Jude 9 (NIV)But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
This particular incident is not recorded anywhere else in Scripture. Moses’ death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34 but nothing is said about the incident Jude mentions in verse 9. This reference is believed by many scholars to be from an ancient Hebrew writing called the Testament or Assumption of Moses, one of many non-Biblical Hebrew books and one of two that Jude quotes from in his letter (Enoch-verses 6, 14-15).
The Apocrypha (Greek, “hidden books”) are Hebrew books from the period not preserved in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh), but included in the Latin (Vulgate) and Greek (Septuagint) Old Testaments. The Apocrypha are still regarded as part of the canon of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, and as such, their number is fixed.
The two books that many believe Jude quotes from (The Assumption of Moses and Enoch) come from a group of writings called the Pseudepigrapha (Greek, “falsely attributed”) these writings are from the same period as the Apocrypha and were attributed to authors who did not actually write them. This was widespread in Greco-Roman antiquity – in Hebrew, Christian, and pagan circles alike. Books were attributed to pagan authors, and names drawn from the repertoire of biblical personalities, such as Adam, Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel, Baruch, and Jeremiah. The Pseudepigrapha resemble the Apocrypha in general character, yet were not included in the Bible, Apocrypha, or rabbinic literature.
All the Apocrypha and most of the Pseudepigrapha are Hebrew works (some contain Christianizing additions). They provide essential evidence of Hebrew literature and thought during the period between the end of biblical writing (ca. 400 BCE) and the beginning of substantial rabbinic literature in the latter part of the first century CE. They have aroused much scholarly interest, since they provide information about Judaism at the turn of the era between the Bible and the Mishna (Biblical Law and Oral Law), and help explain how Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity came into being.
The Assumption of Moses is a book, dated to the first century, supposedly relating prophecies told to Joshua by Moses. The book is sometimes referred to as the Testament of Moses. Its contents are referred to by several of the early church fathers, including Origen, but the book was not and is not considered a part of the biblical canon. Unlike the Bible, the Assumption of Moses is poorly preserved, existing in only one manuscript, translated into Latin, which is dated from after AD 500 and is missing a large portion of the text.
Even though the Assumption of Moses is nearly lost and clearly of a late date, it does have some connection to modern biblical scholarship. The fact that the Assumption of Moses is mentioned—though not canonized—by early Christians makes it historically interesting. Many believe that Jude alludes to an incident in the Assumption of Moses when he mentions Michael and Satan disputing over the body of Moses (Jude 1:9).
The story in Jude matches the traditional Hebrew story, which is likewise related in the Assumption of Moses. This means the first-century work is not the origin of that story, but another telling of it. Jude’s citation of the Assumption of Moses—if, in fact, he was citing that particular work—is not necessarily an endorsement of the work itself, though God did inspire and the Spirit did lead Jude to include it in his letter ( 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). Paul, inspired by God, cited a non-Christian poet in Acts 17:28 and a non-scriptural narrative in 2 Timothy 3:8. Both references were meant to support a particular point Paul was making. Similarly, Jude’s possible allusion to the Assumption of Moses was to help further his point about false teachers. The point that Jude was trying to make was that not even the archangel Michael would speak against his adversary. In comparison, Jude’s opponents spoke abusively against whatever they did not understand.
This Wednesday evening we will continue our study on the Book of Jude , focusing on verses 9-12. An audio of the class will be posted to the website sometime Wednesday evening.