Otherwise known as the Assumption of Moses
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The Testament of Moses, also called the Assumption of Moses, is thought to have been composed in the 1st century BC or 1st century AD, in Hebrew or a similar Semitic language, and then translated into Koine. The surviving manuscript is actually a 6th century Latin translation of the Greek. There is speculation that a missing portion of the work includes the dispute between Michael and Satan over the body of Moses, which is also found in Jude 1:9. The book is backward and forward-looking, and apocalyptic in nature, dealing with Moses’ handoff to Joshua prior to death.
And it came to pass in the one hundred and twentieth year of the life of Moses, that is, the two thousand five hundredth year from the creation of the world, that he called Joshua the son of Nun to himself, a man approved of the Lord, that he might be the minister of the people and of the Dwelling Place of the testimony with all its holy things, and that he might bring the people into the land given to their fathers, that it should be given to them according to the covenant and the oath, which he spoke in the Dwelling Place to give [it] by Joshua, saying these words to Joshua: “Be strong and of good courage, according to your might so as to do what has been commanded that you may be blameless to God”— so says the Lord of the world. For He has created the world on behalf of His people. But He was not pleased to manifest this purpose of creation from the foundation of the world, in order that the nations might thereby be convicted, indeed, [that] by [their] arguments they might convict one another to their own humiliation. Accordingly, He designed and devised me, and He prepared me before the foundation of the world, that I should be the mediator of His covenant. And now I declare to you that the time of the years of my life is fulfilled and I am passing away to sleep with my fathers even in the presence of all the people. Now receive this writing that you may know how to preserve the scrolls which I will deliver to you, and you will set these in order, and anoint them with oil of cedar, and put them away in earthen vessels in the place which He made from the beginning of the creation of the world, that His Name should be called on until the day of conversion in the visitation with which the Lord will visit them in the consummation of the end of the days.
And now they will go by means of you into the land which He determined and promised to give to their fathers, in which you will bless, and give to them individually, and confirm to them their inheritance in me, and establish the kingdom for them, and appoint prefectures for them according to the good pleasure of their Lord, in judgment and righteousness. And in the sixth year after they enter into the land, that thereafter they will be ruled by chiefs and kings for eighteen years, and for nineteen years the ten tribes will be apostates. And the twelve tribes will go down and transfer the Dwelling Place of the testimony. Then the God of Heaven will make the court of His Dwelling Place and the tower of His sanctuary, and the two holy tribes will be established [there], but the ten tribes will establish kingdoms for themselves according to their own ordinances. And they will offer sacrifices throughout twenty years, 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. And they will sacrifice their sons to strange gods, and they will set up idols in the sanctuary, to worship them. And in the house of the Lord they will work impiety and engrave every [form] of beast—many abominations.
And in those days a king from the east will come against them and cover their land with [his] cavalry. And he will burn their colony with fire, together with the holy temple of the Lord, and he will carry away all the holy vessels. And he will cast forth all the people, and he will take them to the land of his nativity, yes, he will take the two tribes with him. Then the two tribes will call on the ten tribes and will be indignant as a lioness on the dusty plains, being hungry and thirsty. And they will cry aloud: “Righteous and holy is the Lord, for, inasmuch as you have sinned, we too, in like manner, have been carried away with you, together with our children.” Then the ten tribes will mourn on hearing the reproaches of the two tribes, and they will say, “What have we done to you, brothers? Surely this tribulation has not come on all the house of Israel?” And all the tribes will mourn, crying to Heaven and saying, “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, remember Your covenant which You made with them, and the oath which You swore to them by Yourself, that their seed should never fail in the land which You have given them.” Then they will remember me, saying, in that day, tribe to tribe and each man to his neighbour: “Is this not that which Moses declared to us then in prophecies, who suffered many things in Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years, and assuredly called the heavens and earth to witness against us, that we should not transgress His commandments, in the which he was a mediator to us? Behold these things have befallen us after his death according to his words and according to his declaration, as he declared to us at that time—yes, behold, these have taken place even to our being carried away captive into the country of the east, who will also be in bondage for about seventy-seven years.”
