Moses' Luminous Transformation in the Darkness of Unknowing: The Journey of a Biblical Motif

What is it about?

When Moses descends Mount Sinai for the final time, something has happened to the skin of his face (Ex 34:29). The Septuagint describes him as being charged with glory. I start by exploring the antecedents for Moses’ transformation in ancient Mesopotamian mythological imagery. And I then trace interpretations of Exodus 34:28-35 through literature written in Greek, from Second Temple Jewish writings and the New Testament to early Christian mystical theologians, focussing on Gregory of Nyssa, The Macarian Homilies, and Pseudo-Dionysius. I make a case for understanding these theologians not only in terms of their philosophical commitments, but also through their engagement with scripture, and their exegetical choices.

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