Assumption of Moses
Moses
Also called the Testament of Moses
The Assumption of Moses, also known as the Testament of Moses (Hebrew עליית משה Aliyah Mosheh), is a 1st-century Jewish apocryphal work. It contains secret prophecies Moses revealed to Joshua before passing leadership of the Israelites to him. It is characterized as a "testament", meaning the final speech of a dying person, Moses.
The text is thought to have been originally written in Hebrew or another Semitic language, and then translated to Koine Greek. The only surviving manuscript is a 6th-century Latin translation of the Greek text. The manuscript was incomplete, and the rest of the text is lost. From references in ancient works, it is thought that the Assumption of Moses, (or a text of the same doctrinal lineage), may have been the original fifth book of Moses before its redaction and replacement by Deuteronomy during the Deuteronomist Revisions. This seems to be supported by the New Testament and Book of Mormon both referencing a translated Moses whereas Deuteronomy references his death.
It is also thought that the missing text may have instead depicted a dispute over the body of Moses, between the archangel Michael and Satan. Seth and Joshua and several witnesses saw lightning strike in front of the black clothed stranger that was watching over the body of Moses. As the dust of the earth settled down, a Roman-like soldier wearing silver and gold armor appears that stumbled the stranger causing him to fall over his own feet. Michael took the body of Moses and walked away but as Seth gave chase they just disappeared.
Assumption of Moses ⇨
Assumption 1
Assumption 2
Assumption 3
Assumption 4
Assumption 5
Assumption 6