Then there will enter one who is over them, and he will spread forth his hands, and kneel on his knees, and pray on their behalf, saying, “Lord of all, King on the lofty throne, who rules the world, and willed that this people should be Your chosen people: then You willed that You should be called their God, according to the covenant which You made with their fathers, and yet they have gone into captivity with their wives and their children into another land, and around the gates of strange peoples, and where there is great vanity. Regard and have compassion on them, O Lord of Heaven.” Then God will remember them on account of the covenant which He made with their fathers, and He will also manifest His compassion in those times. And He will put it into the mind of a king to have compassion on them, and he will send them off to their land and country. Then some portions of the tribes will go up, and they will come to their appointed place, and they will entrench the place, restoring [it]. And the two tribes will continue in their prescribed faith, sad and lamenting because they will not be able to offer sacrifices to the Lord of their fathers. And the ten tribes will increase and multiply among the nations during the time of their captivity.
And when the times of discipline draw near and vengeance arises through the kings who share in their guilt and punish them, they themselves will also be divided as to the truth. For what reason it has come to pass: “They will turn aside from righteousness and approach iniquity, and they will defile the house of their worship with pollutions,” and “they will go whoring after strange gods.” For they will not follow the truth of God, but some will pollute the altar with the very gifts which they offer to the Lord, who are not priests but slaves, sons of slaves. And many will respect rich persons in those times, and will receive gifts, and wrest judgment [on receiving presents]. And on this account the colony and the borders of their habitation will be filled with lawless deeds and iniquities: they will forsake the Lord; they will be impious judges; they will be ready to judge for money as each may wish.
Then kings will be raised up to them bearing rule, and they will call themselves high priests of God; they will assuredly work iniquity in the Holy of Holies. And an insolent king will succeed them who will not be of the race of the priests, a man bold and shameless, and he will judge them as they will deserve. And he will cut off their chief men with the sword, and will destroy [them] in secret places, so that no one may know where their bodies are. He will slay the old and the young, and he will not spare. Then the fear of him will be bitter to them in their land. And he will execute judgments on them as the Egyptians executed on them for thirty-four years, and he will punish them. And he will beget children, who succeeding him will rule for shorter periods. Into their parts cohorts and a powerful king of the west will come, who will conquer them; and he will take them captive, and burn a part of their temple with fire, [and] will crucify some around their colony.
And when this is done the times will be ended, in a moment the [second] course will be [ended], the four hours will come. They will be forced . . . And, in the time of these, scornful and impious men will rule, saying that they are just. And these will conceal the wrath of their minds, being treacherous men, self-pleasers, impostors in all their own affairs, and lovers of banquets at every hour of the day, gluttons, gourmands . . . . . . devourers of the goods of the poor, saying that they do so on the ground of their justice, but [in reality] to destroy them, complainers, deceitful, concealing themselves lest they should be recognized, impious, filled with lawlessness and iniquity from sunrise to sunset, saying, “We will have feastings and luxury, eating and drinking, yes, we will drink our fill, we will be as princes.” And though their hands and their minds touch unclean things, yet their mouth will speak great things, and they will furthermore say, “Do not touch me lest you should pollute me in the place where I stand.”
And there will come on them a second visitation and wrath, such as has not befallen them from the beginning until that time, in which He will stir up against them a king of the kings of the earth and one that rules with great power, who will crucify those who confess to their circumcision: and he will torture those who conceal [it] and deliver them up to be bound and led into prison. And their wives will be given to the gods among the nations, and their young sons will be operated on by the physicians in order to bring forward their foreskin. And others among them will be punished by tortures, and fire, and sword, and they will be forced to bear their idols in public, [which are as] polluted as the [shrines] that contain them. And they will likewise be forced by those who torture them to enter their inmost sanctuary, and they will be forced by goads to blaspheme the Name with insolence, [and] finally, after these things, the laws and what they had above their altar [as well].
Then in that day there will be a man of the tribe of Levi, whose name will be Taxo, who having seven sons will speak to them exhorting [them]: “Observe, my sons; behold, a second ruthless [and] unclean visitation has come on the people, and a punishment merciless and far exceeding the first. For what nation, or what region, or what people of those who are impious toward the Lord, who have done many abominations, have suffered calamities as great as have befallen us? Now therefore, my sons, hear me; for observe and know that neither [our] fathers nor their forefathers tempted God, so as to transgress His commands. And you know that this is our strength, and thus we will do. Let us fast for the space of three days, and on the fourth let us go into a cave which is in the field, and let us die rather than transgress the commands of the Lord of lords, the God of our fathers. For if we do this and die, our blood will be avenged before the Lord.”
