Rabbis, Language and Translation in Late Antiquity

List of figures and tables x
Acknowledgements xi
List of abbreviations xiii
Introduction 1
I Multilingualism and the holy tongue 9
1 The family of languages 11
1.1 Adamic language and etymology 11
1.2 The linguistic unity lost in Babel 22
1.3 The seventy languages and the one 29
2 The holy tongue 42
2.1 The holy tongue in Qumran 45
2.2 The holy tongue in the Mishna 51
2.3 Justifying ritual language 58
2.4 Reciting the Shema 67
2.5 Context and language selection 72
2.6 Mishna and Tosefta in comparison 81
2.7 The new relevance of the holy tongue 89
3 The multilingual context of language selection 100
3.1 Epigraphy and the use of languages 101
3.2 The popular command of Hebrew 109
3.3 The forms of code-switching 116
3.4 The context of translation 122
3.5 Angels, Aramaic and the Amida 126
3.6 Language selection matters 137
II The locus of translation 139
4 The terminology of translation 141
תרגום 4.1 ‘translation, declamation’ 142
תרגם 4.2 ‘to translate; interpret; declaim’ 145
תורגמן ,מתורגמן 4.3 ‘interpreter; public speaker’ 158
לכתוב (ב)לשון 4.4 ‘to write a translation’ 168
4.5 Conclusion 169
5 Chanting the Scriptures 171
5.1 Targum as miqra’s antiphon 173
5.2 The use of Greek Scriptures 185
5.3 The exclusion of pericopes 201
5.4 Conclusions 218
6 Between Holy Writ and Oral Tora 220
6.1 The oral circulation of texts 221
6.2 The construction of targum as Oral Tora 225
6.3 Traces of targum as Holy Writ 232
6.4 Consolidating the text of translation 258
6.5 The paradigm shift 265
7 Ashurit and alphabet 271
7.1 The origin of Ashurit 275
7.2 The requirement of Ashurit 286
7.3 Squaring up to the Mishna 291
7.4 The binary oppositions of b. Meg. 8b–9b 304
7.5 Ashurit and alphabet 321
III Rabbis and translation 323
8 Targum in Talmud 325
8.1 Structure, formats and distribution 327
8.2 As Rav Yoseph translates 332
8.3 As we translate 364
8.4 Rabbinic quotations of Aquila’s translation 387
8.5 Here they interpret … 399
8.6 Unmarked translations 405
8.7 Palestinian Targum 414
8.8 The footage of targum in Talmud 427
9 The faces of Aquila 434
9.1 The zealous convert 435
9.2 The illustrious interpreter 437
9.3 The anxieties of a proselyte 442
9.4 The son of a colonist 449
9.5 The justification for translation 476
9.6 Screening Aquila 497
Conclusion 500
Appendix 508
Bibliography 518