse est Moses mortuus in corpore. Si vero potes removere legis vela-

bratur, quia

ab

iis

men, et intelligere, quia lex spiritualis est, iste est Moses, qui vivit in spiritu (iv.). Didymus Alex. (309-394). In Epist. Judae Enarratio BiUiotheca Patrum,

(Gallandi, to

Jude

9,

plationis

writes

Didymus

praescribunt

Assumptioni propter Archangeli de

:

vi.

praesenti

eum locum

corpore

307).

In reference

Adversarii hujus contemepistolae

et

Moyseos

ubi significatur verbum

Moyseos ad diabolum

factuni

(ii.(a)).

A

Evodius, contemporary of Augustine. Epist. ad ugustin. 258, vol. ii. p. 839, Ben. ed. 1836. Quanquam et in

apocryphis et in secretis ipsius Moysi, quae scriptura caret auctoritate, tune cum ascenderet in montem ut moreretur, vi corporis efficitur, ut aliud esset quod terrae Sed mandaretur, aliud quod angelo comitanti sociaretur.

non

satis

urget

me apocryphorum

praeferre sententiam

superioribus rebus definitis (iv.). Severus, Patriarch of Antioch (512-519).

illis

Cat. in Epist. CathoL, p. 160). viol s lorparj\ KOL TOVTO vTroocl^ai

BovAo/xevos 6 <ka

(Cramer, eos rots

trw/xariKov TVTTOV TWOS,

ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION OF MOSES ev rrj

7rap(TKvaa-V fjiovs

M

rov

avroTs 7rpo9 rrjv

cover

eo>9

ra(j)fj

rov

7reptcrToXr)T>

<fravr)vat

ovra

dXXa TW Kvptw

evrtTt/x^o-at,

Kvpto?

(i.

and

tKetvov

20 (Fabricius,

II.

rw Sia^SoXw Xeyet

a^rou Travre? eKrur^/xev

OTTOTJ

aTTOKpvcfiOL,

009

yap

i.

col.

TTtpt

j3L/3X.oi,

at

Iov8a tTrtcrroX^ rov Mwucrea)? o"ojp,aros Kat ev^a

a)9

8rj\0i

CK 7raXata9

Kat

ry

TOI;

iSou K^pto9

rpa^9,

C^af/ioZ.,

r^X 6

Trycv/zaros

1313).

e^9 (i.-iv.). The following anonymous writings

ycro

Ev

844). d

Mwvcrew? ^trav Kat dXXat

Kat Trept

StSacrKet

fjLfj.vrjraL

d?ro

i.

6

(ii.(a)).

Apollinarius (Catena Niceph. ort Kat ev rot? ^pdvots et(Tti/

crot

ii.).

AvaAi^eoos Mwvcrecos Mt^ar)\

8e

8taA.eyop,evo<?

vw

roiv oXcav Trapa-

Kat ctTrev eTrtri/x^crat

KptVeo>9,

Acta Synodi Nicaen. /5t^3Xto)

tv rrj

rov Trovrjpbv

7rpoo"V7ravT^crat

Kar ?

6<f>6aX-

Kai TOVTW rov Mt^aiyX ayaOov Kat ytxry Kat d7rocro/3f)O a.i

Kat avrLirpdrrovra

ayyeXov

VTT

crc6//,aTO9 /cat rrjv

yrj ve/jLO[jLLo~iJivr]V Kar6.6f.o~iv, avOLO~rdfJivov oocrTrep oatfj.ova

109

are

160-163.

pp.

^et

Kat TO

from Cramer P. 160.

6

s

Se

dp^dyyeXo9, ort rw Sta^oXw StaKpu/o/xevo9 SieXerov Ma)vcrea)9 o-w/xaro9 Kat ra e^9. AetKv^o-t

Kat TT)V TraXataj/ a-v/JL^wvovcrav rrj KainrJ, Kat eov evo9 6 $eX<ov 8eSo/>uva9 aTrar^crat, ort yap 8td/3oXo9 dvret^e t<^

e/xov

TO

0)9

o-aijaa

TOV dyyeXov TO

TOJV 7rvev//aTO)V Kat

P.

