THE PENTATEUCHAL TARGUMS: A REDACTION HISTORY AND GENESIS 1: 26-27 IN THE EXEGETICAL CONTEXT OF FORMATIVE JUDAISM by GUDRUN ELISABETH LIER THESIS Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR LITTERARUM ET PHILOSOPHIAE in SEMITIC LANGUAGES AND CULTURES in the FACULTY OF HUMANITIES at the UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG PROMOTER: PROF. J.F. JANSE VAN RENSBURG APRIL 2008 ABSTRACT THE PENTATEUCHAL TARGUMS: A REDACTION HISTORY AND GENESIS 1: 26-27 IN THE EXEGETICAL CONTEXT OF FORMATIVE JUDAISM This thesis combines Targum studies with Judaic studies. First, secondary sources were examined and independent research was done to ascertain the historical process that took place in the compilation of extant Pentateuchal Targums (Fragment Targum [Recension P, MS Paris 110], Neofiti 1, Onqelos and Pseudo-Jonathan). Second, a framework for evaluating Jewish exegetical practices within the age of formative Judaism was established with the scrutiny of midrashic texts on Genesis 1: 26-27. Third, individual targumic renderings of Genesis 1: 26-27 were compared with the Hebrew Masoretic text and each other and then juxtaposed with midrashic literature dating from the age of formative Judaism. Last, the outcome of the second and third step was correlated with findings regarding the historical process that took place in the compilation of the Targums, as established in step one. The findings of the summative stage were also juxtaposed with the linguistic characterizations of the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project (CAL) of Michael Sokoloff and his colleagues. The thesis can report the following findings: (1) Within the age of formative Judaism pharisaic sages and priest sages assimilated into a new group of Jewish leadership known as ‘rabbis’. Under the direction of these scholars, Pentateuchal Targums were collectively and purposefully redacted for use in liturgical, educational ABSTRACT or halakhic contexts. This finding counters the alternative view that priestly groups remained distinct from rabbinic circles until the fourth century C.E. and that priests alone were responsible for the compilation of Targum Pseudo-Jonathan. (2) The analysis of midrashic literature revealed different modes of exegesis used by Tannaim and Amoraim, thus providing information on the time and context wherein midrashic passages were compiled. When midrashic passages were then juxtaposed with individual renderings of Genesis 1: 26-27, it became possible to obtain more specific information on the dating and purpose for which extant Pentateuchal Targums were compiled. (3) The comparison of targumic renderings of Genesis 1: 26-27 with the Hebrew Masoretic Text and each other challenges the assumption that all extant Targums were compiled for the Synagogue. In Fragment Targum and Neofiti 1, haggadic rendering goes together with the popular Aramaic dialect used in Synagogue services, while the use of Standard Literary Aramaic employed in the context of halakhic decision-making characterizes the literal rendering of Targum Onqelos. The use of different dialects in Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (PJ) in conjunction with an expansive rendering of Genesis 1: 26-27, which concurs with rhetorical arguments of Palestinian Amoraim in the Palestinian Talmud and Genesis Rabbah, may be an indication that PJ was used for educational purposes. CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT CONTENTS i ABBREVIATIONS vi LABELS USED IN THE THESIS xii ELECTRONIC TEXTS xvii TRANSLITERATION OF CONSONANTS xix CHAPTER 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Aramaic Dialects 18 1.2 Discussion of Selected Primary and Secondary Sources 20 1.3 Terminology and Methodology 21 1.4 Motivation for Chapters 2-8 24 CHAPTER 2 A HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR PENTATEUCHAL 27 TARGUMS 2.1 ‘Targum’ as Defined by Scholars 30 2.2 Categories of Pentateuchal Targums 31 2.3 Theories Concerning Oral and Written Targums 32 2.4 The Impact of the Destruction of the Second Temple on 42 Judaism 2.4.1 The standardization of the Synagogue liturgy 42 2.4.1.1 The exigency for standardization 43 i 2.4.1.2 Synagogue functions before and after the Destruction 44 2.4.2 The ‘house of study’ after the Destruction 47 2.4.3 The emergence of an innovative new leadership 48 2.4.3.1 The increasing influence of pharisaic sages 49 2.4.4 The term ‘rabbi’ as title 58 2.4.4.1 Different rabbinic titles 60 2.4.5 Who provided the leadership in Palestinian Synagogues? 