3.2. CLIMA SOCIAL
3.2.4. Características del clima social
The word targum is Hebrew, but not found in the OT. It is an Aramaic paraphrase, or interpretative translation, of some part of the OT. After the Babylonian captivity, Aramaic gradually came to replace Hebrew as the native tongue of the Jewish people, and so their understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures diminished. As Scripture grew more and more important in Jewish society, it was considered a guide to faith and there was the need to translate it for the man in the street to understand. So, in the synagogue began the practice of following the reading of the
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Law with an oral Aramaic translation of it.
The development of the synagogue and its ritual was slow, and it is impossible to establish a certain date for its commencement. But it is possible that we find its inception in Neh 8:8, where the word ‘clearly’
may mean ‘with interpretation’. This custom was established before the birth of Christ. The translator was known as ‘methurgeman’, and his paraphrase as ‘targum’. The Targum were oral in their origins. And when it was read to him, the uninformed worshipper might have invested the translation with the same authority as Scripture itself.
But it need not be doubted that there were fairly fixed traditions;
and when at length they were committed to writing there must have been plenty of traditional material to be utilised.
One of the written Targums is the book of Job that existed in the 1st Christian century. W e a l s o h a v e e x t a n t Targums o f all the OT texts with the exception of Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah. There are many uncompleted Pentateuch, such as Targum Onkelos and two
‘Jeremiah’ or Palestinian Targums. In the Palestinian Targums, we have the book of Prophets that includes Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings.
Apart from the above named Targums, we have Targum Jonathan ben Uzzieh named after an author that lived in the first century BCE. One of the Jerusalem Targums on the Pentateuch was mistakenly given the name of Jonathan ben Uzziel during the 4th century; and t i l l date, it is s t i l l referred to as ‘Pseudo-Jonathan.
Targum J o n a t h a n b e n U z z i e h is easier in interpretation than
‘Pseudo–Jonathan. However, scholars have observed that ‘Pseudo–
Jonathan uses popular stories that had grown up around biblical persons and events. For instance, in it, you find the following changes in biblical names: Shinar (Gen 11:2) becomes Babel (that is Babylon). Again, figurative language is explained with explanatory additions where essential and attempts are made to weed out Anthropomorphisms. For instance, in Gen 1:26, man was created in the image of angels, not of God; and actions on God’s part were attributed to the ‘Word of God’, or the ‘Glory of God’, or some other things.
The usefulness of Targums: The Targums are useful for the light they throw upon Jewish traditional interpretations, especially methods of interpretation. For example, a story in Isaiah was paraphrased in the Targum Jonathan thus: The ‘suffering Servant’ was called the Messiah, while other sufferings are perhaps removed or transferred to the people of Israel or to her enemies. This passage could be identified with the same made by Jesus Christ. However, to him, the sufferings were essential for the Servant and for the Messiah’s mission and ministry.
81 SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Account for the discovery of the early text of the Hebrew Scripture
4.0 CONCLUSION
The biblical Manuscripts were discovered in caves around Wadi Qumran in 1947. The original manuscripts that were discovered include a complete manuscript of Isaiah. Texts from Qumran were of a pre- Christian era.
The Murabba’at and Masada represent the Orthodox rabbinic transmission from the second century CE. The Cairo Genizah text was discovered in 1890.
The Hebrew Pentateuch preserved by the Samaritans is derived from the ancient text Abihu’s M S is regarded as the oldest text among others. It is ascribed to a great-grand son of Aaron. The first copy of the Samaritan Pentateuch reached Europe in 1616. Targums are Aramaic paraphrase of the OT and contain popular stories that had grown out of biblical persons and events.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this unit, you have learnt that the Biblical Manuscripts discovered in various caves around Wadi Qumran towards the northwest of the Dead Sea in 1947 constitute an independent witness to the reliability of the transmission of the accepted texts. You have also learnt that the Hebrew Pentateuch preserved by the Samaritans is derived from the ancient text and that it reached Europe in 1616. You have also learnt that the Targums were oral in origins before the came later t o b e written.
6.0 TUTOR – MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1. How does the discovery of the DSS affect the OT textual transmission debate?
2. Discuss the contributions of the Samaritan Pentateuch to the search for the original MSS.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Douglas, J.D. el at (1979) The New Bible Dictionary. Bungay, Suffolk: Richard Clay (The Chancer press ) Ltd.
The British and Foreign Bible Society (1971). The Bible (Revised Standard
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Version) Glasgow; Caledonian International Book Manufacturing Ltd.
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UNIT 4 THE MANUSCRIPTS OF THE NEW