161.

T^9

t

X )79

cTrtTt/xr^crat 7racr>79

AeyeTat 6

Kvpto9

Trept

TOI)

TT;V

TOV

8ta/?oXou

Ta</>r;v

Mwvo-a)9

7rpo9

w,era^7o"oov

ej/

TO

TO>

opa

a"o).a

Ma)vo-ea)9,

6 Mt^ar/X

*Ta TOV StaSoXov

rov TO

TraTtt^at

TOV

TOVTO

ii.).

P. 163. TXeuTTyo-avT09 a7roo~TeXXerai

TOVTCO-TI 6 Kvpto9

o-apKO9 (ii.(a)).

Mt^a^X

vat (i.

Kat rjKOvo-e Trapa

SCO-TTO^OVTI

o-ot

AtyvTTTiOK,

OUK

evyKa>v

Tryv

KaT*

KO.TO.

i

ORIGINAL ASSUMPTION OF MOSES

io

6 ayyeAos,

(3\ao-(f>r)fjLiav

"

and ii. (i. The next two scholia on Jude 9 were

Sia/SoAov

e<>7

"

eVmjU/tyo-at CTOL 6

eos

Trpos TOV

(?>)).

first

printed by

C. F. Matthaei (Sept. Epp. CathoL, Riga 1782, pp. 238,

239), the Aerat

from D, an llth century MS. TeAomjopa Majvcrew? 6 ap^ayyeXos Mt^ar^X avroo TeA-

first

cravTos ev TCO

yaera^7yo"Ci)v

TO

6 ovV StdjSoX

o"w/xa.

ort e/xov TO

Aeywv

aTrar^crai,

o-co/x,a

wg

TT}?

oia TO TraTa^at TOV AtyuTTTtov /?Aao~<j6 )y/xoi)vTos KaTa TOV ou Kat cxyi dvayopevo-avTOS, /AT) vey/cwv TT/J/ KaT* awoi)

T/TOI

<^>ovea

o ayyeAo?

j3\.acr(^r]/jLLav

SiafioXov

^77

(i.

and

ii.

"

ETTiTi/x^crat o~ot o

(a) + (&)).

It

eos,"

Trpos rov

was Ronsch that

drew attention to this and the next scholion. The second scholion is from (Ecumenius (in. Epist. Jud., circ. 990), which Matthaei (I.e.) edited from a 12th or 13th century MS. H. AeyeTcu 6 Mt^a^A rrj TOV first

evai Ta<f>fj,

TOV 8ta^8oAov Trpos

TOIJTO

a

and ii.). (i. Finally, (Ecumenius (Comm. in Ep. Jud., p. 340, cited by Volkmar). 17 8e Trepc TOV Mwuo-eoj? crw/xaTos KptVt? avrrj

AeycTai TOV

Ta<f>fj

,

Tiov <f>6vov,

to?

Mt^a^A rov dp^ayyeAov

TT;

TOV

TOV yap 8ta/?oAov TOVTO /x,^ 8ta TOJ/ TOV Aiyvvre7rt<^>epovTos ey/cA^/xa

o$ir)Kovr)Kvai.

aAA

amov

(so Hilgenfeld,

at Sta TOVTO (i.

and

p,7^

from MS. avrov) WTOS

o~vy^wpLO~Oai

avTo>

TV^CIV T^S

ii.()).

It will be observed that in all these passages there is not a single important statement which has not been incorporated in our sketch on p. 106.

APPENDIX ON

I

HAVE

plehem

I.

just discovered that the text in

8

I.

