Not over Moses’ Dead Body: Jude 9, 22-24 and the Assumption of Moses in their Early Jewish Context

Jude 9 refers to a story in which the archangel Michael disputes with the devil about the body of Moses. Although the story cited by Jude has not been preserved, the literature of early Judaism contains several traditions that can inform one’s understanding of Jude’s source. This article explores these traditions, especially early Jewish interpretations of Zech. 3, in an effort to throw light on this story and its use in the epistle of Jude. These traditions suggest that the disagreement between Michael and the devil over Moses’ body pertained not to the burial of Moses’ corpse, as previous scholarship has assumed, but to Moses’ bodily ascent into God’s presence. In this ascent account, the devil would have opposed Michael on the grounds that Moses’ fleshly, human body was inadequate for God’s presence. Further, it is probable that Jude 22-24 alludes to the same ascent story.