And then His kingdom will appear throughout all His creation, || And then Satan will no longer be, || And sorrow will depart with him. Then the hands of the messenger will be filled, || And he will be appointed chief, || And he will immediately avenge them of their enemies. 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 sons. And the earth will tremble: It will be shaken to its confines, || And the high mountains will be made low, || And the hills will be shaken and fall. And the horns of the sun will be broken, || And he will be turned into darkness; And the moon will not give her light, || And will be turned wholly into blood; And the circle of the stars will be disturbed. And the sea will retire into the abyss, || And the fountains of waters will fail, || And the rivers will dry up. For the Most High will arise, the Perpetual God alone, || And He will appear to punish the nations, || And He will destroy all their idols. Then you, O Israel, will be happy, || And you will mount up on the neck [and wings] of the eagle, || And [the days of your mourning] will be ended. And God will exalt you, || And He will cause you to approach to the heaven of the stars, || And He will establish your habitation among them. And you will look from on high and will see your enemies in Gehenna, || And you will recognize them and rejoice, || And you will give thanks and confess your Creator. And you, Joshua [the son of] Nun, must keep these words and this scroll, for from my death—[my] assumption—until His advent there will be two hundred fifty times. And this is their course which they will pursue until they are consummated. And I will go to sleep with my fathers. For what reason, Joshua—you, [son of] Nun—be of good courage; God has chosen [you] to be my successor in the same covenant.
And when Joshua had heard the words of Moses that were written in his writing, as well as all that he had previously said, he tore his clothes and cast himself at Moses’ feet. And Moses comforted him and wept with him. And Joshua answered him and said, “Why do you comfort me, lord Moses? And how will I be comforted in regard to that which you have spoken—the bitter word which has gone forth from your mouth, which is full of tears and lamentation, in that you depart from this people? And now what place will receive you? Or what will be the sign that marks [your] grave? Or who will dare to move your body from there as a man from place to place? For when they die, all men have their graves on earth according to their age, but your grave is from the rising to the setting sun, and from the south to the confines of the north: all the world is your grave. My lord, you are departing, and who will feed this people? Or who is there that will have compassion on them, and who will be their guide by the way? Or who will pray for them, not omitting a single day, in order that I may lead them into the land of [their] forefathers? Therefore, how am I to control this people as a father [his] only son, or as a mistress [her] virgin daughter, who is being prepared to be handed over to the husband she will revere, while she guards her person from the sun, and [takes care] that her feet are not unshod for running on the ground? And how will I supply them with food and drink according to the pleasure of their will? For of them there will be six hundred thousand men, for these have multiplied to this degree through your prayers, [my] lord Moses. And what wisdom or understanding do I have that I should judge or answer by word in the house of the Lord? And the kings of the Amorites will also be emboldened to attack us then; [and] believing that there is no longer among them the sacred spirit who was worthy of the Lord, manifold and incomprehensible, the lord of the word, who was faithful in all things, God’s chief prophet throughout the earth, the most perfect teacher in the world, that he is no longer among them, they will say, Let us go against them. If the enemy has but once worked impiously against their Lord, they have no advocate to offer prayers on their behalf to the Lord, as Moses the great messenger did, who every hour day and night had his knees fixed to the earth, praying to and looking for help from Him that rules all the world with compassion and righteousness, calling to mind the covenant of the fathers, and propitiating the Lord with the oath. For they will say, He is not with them; therefore, let us go and destroy them from off the face of the earth. What then will become of this people, my lord Moses?”
1 And when Joshua had finished [these] words, he again cast himself at the feet of Moses. 2 And Moses took his hand and raised him into the seat before him, and answered and said to him, 3 “Joshua, do not despise yourself, but set your mind at ease, and listen to my words. 4 All the nations which are in the earth God has created as He has us; He has foreseen [both] them and us from the beginning of the creation of the earth to the end of the age, and nothing has been neglected by Him even to the least thing, but He has foreseen all things and caused all to come forth. 5 All things which are to be in this earth the Lord has foreseen, and behold, they are brought forward [into the light] . . . 6 . . . [[The Lord]] has appointed me on their behalf to pray for their sins and make intercession for them. 7 For [it was] not because of any virtue or strength of mine, but in His compassion and longsuffering was He pleased to call me. 8 For I say to you, Joshua: it is not on account of the godliness of this people that you will root out the nations. 9 The lights of the heavens [and] the foundations of the earth have been made and approved by God and are under the signet ring of His right hand. 10 Therefore, those who do and fulfill the commandments of God will increase and be prospered, 11 but those who sin and set the commandments at nothing will be without the blessings previously mentioned, and they will be punished by the nations with many torments. 12 But to wholly root out and destroy them is not permitted. 13 For God, who has foreseen all things forever, will go forth; and His covenant has been established and the oath which . . .”