Syriac and Vulgate Versions of Deut. xxxi.

pNrrta Tiirgum enter,"

ut inducat

8,

in terrain, agrees with the Samaritan text, the

run DJjrrntf, against the Massoretic, of

and

Onkelos, its

cause to enter

which

or

"

thou shalt bring

in

fcOSn HPIS

LXX., and

have N13n = "thou shalt

equivalents, instead of iOnn,

"

7,

in."

"

thou shalt

INDEX

I

PASSAGES FROM THE SCRIPTURES AND OTHER ANCIENT BOOKS DIRECTLY CONNECTED OR CLOSELY PARALLEL WITH THE TEXT

*

See Pyalnib of Solomon (Rylo and James

8

113

s ed.), p. Ixx.

INDEX

II

NAMES AND SUBJECTS. ADVENT

of God, X. 12.

Amorites,

XL

DANIEL, IV.

11, 16.

Antioclms Epiphanes, VIII. 1. Antiochian persecution, VIII. 1-5. Apollinarius, quotation from the

of, IV. 2-4. Deane, p. xxvii. De Faye, p. xxviii. Didymus, quotation from

in, p. 109.

Assumption

1.

prayer

,,

Assumption

Aramaic, alleged, original of the Assumption, pp. xxxix-xli.

Dillmann, pp. xxvi,

BALDENSPERGER,

EGYPT, III. 11. Emendations or

pp. xxvii,

Ivii,

12, 25.

Ivii,

23.

pp. xxv, Ivii, 23.

Drummond,

restorations

;

J. S., p. x.

XL 7 XII. 9. VI. 6, 7 Hilgenfeld, II. 4 VII. 1, 3, 8 ; X. 1 ;

p. xxviii.

Gutschmidt,

;

;

CALAMITIES

of

Judah ascribed

14; XII. 9. Ronsch, VI. 3

Caleb, pp. 106, 107. of, II. 2.

2;

Carriere, pp. xxiv, 35. Ceriaui, pp. xiii, xviii. Chasids, rise of the, V. 2, note. Cheyne, pp. x, 42, 88. Chronology of Book, p. Ix ; I. 2,

XL

III. 4;

12, 15;

Clement of Alexandria, quotations from the Assumption in, p. 107. xxiii-xxiv,

Iv,

24,

28, 35.

Colony, i.e. Jerusalem, III. 2, note V. 6 VI. 9. Covenant of the Lord, I. 9, note, 14; II. 7; III. 9; IV. 5; XL XII. 13. 17 Cyrus, IV. 6. ;

VII.

;

11,

1

;

12;

IX. XII.

I. 8; II. VIII. 1; IX. 1

XL

Volkmar, V. 3 XII.

pp.

2,

Schmidt-Merx,

note.

Colani,

;

XL

to

Israel, III. 5.

Canaan, conquest

of

the Latin Version by Cheyne, X. 8. Fritzsche, V. 5.

Baruch, Apocalypse of, quoted on, III. 10-13 IV. 8. Black,

the

in, p. 108.

;

,

4, 9, 17. ;

VII.

6,

10;

6.

Wieseler, V. 5. the Editor, I. 10; II. 3 9; HI. 12, 13; V. 6; VI. 1; VII. 4, 7; VIII. 2; X. 5; XL 12, 16, 17; XII. 4. of the Latin through re-

translation into Greek, II. 7; III. 4; IV. 3; VII. 7;

XL

;

11. 114

INDEX

I.

10 [18

(?)

Hausrath, pp. xxv, 35. Hebrew original of the Assump tion, pp. xxxviii-xlv. 48.

IV.

;

Heidenheim, pp. xxv,

9(?)].

the Editor, 9

V.

;

I.

5

Hernias quoted, p. 5. Herod the Great, VI. 2-7.

7, 10, 13; IV. VII. 4 (?) X. ;

;

High

3, 4, 9, 10.

Enoch, Ethiopic, quoted on, X.

from

quotation

Assumption

the

under

notes.

in, p. 108.

