diff --git a/Lib/ast.py b/Lib/ast.py
index 4e2ae859245f99..ebf4529f79b060 100644
--- a/Lib/ast.py
+++ b/Lib/ast.py
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ def parse(source, filename='<unknown>', mode='exec', *,
         flags |= PyCF_TYPE_COMMENTS
     if isinstance(feature_version, tuple):
         major, minor = feature_version  # Should be a 2-tuple.
-        assert major == 3
+        if major != 3:
+            raise ValueError(f"Unsupported major version: {major}")
         feature_version = minor
     elif feature_version is None:
         feature_version = -1
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_ast.py b/Lib/test/test_ast.py
index 480089aa8af448..16f92a7c84d2a2 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_ast.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_ast.py
@@ -756,6 +756,12 @@ def test_assignment_expression_feature_version(self):
         with self.assertRaises(SyntaxError):
             ast.parse('(x := 0)', feature_version=(3, 7))
 
+    def test_invalid_major_feature_version(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            ast.parse('pass', feature_version=(2, 7))
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            ast.parse('pass', feature_version=(4, 0))
+
     def test_constant_as_name(self):
         for constant in "True", "False", "None":
             expr = ast.Expression(ast.Name(constant, ast.Load()))
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2022-07-20-22-49-48.gh-issue-95066.TuCu0E.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2022-07-20-22-49-48.gh-issue-95066.TuCu0E.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..05ae4a6a2761af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2022-07-20-22-49-48.gh-issue-95066.TuCu0E.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Replaced assert with exception in :func:`ast.parse`, when ``feature_version`` has an invalid major version. Patch by Shantanu Jain.