When the land was allocated to the Israelites, Joshua received the most distinguished portion and did not pass on in the unfavorable number twenty, which often denotes misfortune—this number being associated with Jacob’s servitude and Joseph’s sale, beloved by Esau, who received gifts in it. Rather, Joshua died in the number ten, a figure we have frequently exalted, and was laid to rest in Thamnath-sar, known for its eminent leadership. This number symbolizes the new covering, representing the multitude of virgins sheltered by the Savior’s aid in Mount Ephraim, the blessed mountain shielded from the northern winds of Mount Gaas, which suggests movement. Mount Zion is described as the northernmost peak; the hail of the great King constantly fends off evil and, after every trial, proclaims, “My feet in little shall not move” (Psalms 72:2).
Moreover, the burial of Jesus concludes the book bearing His name while the book of Judges illustrates Him as living and resurrected, summarizing His acts with the proclamation: “Jesus let the people go, and the children of Israel departed, each to his own inheritance, to possess the land,” and “the people served the Lord all the days of Jesus,” etc. It further states: "And Jesus the son of Naveen died, the servant of the Lord, one hundred and ten years old" (Hab. 24:29). Moses glimpsed the promised land but could not enter it; he passed away in the land of Moab, with the Lord burying him in the valley near the house of Phogor, whose sepulcher remains unknown to this day.
Let us contrast the burials of both figures: Moses died in Moab’s territory, while Jesus died in the land of the Jews. Moses was interred in a valley by the house of Phogor, which signifies reproach (Phogor is likened to Priapus in Hebrew), while Jesus was laid to rest in Mount Ephraim, north of Mount Gaas (Hab. 24:30). The divine Scriptures often contain deeper meanings beneath their straightforward words. Among the Jews, procreation was considered a high honor—“cursed is the barren woman who has no seed in Israel, and blessed is she whose seed is in Zion, whose kin are in Jerusalem”— and the greatest blessing suggests: “Thy wife is as a fruitful vine within the walls of thy home; thy sons as olive plants around thy table” (Psalms 127:3). Consequently, Moses' coffin is depicted as lying in the valley near the idol’s dwelling, which is associated with worldly desires. As followers of Christ, we remain unaware of Moses' burial site to this day, for we reject Phogor and its humiliations, understanding that those who are flesh cannot please God. Even prior to the flood, the Lord declared: “My Spirit shall not abide in these men, for they are flesh” (Genesis 6:3). Thus, the Israelites mourned Moses upon his death, while Jesus, as the giver of life, is not lamented; for marriage concludes with death, yet virginity is honored and crowned through it.
THEOSIS