Ewald, pp. xxi, Ivii. Ezra, 4, quoted on, X.

priests, Hellenising,

AntiochusEpiph., V. 3-4, notes. High priests, Maccabean, VI. 1,

4, 9.

Evodius,

p. xxii.

HAUPT,

Emendations or restorations of the Latin through retranslation into Hebrew by Rosenthal,

II

Hilgenfekl,

xx,

xviii-xix,

pp.

xxii, xxxviii, Ivi, 23, 35, etc. 5, 7, 10.

,,

God s elect people, pp. Iviii-lx ; IV. 2. solidarity of, pp. Iviii-lx.

,,

world created on

ISRAEL,

FABRICIUS, p. xlviii. Fast of three days, IX.

6.

Fritzsche, pp. xx-xxi, Ivi, 73.

behalf

of, I. 12.

GEHENNA, X.

10.

,,

Geiger, pp. xxiv-xxv. Gelasius of Cyzicum quoted, 14, note. Gentiles,

X. God,

I.

13

IV. 9

;

;

Israel s

VIII. 3

;

passim. quoted, p. 1; II. 3; VI. 3 VII. 3-10; VIII. 1, 3, 4, 5 IX. 6 ; XII. 6 ; p.

,,

Creator, X. 10. Eternal God, X. 7. God, I. 10 IV. 2, 5 V. 4 X. 9 XL 16 IX. 4 XII. 4, 9, 10, 13.

God

of

;

;

Abraham,

Isaac,

Jacob, III. 9. of our fathers, IX. of heaven, II. 4.

God God

IV.

2. I.

6,

III. 2, 5;

XL Lord Lord Lord Lord Lord Most

18 II. 2, V. 6; IX. ;

;

;

71.

;

Joshua,

;

9 X. 11, 15 XI 3 XII. 1, 3, 8. carried into captivity, III. 1-3. I.

6,

1,

and 6.

Judah

7,

9

3,

7;

;

;

persecuted by Antiochus Epiph., VIII. 1. Judgment, final, X. 3-8. ,,

KEIM,

p. Ivi.

the keeping of the, the end IX. 6.

15, 16, 17. of all, IV. 2. of their fathers, IV. 8. of heaven, IV. 4. of the world, I. 11. of lords, IX. 6.

LAW,

High, X.

MACCABEAN high

7.

;

;

persecuted by the Seleucidffi, V. 1.

,,

Heaven, III. 8. Heavenly One, X. 3. King on the lofty throne, Lord,

8.

JAMES, pp. xvii, 25. Josephus, referred to,

titles of

;

9.

I.

7.

;

exalted into heaven, X. triumph over Rome, X.

of

life,

Langen, pp. xxi. Latin Version of the Assumption, pp. xxviii-xxxvi. priests,

VI.

1.

INDEX Maccabees,

3-4 ,,

referred

First,

passim

IX.

;

to,

quoted on V.

;

1, 6.

referred

Second, ;

6 XI. 17. Mediator, doctrine of a, I. 14, note. even to Merit, no, belonging Moses, XII. 7. ;

liii,

xlv. ,,

,,

,,

,,

,

,,

p.

Iviii

XL

;

I.

1

,,

"Testament,"

III.

I.

;

11 19

X.

XL

13;

17

;

note

;

12,

;

,,

xlv,

the Original Assumption otherwise called of, Secreta Moysi, p. xlv, other

books

Jewish

of

and Samaritan pp. xv-

14,

xvi.

or advo

,

hereafter, XII. 6, note. I.

p.

note. ,,

,

and

the mediator,

the Original Assumption of, preserved only in Greek quotations, pp. 1, 105-110. the Original Assumption, of, otherwise called Adscensio Mosis, note.

;

pp. xlvii-

15,

notes. the intercessor cate, here

,,

17,

XII. the death of, an ordinary one in the Latin, i.e. the xlviii

,,

III

;

2, 4, 14, 1, 2.

1,

New

,

Ixv. ,,

Morfill, p. xvi.

