Moses Proves His Case: Historical Examples in A.J. 4.43–45

What is it about?

In retelling the narrative of Korah’s rebellion in the wilderness, Josephus portrays Moses as standing before a court, God serving as the judge (Jewish Antiquities 4.40-50). In a lengthy juridical oration/prayer, Moses defends himself against Korah’s charge that he (Moses) had granted the priesthood to Aaron. Adducing a series of historical events – from his commissioning at the burning bush to the receiving of the law at Sinai – he thereby establishes that he has always done God’s bidding. This rule implies that the Aaronic priesthood is also in accordance with God’s will. In depicting the episodes from Moses’ life, Josephus frequently alludes to specific biblical passages, borrowing language from both the full pentateuchal narratives and the brief references in Isaiah and the Psalms. In addition to following the conventions governing the biblical brief accounts of Israelite history (“historical summaries”), he also draws on classical rhetorical models.

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