The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

McNAMARA Glazier-Liturgical Press Aramaic Bible Project 105
Targums. 17 Between 1978 and 1980 a French translation of the
Palestinian Targum of Codex Neofiti 1 and of Pseudo-Jonathan made
by R. Le Deaut and J. Robert was published (Genesis, 1978; Exodus
and Leviticus, 1979; Numbers, 1979; Deuteronomy, 1980). 18
The situation in 1980 regarding English translations of the Targums
fell far behind that of other branches of Jewish literature for which
good modern English translations had been available for some time,
e.g. Canon Herbert Danby's translation of the Mishnah, 19 the Soncino
translation of the Babylonian Talmud from 1935 onwards under the
editorship of I. Epstein; 20 the Soncino translation of the Midrash
Rabbah under the editorship of H. Freedman and Maurer Simon from
1939 onwards, 21 not to speak of Jacob Neusner's translation of the
Tosefta (1977, 1981, ongoing), 22 and his ongoing work on the English
translation of the Palestinian Talmud. 23 The published Qumran
writings have also been made available in easily accessible English
translations, for instance that of Geza Vermes. 24
An obvious desideratum in the field of Targum was at least a usable
English translation of the Palestinian Targums of the Pentateuch, or
even of all the Pentateuch Targums (including Onqelos), and if this
was not possible, then at least of the more paraphrastic sections of
these Targums.
During the late 1960s and in the 1970s I was interested in bringing
out a translation of the Palestinian Targums—in conjunction with the
publication of the editio princeps of Codex Neofiti 1. The work that
was published under the title Targum and Testament. Aramaic
17. M.L. Klein, Genizah Manuscripts of Palestinian Targum to the Pentateuch
(2 vols.; Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986).
18. R. Le D6aut and J. Robert, Targum du Pentateuque. Traduction des deux
recensions palestiniennes completes avec introduction, paralleles, notes et index
(4 vols.; Sources Chretiennes 235, 256, 261, 271; Paris: Cerf, 1978, 1979, 1979,
1980).
19. The Mishnah (trans. H. Danby; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1933).
20. The Babylonian Talmud (ed. I. Epstein; 18 vols.; London: Soncino, 1978).
21. The Midrash Rabbah (ed. H. Freedman and M. Simon; 5 vols.; London:
Soncino, 1977).
22. J. Neusner, The Tosefta (6 vols., 1977-86).
23. J. Neusner, The Talmud of the Land of Israel (Chicago, 1982).
24. G. Vermes, The Dead Sea Scrolls in English (Harmondsworth: Penguin
Books, 1975).