Moses,

author, pp. li-liv.

its date, pp. Iv-lviii. its relations to the

Testament, pp. Ixii-

Ivi, 23, etc.

Messianic kingdom, pp. Ix-lxi. Michael, X. 2.

its

.

,

xxxix-xli,

xix-xx,

pp.

Moses, the Assumption of, the Greek, a translation from the Hebrew, pp. xxxviii-

to,

passim quoted on, V. 1,3-4; VIII. 4, 5; IX.

Merx,

II

14,

note

other books of

Christian,

pp. xvi-xvii. ,,

other books of

Gnostic,

pp. xvii-xviii.

;

III. 12. ,,

the

XL ,,

the

great

messenger,

17.

chief

prophet,

XL

16.

the most perfect teacher,

,,

the pre-existence

16. of, I. 14,

note. ,,

,,

III. 1.

p. 57.

New Testament

use

of the

As

(EcuMENius, quotation from the Assumption in, p. 110. Origen,

the Assumption of Moses in Latin, preserved Testa originally the

ment ,,

Neubauer,

sumption, pp. Ixii-lxv.

,,

XL

NEBUCHADNEZZAR,

of,

pp. xlv-1.

the the Assumption of, Latin Version, pp. xxviiixxxvi. the the Assumption of, Latin Version, a transla tion from the Greek, pp. xxxvi-xxxviii.

quotations

Assumption

in,

PHILIPPI, p. xxiii. Philo, quoted on, p. XII. 6. Predestination,

RED

I.

from

the

pp. 107-108.

liii

13, 14

;

;

IV. 9

XII.

;

7,

SEA, the, III. 11. Repentance to preach the Mes sianic kingdom, I. 18, note.

INDEX Resurrection of the spirit only, X. 9, note. 22. Renss, pp. xxv-xxvi, Riinsch, xxii-xxiii, xxx, pp. Ivii.

xxxii, xlvi-xlvii, 9, etc.

Rosenthal, pp. xxvi, xxxix,

Ivi,

24, 25, 36, 57.

SADDUCEES, Sanday,

Satan, X.

the, VII. 3-10, notea.

xxx.

p.

II

117

Testaments XII. quoted on, X. 2, 5.

Patriarchs

Thomson, pp. xxvii-xxviii. Thucydidcs, quoted on, XI. 8. Times, the CCL., X. 12. of the text, Transpositions pp. xxxv-xxxvi. Tribe of Lcvi, IX. 1. III. 6, Tribes, the ten, II. 3, 5 IV. 9. 7 the twelve, If. 4. ,, the two, IT. 4 III. 3. 4, ,, IV. 7, 8. 5, 6 ;

;

1.

Schmidt-Merx.

See Merx. Schuchardt, pp. xxx sq. Schurer, pp. xxvi-xxvii,

;

;

xxxix,

xlvi, li, Ivii, 23, etc. Seleucidre, persecution under the, V. 1-2, notes.

Severus of Aiitioch, quotation from the Assumption in, p. 108.

VARTJS, VI.

8, note. Vassiliev s Anec. Greece- Byzant.

pp. xlix-1. Visitation of Israel, Volkmar, pp. xix

I.

,

18, note.

sq., Iv, 8, 25, 28, 35, etc.

xxxviii,

Solidarity of Israel, pp. Iviii-lx.

Solomon, Psalms of (Ryle and James, ed.), quoted on, III. 9 VII. 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 X. 5, 9.

WIESELER, pp. xxiv, li, 23 sq., 36. Wisdom, Book of, quoted on,

Stahelin, p. xxv.

Works, good,

;

;

XL

16. p. Ixi.

World the, I. 7, 9 ; II. 4. Taxo, IX. 1, notes. Temple, the, II. 4, 8, 9 III. 2

TABERNACLE,

;

V.

3,

4; VI.

1,

9; VIII.

;

5.

created on Israel, I. 12, note.

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symbol

for

ruler, II. 3, note.

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