The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

174 The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context
nomological basis is evident in 4 QMMT as well as in the legal parts
of the Damascus Document.
On the other hand, the Pharisees accepted the Canticle of Canticles
and Daniel as holy scriptures, and in Josephus we find a good many
indications that messianic prophecy was effective among them. Indeed
Josephus himself claims to have appeared before Jerusalem as a
Jeremiah redivivus. In my opinion, the apocalypses of the Syriac
Baruch and 4 Ezra stem from Pharisaic scribes also. Rabbi Aqiba's
interpretation of Num. 24.17 points to Bar Cochba—'A star (kokab)
has come forth out of Jacob', which means 'Kosiba has come forth out
of Jacob'—is based on a typical play on words (raemaez) and can only
be understood as inspired exegesis. 29
One must conclude that the exegesis of the Pharisaic scribes was
surely not as one-sided as Brewer suggests, but that the scribes made
use of the multifarious exegetical forms which were current in
Jerusalem before 70 CE.
Thus one can hardly doubt that also Pharisaic scribes paid tribute to
this many-faceted, prophetic eschatologically 'inspired' exegesis of the
time. After all it was they who were divided on the question of
national revolt, and this means at the same time, on the actualizing
exegesis of prophecy. Zaddok, the co-founder of the zealotic 'Fourth
philosophy' together with Judas the Galilean, was a Pharisee. 30
The catastrophe of the year 70 CE is a key date and Jamnia marks a
new beginning. At this decisive turning point, the period of my tour
d'horizon ends. The lecture must remain unfinished. Too much has
only been mentioned briefly and large areas have been passed over.
The translations are part of these areas, foremost the Septuagint whose
production spans about 300 years and constituted at the same time an
'attempt at exegesis' in Greek language. The same goes for the
Aramaic Targums whose roots surely go back to the time before 70.
I also had to leave out the multiple 'exegetic' literature of Greekspeaking
Judaism, which must not have come into being exclusively in
Alexandria, but stems partly from Palestinian Jews, especially the
great historical works of a Eupolemos, Josephus and Justus of Tiberias.
This literature, beginning with the Septuagint, which reaches its
climax with Philo and Josephus and then breaks off, represents a
unique spiritual-intellectual bridge to the culturally dominant Greek
29. Y. Ta'an4.8, 68d.
30. Josephus, Ant. 18.4.