Retelling the Story of Esther in Targum Sheni in Light of Septuagint Traditions

Retelling the Story of Esther in Targum Sheni in Light of Septuagint Traditions – Main Outlines

Beate Ego

I Introduction: Theologisation in Targum Sheni and the Septuagint

Targum Sheni on Megillat Esther can be characterised as a targum with a mul- tiplicity of haggadic expansions and embellishments. These expansions aim to create a theologisation of the Hebrew Esther narrative by introducing God into the story. This effort is quite obvious because the biblical story does not make any explicit references to divine action or interference. Since the Hebrew Esther story contains numerous narrative gaps, the story itself challenges its recipients to create a transcendent background of the whole plot which deals with Israel’s deadly threats and divine rescue. Similarly, in the Septuagint with its numerous traditions, the Esther mate- rial undergoes a theologisation, too: as it is well known, the Septuagint gen- erally emphasises certain features of the biblical Esther narrative by adding passages like a prayer performed by Mordecai and one by Esther, both plead- ing to God for salvation (C 1–11; C 12–30). These additions furthermore contain King Ahasuerus’s decree of annihilation (B 1–7) and the king’s counter edict on behalf of the Jews (E 1–24), both of which also contain theological elements. Mordecai’s dream frames this tradition, with the actual dream at the beginning of the story (A 1–11) and its interpretation at the end (F 1–10). Finally, we should remember that Est 5 and its description of Esther’s visit to King Ahasuerus dif- fers significantly from its biblical original.1 Within the topic of “The Targums in Light of Traditions of the Second Temple Period” the question arises as to whether Targum Sheni’s ideas of

1 Cf. a.o. Otto Kaiser, Die alttestamentlichen Apokryphen. Eine Einleitung in Grundzügen (Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 2000), 46f.; Ulrike Mittmann-Richert, “Historische und legendarische Erzählungen”, in Jüdische Schriften aus hellenistisch-römischer Zeit. Supplementa, Vol. 6. (eds. Hermann Lichtenberger and Gerbern S. Oegema; Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus, 2000), 97; Erich Zenger, “Das Buch Ester”, in Einleitung in das Alte Testament (eds. Erich Zenger et al.; 8th edit. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2012), 377–378; Carey A. Moore, Daniel, Esther and Jeremiah: the additions; a new translation with introduction and commentary (AncB 44; Garden City N.y.: Doubleday, 1977), 153–168. I would like to thank Ms. Judith Spangenberg, Osnabrück, for translating the manuscript.

theologisation can be traced back to the Septuagint and the Second Temple period and – if this is the case – how Targum Sheni has been receiving and reviving these older traditions in its contemporary context of post-temple Judaism.

II God’s Power in History and the Protagonists’ Piety as Central Motifs of Theologisation – A Comparison of Targum Sheni and the Septuagint

As already presented in my habilitation thesis, theologisation in Targum Sheni is comprised of quite different components, i.e. God’s power in history and the protagonists’ piety and integrity.2 As it will be shown in this paper, both motifs are intermingled. a God’s Power in History Whereas the biblical Esther narration does not explicitly mention God at any point, Targum Sheni portrays God as the master of history. The meturgeman lists numerous events of Israel’s history that tell of Israel’s victories brought about with God’s help, e.g. the victory over the Egyptians, Amalek and Sisera, which induce Esther to intercede before the king. This illustrates that the entire history is determined by the workings of God. Towards the end of his list, the meturgeman refers to the present and the conflict with Haman, and concludes: “Now He that has done miracles for Israel at all times, He will deliver our ene- mies into our hands, and we shall do with him as we so please” (2Tg Est 4:13).3 Mordecai and Esther, however, are not the only ones who refer to God’s previous salvific deeds; the historical impact is also known to Israel’s ene- mies, and plays an important role in their thinking. Zeresh, wife of Haman, reminds her husband of many dangers, e.g. the fiery furnace or the lion’s den from which members of the Israelite people were delivered. Concerning Mor- decai, the gallows seem to be the sole appropriate mode of death4 since this

2 Beate Ego, Targum Scheni zu Ester. Übersetzung, Kommentar und theologische Deutung (TSAJ 54; Tübingen: Mohr, 1996). 3 Quoted according to the translation by Bernard Grossfeld, The Two Targums of Esther, Translated, with Apparatus and Notes (AramB 18, Edinburgh: T & T Clark Ltd, 1991), 157. Cf. also 2Tg Est 5:1, which contains a prayer by Esther that includes the names of the three men in the fiery furnace. See in this context also 2Tg Est 4:1 according to which Nebuchadnezzar remembers Sennacherib’s defeat and is therefore afraid to attack Israel. 4 2Tg Est 5:14.