His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the final part of Deuteronomy — the account of Moses’ death and the people mourning for him — was not written by Moses, but by his disciple Joshua son of Nun, who continued the record to complete the story.

1. The Issue:
Deuteronomy ends with:

“So Moses the servant of the Lord died there… and the Israelites wept for Moses thirty days.” (Deuteronomy 34:5–8)
Obviously, Moses could not have written about his own death.

2. The Logical Answer:
Joshua, Moses’ successor and disciple, added this conclusion after Moses’ death to close the narrative naturally.
This was common in ancient historical writing, where a follower would finish a teacher’s story.

3. Spiritual Significance:
The Pentateuch forms a complete unit — from Creation to the threshold of the Promised Land.
Including Moses’ death shows the continuity of God’s plan through generations — Moses finished his mission, and Joshua continued it.

Faith Message:
This addition does not diminish divine inspiration.
Rather, it highlights that the Bible is a living testimony of God’s work through His servants.
Moses’ life was faithfully completed by his disciple, ensuring that God’s story — not man’s — remained whole and true.

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