THEOSISJerome of Stridon
It is time for us to uphold the virtue of Christ's purity. The Scriptures note that Moses had a wife, and our Savior alongside the Apostle associates Moses with the Law: “Moses and the prophets” (Luke 16:29). From Adam to Moses, death held dominion, even over those who did not sin in the way Adam did (Romans 5:14), leaving no doubt that Moses symbolizes the Law in these accounts. Thus, if it is stated that Moses, representing the Law, had a wife, demonstrate to me that Joshua had a spouse or offspring. If evidence of this can be provided, I will concede defeat.
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At the time of the land division among the Israelites, Joshua claimed a notable portion and did not perish at the number twenty, which Scripture consistently presents unfavorably—considering Jacob's enslavement and Joseph's sale in that number, a number appreciated by Esau who received some favors through it. Instead, he is linked to the number ten, frequently commended and buried in Thamnath-sar, which signifies a perfect principality, or in the context of the new covenant, reflecting the multitude of virgins sheltered by the Savior in Mount Ephraim, the fertile hill warding off the northern winds of Mount Gaas, representing movement. Mount Zion stands as the northern stronghold, the hail of the mighty King continually opposing evil, reassuring through trials, "My feet in little shall not move" (Psalms 72:2).
Moreover, the burial of Jesus concludes the narrative associated with His name, yet in the Book of Judges, He is again depicted as alive and triumphant; succinctly preached is His work: "Jesus let the people go, and the children of Israel departed, each to his own inheritance, to possess the land," illustrating that "the people served the Lord all the days of Jesus," and it is noted, "And Jesus the son of Naveen died, the servant of the Lord, one hundred and ten years old." In contrast, Moses glimpsed the Promised Land but could not enter it, passing away in Moab, where the Lord Himself buried him in a valley opposite the house of Phogor, with no one knowing his grave to this day (Deuteronomy 34:5-6).
Let us juxtapose the burials of each figure. Moses dies in Moab, while Jesus' death occurs in Judah. Moses is laid to rest in a valley near the house of Phogor—a term representing reproach (since Phogor is referred to as Priap in Hebrew)—whereas Jesus is interred in Mount Ephraim, which lies to the north of Mount Gaas. The straightforward language of the divine Scriptures often conceals deeper meanings. Among the Jews, procreation and having offspring was esteemed as a blessing—“cursed is the barren woman who has no seed in Israel, and blessed is she whose seed is in Zion, and whose kinsmen are in Jerusalem”—and in the most profound blessing, “Thy wife is as a fruitful vine in the heart of thy house; thy sons like olive plants round about thy table” (Psalms 127:3). Hence, Moses' grave is placed in a valley by the house of an idol dedicated to carnal desires.
We, who strive under the guidance of Jesus, remain unaware of Moses' burial site, for we disdain Phogor and all his humiliations, recognizing that those who dwell in the flesh cannot please God. The Lord declared even before the flood, "My Spirit shall not strive with man, for he is flesh" (Genesis 6:3). This is why the Israelites mourned for Moses upon his death, whereas Jesus, who embodies life, is not mourned; as earthly unions end with death, it is virginity that receives its eternal reward thereafter.
You may question why I should not express my sorrow. Consider how Jacob, clothed in mourning attire, grieved for Joseph, refusing any consolation and stating, “I will go down to my son, weeping into hell” (Genesis 37:35). Likewise, David mourned for Absalom, covering his head in grief and lamenting, “My son, Absalom, my son, Absalom, who shall give death to me instead of thee, my son, Absalom” (2 Samuel 18:33). Is it not true that we annually commemorate the sorrow for Moses, Aaron, and the other saints? The explanation is quite straightforward.
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Jacob mourned for a son he believed was dead, preparing to descend into the underworld with the words, “I will go down to my son, weeping into hell,” because Christ had not yet opened the gates of heaven; His blood had not yet quelled the fiery and swirling swords of the cherubim guarding paradise. It is noted that Abraham, along with Lazarus, was in the underworld, albeit in a place of comfort. Furthermore, David’s tears for his son Absalom are understood, while he refrained from asking for life for his other young son, choosing not to mourn for him because he knew he was without sin. It is not surprising that according to ancient tradition, mourning for Moses and Aaron was prescribed, just as it is clear from the Acts of the Apostles that the early Christians in Jerusalem grieved deeply for Stephen (Acts 8:2). The great mourning recorded in Scripture does not signify the cowardice of those who mourn, as you might assume, but rather the dignity of the funeral and the number of those who are laid to rest. Concerning Jacob's burial, the Scriptures reveal: “And Joseph went up to bury his father; and all the servants of Pharaoh, and the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, came together with him.” Furthermore, it states, “and the chariots and the cavalry came together with him, and there was a great regiment. And they wept for him with a great and strong weeping” (Genesis 50:7ff.). This profound mourning does not imply that the Egyptians grieved for Jacob for an extended period; rather, it expresses the grandeur of his burial. Undoubtedly, Aaron and Moses received similar honors in their mourning. The mysteries of the Scriptures are awe-inspiring, and the divine truths contained within the simple narratives are remarkable: why is there a record of mourning for Moses, but no mention of it regarding the burial of Joshua, the holy man? The answer lies in the fact that through Moses and the old law, all humanity was bound by condemnation, hence tears were the inheritance of those who entered the underworld, as articulated by the apostle: “and death reigned from Adam even unto Moses, and over them that sinned not” (Romans 5:14). However, in Christ, as revealed in the gospel, when the gates of paradise are flung open, death leads to joy. Even today, Jews mourn their dead, sitting on ashes with bare feet, dressed in mourning robes. In addition, they adhere to the foolish customs of the Pharisees, first consuming lentils, symbolizing by this act the food through which they forfeited their birthright. In their disbelief in the resurrection of our Lord, the Jews are unwittingly preparing for the arrival of the Antichrist. Yet we, who have embraced Christ and have been transformed into a royal priesthood, as the Apostle states (1 Peter 2:9), should not lament the deceased. Moses instructed Aaron, Eleazar, and his remaining sons, “Do not cover your heads and do not tear your garments, lest you die, and there be wrath upon the whole assembly” (Leviticus 10:6). This command serves as a caution against engaging in pagan mourning rituals, reminding us that our mortality is a result of sin.