New Book on the Book of Moses

[Jason_J]

Jeffrey Bradshaw has recently come out with a book called "In God's Image and Likeness: Ancient and Modern Perspectives on the Book of Moses". This book is over 1000 pages long, and is a commentary on the Book of Moses, as well as covering various themes found therein, and draws on current biblical scholarship, as well as other ancient works.

Now, I haven't read the Book of Moses yet (I'm tempted to do so, but I haven't finished the Book of Mormon yet! ), but it just fascinates me that a Book that critics claim was simply fabricated by Joseph Smith could draw such extensive commentary, including parallels in ancient writings ("including Near Eastern texts, early Old Testament manuscripts and translations, the Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Jewish and early Christian texts, Nag Hammadi and Gnostic writings, and primary documents from the Zoroastrian, Mandaean, Manichaean, and Islamic religious traditions") as well as modern biblical scholarship.

As I've said in other threads: if Joseph Smith and/or his companions just "made it all up", they must have had an extensive library and an extensive knowledge of ancient writings, because it just doesn't make sense that one could find rich parallels between the JST and the above works if it wasn't inspired.

Perhaps some may be interested in this book as they study the Old Testament this year.

Interview With the Author

[KerryShirts]

Here is my interview of Jeff at last year's FAIR Conference. He is a gem of a human bering and a real gent, not to mention very SERIOUS about knowing the scriptures, an all around very good example for us all to emulate.

YouTube - TheBackyardProfessor's Channel

[KerryShirts]

Andrei Orlov in his fabulous book "Enoch-Metatron Tradition," Mohr-Siebeck. 2005, (p. 301) noted some fascinating discussions about HOW Moses was able to see God, the angels, the Glory, etc. This is an interesting Jewish expansion of our Book of Moses teaching the Spirit has to overcome a person to protect them.

"...in 3 Enoch 15B:5 Enoch-Metatron points to Moses’ luminous face, while the reader has already learned earlier that the seventh antediluvian patriarch underwent an even more radical luminous metamorphosis during which not only his face but also his whole body was changed into a fiery extent. This polemical link between the radiance of Moses and the superseding radiance of Enoch’s transformed body is made in several rabbinic texts.

Thus, in Midrash Gedullat Moshe the superiority of Enoch-Metatron’s radiance over the luminous transformation of the prophet becomes an important theme. In this text God commands Enoch- Metatron to bring Moses up to heaven. Metatron warns the Deity that the prophet would not be able to withstand the vision of angels, “since the angels are princes of fire, while Moses is made from flesh and blood.” God then commands Metatron to change the prophet’s flesh into torches of fire. The language here recalls Enoch-Metatron’s transformation in Synopse §19.200 Just as in 3 Enoch the context seems polemical, since in both texts Moses is depicted as inferior to the translated patriarch. The fact that it is not simply Metatron’s superiority, but the supremacy of the patriarch, that is at stake here, becomes clear from Metatron’s self-designation. Gedullat Moshe relates that when the exalted angel approached Moses, the latter became terrified and asked Metatron about his identity.

Responding to the prophet’s question, Metatron introduces himself as Enoch, son of Jared, telling Moses that he is his ancestor. He further informs the prophet about God’s command to bring him to the Throne of Glory. Moses tries to object by claiming that he is a creature of flesh and blood and therefore would not be able to withstand the vision of angels. In response Metatron changes Moses’ flesh to torches of fire, his eyes to Merkabah-wheels and his tongue to flame. After this transformation Metatron was finally able to bring Moses to heaven."