It sounds radical, I know. But let's delve into a fascinating, and perhaps surprising, corner of Jewish tradition: the enthronement of Moses.
According to some accounts, God bestowed immense honor upon Moses, gifting him dominion over the entire earth, the seas, the rivers – all the elements themselves. He granted Moses the world as a fitting inheritance, proclaiming him both God and King of the entire nation. As it says in Exodus 7:1, "See, I place you in the role of God to Pharaoh."
Imagine Moses entering the darkness where God resided, perceiving realities beyond the grasp of ordinary humans. He dwelt within those mysteries until he was crowned with light, adorned in a radiant robe, his face shining with a divine beam.
The story continues that when Moses ascended to the peak of Mount Sinai, he beheld a throne of such immense scale that it touched the very clouds of heaven. Upon it sat a figure of noble bearing, crowned and holding a scepter. With a gesture, this being beckoned Moses forward. Moses approached and stood before the throne. The figure then handed the scepter to Moses, inviting him to ascend the throne and bestowing upon him a crown of light. Then, the figure withdrew.
And Moses sat upon the great throne, and wrote what his Lord had taught him.
This powerful imagery echoes similar enthronement myths surrounding other pivotal figures in Jewish tradition, like Adam, Enoch, Jacob, and King David.
Now, who was the figure on the throne? Some interpretations suggest it was a manifestation of the Kavod (כָּבוֹד), the Glory of the Lord. Think of Ezekiel's vision in Ezekiel 1:26-28, where he describes a human-like figure seated upon a sapphire throne. It's a powerful image of divine presence.
Philo, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, even saw Moses as transcending the role of prophet, approaching a messianic or divine status. In this astonishing myth, Moses is invited to take the place of the enthroned figure who clearly seems to represent God.
Interestingly, while these ideas might seem unusual within mainstream rabbinic Judaism, similar traditions are found in Samaritan texts like Memar Markah and Samaritan hymns. The Samaritans, a Palestinian sect closely related to Judaism, held Moses in incredibly high regard, almost as a messianic figure. So, it's perhaps not entirely surprising that their texts sometimes elevate Moses to a godlike status.
Ezekiel the Tragedian even describes the actual enthronement of Moses. At the end of the enthronement, it seems as if God turns over His scepter and His throne to Moses and withdraws.
What does it all mean? Is Moses truly elevated to divine status? Perhaps. Or perhaps these stories are powerful metaphors, illustrating the immense authority and responsibility entrusted to Moses, the prophet who brought God's law to the Israelites and shaped their destiny. It's a testament to the profound impact one human being can have, and the ways in which that impact can be interpreted, generation after generation.