60 2.4.5.1 Different leaders in post-Temple Synagogues in Palestine 62 2.4.6 Two forms of study 67 2.4.6.1 Two religious groupings: strict and lenient 68 2.5 Pentateuchal Targums: Different Dialects Dissimilar 72 Designs 2.5.1 The use of Aramaic Bible translations 72 2.5.2 The prohibition on writing 73 2.5.3 Fixed authorized Aramaic renditions 76 2.5.3.1 Targumic rendering in the Synagogue 77 2.5.3.2 The meturgeman 79 2.5.3.3 Liturgical and scholarly Targums 83 2.5.4 The function of Proto-O 85 2.5.5 A proposed theory of standardized liturgical Targums 87 2.5.6 The case for academic Targums 89 2.6 Summative: The Relation between Targums and Rabbinic 91 Academies CHAPTER 3 THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF TARGUMIC 95 ii INTERPRETATION OF GENESIS 1: 26-27 CHAPTER 4 A MIDRASHIC FRAMEWORK FOR RENDERINGS OF 106 GENESIS 1: 26-27 4.1 The Concept of God’s Unity and Uniqueness 116 4.2 Midrash Defined in Correspondence with Gen. 1: 26-27 117 4.3 A Systematic Analysis of Gen. 1: 26-27 in Midrashim 119 4.3.1 Gen. 1: 26-27 in Mek. Pischa 14 and GenR 8: 11 120 4.3.2 Gen. 1: 26-27 and the identification of polytheistic exegeses 130 141 דמות Gen. 1: 26-27 and the aspect of 4.3.3 4.4 Midrashic Exegeses of Gen 1: 26-27: A Comparative 154 Summary CHAPTER 5 GENESIS 1: 26-27 ACCORDING TO FRAGMENT 159 TARGUM (RECENSION P, MS PARIS 110) AND NEOFITI 1 5.1 Current Scholarly Views on FragTarg (Recension P, MS 159 Paris 110) and Neofiti 1 5.2 The Theological Emphasis of Liturgical Targums 160 5.3 FragTarg (Recension P, MS Paris 110) 162 5.3.1 Conclusive Remarks on FragTarg 174 5.4 Neofiti 1 174 5.4.1 Neofiti’s rendering of Gen. 1: 26-27 178 5.4.1.1 Gen. 1: 26 179 iii 5.4.1.2 Gen. 1: 27 187 5.5 Conclusive Remarks on FragTarg and N 189 CHAPTER 6 TARGUM ONQELOS AND GENESIS 1: 26-27 191 6.1 TO and the Rendering of Gen. 1: 26-27 192 6.2 Exegetical and Historical Relationships in TO 222 CHAPTER 7 PSEUDO-JONATHAN AND THE RENDERING OF 225 GENESIS 1: 26-27 7.1 PJ’s Composite Arrangement 226 7.1.1 Different layers in PJ 226 7.1.2 Dialectical differences in PJ 228 7.2 The Integrated Character of PJ 231 7.3 Rabbinic Learning in Formative Judaism and PJ 234 7.4 Gen. 1: 26-27 in PJ 241 7.4.1 Gen. 1: 26 in PJ 244 7.4.1.1 Gen. 1: 26 in PJ and midrashic traditions 244 7.4.2 Gen. 1: 27 in PJ 251 7.4.2.1 Gen. 1: 27 in PJ and midrashic traditions 253 7.5 Exegetical and Historical Relationships in PJ Gen. 1: 26- 262 27 7.6 The Problem of Priestly Entitlements in PJ 265 7.7 Conclusive Remarks in Matters of PJ Gen. 1: 26-27 269 iv CHAPTER 8 SUMMARY AND GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 274 BIBLIOGRAPHY BOOKS, ARTICLES AND BOOK REVIEWS 283 APPENDIX 306 v ABBREVIATIONS General observations Full stops are retained for initials in personal names: G.E. Lier (without a space between the G. and the E.). Spaces are retained after any abbreviation which is followed by a full stop: p. 43. p. and pp. as abbreviations for ‘page(s)’ are avoided except where there is real danger of confusion. Full stops are omitted in contractions (i.e. where the last letter of the word is retained), e.g. Dr, St, eds, vols, including contractions of titles of biblical books. Otherwise a final full stop is included. Abbreviations end with a full stop only if the abbreviation ends with a letter other than the last letter of the name. General abbreviations follow the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (6th edition). The following are used: c. (circa), ed./eds (edition/editions), fn. (footnote), frg./frgs (fragment/fragments), n.d. (no date of publication), n.p. (no place of publication), n.s. (new series), o.s. (old series), vol./vols (volume/volumes) , cf. (compare), e.g. (for example), ff. (following further), i.e. (that is), cent. (century). The terms i.e. and e.g. are not followed by a comma. Abbreviations of journal titles and well-known encyclopaedias, etc. use the commonly used abbreviations, but are not abbreviated in the bibliography. vi Abbreviations in ancient sources Names of biblical books are abbreviated when both chapter and verse are given, otherwise not: Gen. 1: 26, Genesis 1, Genesis 1-6. Biblical abbreviations Gen., Exod., Lev., Num., Deut., Josh., Judg., Ruth, 1 Sam., 2 Sam., 1 Kgs, 2 Kgs, 1 Chron., 2 Chron., Ezra, Neh., Esth., Job, Ps./Pss, Prov., Eccl., Song, Isa., Jer., Lam., Ezek., Dan., Hos., Joel, Amos, Obad., Jon., Mic., Nah., Hab., Zeph., Hag., Zech., Mal., Matt., Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Rom., 1 Cor., 2 Cor., Gal., Eph., Phil., Col., 1 Thess., 2 Thess., 1 Tim., 2 Tim., Tit., Phlm., Heb., Jas, 1 Pet., 2 Pet., 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Rev. Josephus Antiq. = Antiquities of the Jews War = The Wars of the Jews Life = The Life of Flavious Josephus Apion = Against Apion Specific abbreviations Abbreviations which consist of sets of initials (JSS), no full stops are used.