The Targums: : A Critical Introduction

THE TARGUMS: A Critical Introduction......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 10
Acknowledgments......Page 14
List of Abbreviations......Page 16
Section I: Getting Started......Page 20
1 Introduction......Page 22
What Is a “Targum”?......Page 26
Brief Description of the Targums......Page 27
Why Study the Targums?......Page 30
Bibliography......Page 36
2 Defining Targum......Page 38
Targums Provide Highly Literal Renderings......Page 42
Targums Add Material in a Seamless Manner......Page 47
Conclusion......Page 55
Bibliography......Page 56
3 The Seven Rules of Targum......Page 58
Conclusion......Page 71
Bibliography......Page 72
Overview of the Rabbinic Period......Page 74
The Rabbis and the Composition of Rabbinic Literature......Page 78
The Literature of the Dual Torah......Page 80
From Mishnah to the Babylonian Talmud......Page 81
The Hebrew Bible and its Commentaries......Page 83
Bibliographical Guide......Page 85
Section II: The Pentateuchal Targums......Page 88
5 Pentateuchal Targums: The Basics......Page 90
The Palestinian Targums......Page 92
Targum Neofiti......Page 93
The Cairo Geniza......Page 94
Fragment Targums......Page 96
Targumic Toseftot......Page 98
Palestinian Targums or Palestinian Targum?......Page 99
Dating of the Palestinian Targums......Page 100
Resources for Studying the Palestinian Targums......Page 101
Targum Onqelos......Page 102
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan......Page 106
Resources for Studying Targum Pseudo-Jonathan......Page 108
6 Sources of the Palestinian Targums......Page 110
The Sources of the Palestinian Targums and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan......Page 114
The Expansions and Sources of Genesis 28-50......Page 116
The Expansions of the Pentateuch......Page 118
What’s the Point? The Themes of Proto-PT and PJ-unique......Page 122
Conclusion......Page 125
7 Targum Onqelos and the Targums of Israel......Page 128
Targum Onqelos and the Proto-PT Source......Page 130
Translation Sources......Page 138
Conclusion......Page 147
8 The Pentateuchal Targums in Rabbinic Literature......Page 150
Targums in the Rabbinic Literature of the Land of Israel......Page 151
Citations of Targums in Palestinian Rabbinic Literature......Page 153
The Targums in Babylonia......Page 158
Onqelos the Proselyte and “Our Targum”......Page 159
Citations of Targum Translations in the Babylonian Talmud......Page 162
Conclusion......Page 168
9 Dating the Targums of Israel......Page 170
The Relationships among the Pentateuchal Targums......Page 173
From Relationships to a Chronological Range......Page 174
Narrowing the Dates of the Pentateuchal Targums......Page 177
Methodological Principles of Dating Targums: Preliminary Considerations......Page 179
A Methodology for Dating Targums: The Case of Pseudo-Jonathan......Page 183
Conclusion......Page 185
Section III: The Targums of the Prophets and the Writings......Page 186
10 Targum Jonathan of the Prophets: Its Development as Revealed by the Targum of Isaiah......Page 188
Introduction to the Targum of Isaiah......Page 192
Prophecy in the Targum of Isaiah......Page 194
The Issue of Prophecy and the Phasal Development of Targum Jonathan......Page 197
The Phases of Targum Jonathan......Page 200
The Messiah in the Tannaitic Framework......Page 202
Eternal Messiah, Eternal Shekhinah in the Amoraic Framework......Page 210
Tannaitic Eschatology, Amoraic Transcendence......Page 215
Bibliography......Page 216
11 Targum Jonathan: Former and Latter Prophets......Page 218
The Targum of the Former Prophets......Page 219
The Targum of Judges......Page 220
The Targums of 1 & 2 Samuel......Page 222
The Targum of Jeremiah......Page 226
The Targum of Ezekiel......Page 232
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi in Targum Jonathan......Page 238
The Bad and the Good of Exile: Hosea, Amos, Nahum, Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah......Page 241
