02-04-2009, 03:11 AM
Shlama all--
I remember questions about the Tri Linear targums came up when Akhan Paul first added them. I know I asked a question or two about them myself as well. I have been researching the Targums though a lot lately regarding my MATARA idea, and I thought it might be helpful to share this information.
1) Genesis through Deuteronomy targums are most definitely that of Onkelos. You can tell because of the extreme literalness of the translation. If it were Pseudo Jonathan's Torah Targum (whom I call Jonathan Ha Qaton) there would be much more exposition and going off on tangents. The Talmud says, "Where the Mikra (official text) is read twice, let the Targum (of Onkelos) be read once."
2) The Book of Ecclesiastes does have a Targum though it is not shown here. The Megillot section was done by a guy known as Joseph the Blind, head of the famous Sora Torah academy in the fourth century. The Megillot includes Ecclesiastes, and also Esther, Song of Songs, Lamentations and Ruth. Two annonymous targums of Esther have also survived.
3) The Major Prophets--Joshua through 2 Kings--is the other authorized Targum. What Onkelos is for the Torah, the REAL Jonathan ben Uzziel is for this section.
4) The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel have no targums. Rabbinic oral tradition is that the reason is two fold. First, the great Jonathan ben Uzziel wanted to do a targum on the Ketuvim but was forbidden by YHWH to do so (paraphrasing), "because in the Ketuvim is the secret of Messiah which cannot be uttered." Jonathan, also according to legend, was called to account for revealing too much of YHWH's secrets in his Targum of the Prophets, so he wasn't about to risk wrath a second time. A more down to earth rabbinic opinion is because these books were already so heavily influence by or had Aramaic within their text that it was unnecessary to interpret them into Aramaic further.
I've put together the first two sections of Genesis in this manner (through the end of chapter 11) and I must say it is a lot of fun.
I remember questions about the Tri Linear targums came up when Akhan Paul first added them. I know I asked a question or two about them myself as well. I have been researching the Targums though a lot lately regarding my MATARA idea, and I thought it might be helpful to share this information.
1) Genesis through Deuteronomy targums are most definitely that of Onkelos. You can tell because of the extreme literalness of the translation. If it were Pseudo Jonathan's Torah Targum (whom I call Jonathan Ha Qaton) there would be much more exposition and going off on tangents. The Talmud says, "Where the Mikra (official text) is read twice, let the Targum (of Onkelos) be read once."
2) The Book of Ecclesiastes does have a Targum though it is not shown here. The Megillot section was done by a guy known as Joseph the Blind, head of the famous Sora Torah academy in the fourth century. The Megillot includes Ecclesiastes, and also Esther, Song of Songs, Lamentations and Ruth. Two annonymous targums of Esther have also survived.
3) The Major Prophets--Joshua through 2 Kings--is the other authorized Targum. What Onkelos is for the Torah, the REAL Jonathan ben Uzziel is for this section.
4) The books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel have no targums. Rabbinic oral tradition is that the reason is two fold. First, the great Jonathan ben Uzziel wanted to do a targum on the Ketuvim but was forbidden by YHWH to do so (paraphrasing), "because in the Ketuvim is the secret of Messiah which cannot be uttered." Jonathan, also according to legend, was called to account for revealing too much of YHWH's secrets in his Targum of the Prophets, so he wasn't about to risk wrath a second time. A more down to earth rabbinic opinion is because these books were already so heavily influence by or had Aramaic within their text that it was unnecessary to interpret them into Aramaic further.
I've put together the first two sections of Genesis in this manner (through the end of chapter 11) and I must say it is a lot of fun.
Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
Andrew Gabriel Roth