Joel, Jonah, and Habakkuk in Targum Jonathan: The Penitent Return......Page 244
Conclusion......Page 245
Bibliography......Page 246
12 Targums to the Writings......Page 248
Targum as Midrash? The Rules of Targum......Page 250
The Language of the Writings Targums......Page 252
Rabbinic Literature and the Dating of the Writings Targums......Page 254
Targum of Lamentations......Page 256
Targum of Song of Songs (Canticles)......Page 259
Targum of Ecclesiastes (Qohelet)......Page 260
Targum of Ruth......Page 264
Targums of Esther......Page 265
The Targum of Psalms......Page 271
Targum of Job......Page 273
The Targum of Chronicles......Page 275
The Targum of Proverbs......Page 278
Conclusion......Page 279
Bibliography......Page 281
Section IV: The Targums in Late-Antique Judaism......Page 284
13 Aramaic in Judaism......Page 286
The Periods of Old Aramaic and Official Aramaic......Page 287
The Period of Middle Aramaic......Page 289
The Period of Late Aramaic in the Land of Israel......Page 294
The Period of Late Aramaic in Babylonia......Page 296
Aramaic in the Medieval and Modern Periods......Page 298
Excursus: What Dialect of Aramaic Did Jesus Speak?......Page 299
Bibliography......Page 301
14 Targums and Translation in the History of Rabbinic Literature......Page 304
Translating Scripture in the Synagogue Service......Page 306
Reading and Translating the Esther Megillah......Page 316
Censoring Scripture......Page 322
Tranlation Technique......Page 324
Greek, Aramaic or All Languages?......Page 328
The Sacred Status of Written Translations......Page 335
Targums in Teaching and Study......Page 338
Conclusion......Page 341
Targum as Scripture’s Meaning......Page 344
Targum as Hidden Interpretation......Page 348
Targum Is Not Midrash......Page 352
Conclusion......Page 357
16 Ancient Scripture Translations......Page 358
Ancient Scripture Translation......Page 360
The Samaritan Targum......Page 362
Biblical Translations by Palestinian Christians......Page 367
The Qumran Aramaic Version of Job......Page 370
The Peshitta......Page 375
The Septuagint......Page 387
The Vulgate as a Translation......Page 393
Conclusion......Page 397
Bibliographic Guide......Page 399
Section V: The Targums and Early Christianity......Page 402
17 Comparing the Targums and the New Testament......Page 404
Four Types of Comparison between the Targumim and the New Testament......Page 408
Affinity 1— Comparisons Based on Common Wording......Page 409
Affinity 2. Comparisons of Common Understanding......Page 413
Affinity 3. Comparisons of Common, Named, Theological Concepts......Page 414
Affinity 4. Comparisons of Common Themes......Page 418
Conclusion......Page 423
18 The Aramaic Retroversion of Jesus Sayings......Page 428
The Aramaic Retroversion of the Lord’s Prayer......Page 432
Step 1: Choosing the Passage......Page 433
Step 2. The Translated Retroversion and Its Interpretation......Page 435
Conclusion......Page 439
19 The Fourth Gospel and Targumic Memra......Page 442
Previous Discussion of Memra in Relation to John’s Gospel......Page 444
The Memra in John's Gospel......Page 448
Section VI: Conclusions and Prospects......Page 456
20 Genesis 22 in the Targumim and in Early Jewish and Christian Interpretation......Page 458
The Sacrifice of Isaac in the Biblical Text......Page 460
The Aqedah in Post-Biblical and Rabbinic Judaism......Page 462
The Sacrifice of Isaac in Targum Onqelos......Page 472
The Aqedah in the Palestinian Targums......Page 475
The Aqedah in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan......Page 482
The Aqedah in Christianity......Page 487
Bibliography......Page 491
21 Targums in the Rabbinic World and Beyond......Page 494
Targums in the Geonic and Medieval Periods......Page 495
Targums and Translations Beyond Aramaic......Page 498
Modern Targums? Scripture Films and Biblical Stories......Page 506
Appendix A: The Parallel Expansions of Genesis 28-50......Page 514
Appendix B: A Guide to Babylonian Pointing......Page 518
Glossary......Page 520
Bibliography......Page 530
Index......Page 560