The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

212 The Aramaic Bible: Tar gums in their Historical Context
Genesis 15.11: nm3K orratf nniN nm« 30'i 3eh n'-usn D'-usn ^s ^ c'^n gran ITI ITT (= And when the
fowls [= CTJJ] came down upon the carcases, Abraham drove them away).
Fragment Targum (Ms. Paris): ]ipy jipy is 13 'im 'im Nintn «ir»n WIIID'TO wniD'pn p'» ]13'» ]"*?'« ]"•?'«
]inn' prr ^020 ^030 «p'i* amain nma»n rvrvor 'TRIO' '33 ^a 'w KP'P
HP'S (= They are the kingdoms
of the earth and when they take counsel [= »B':>] against the people
of Israel the merits of Abraham the righteous will cancel them).
Only the Aramaic ear will appreciate the word-play between CD'^ and
»BT. This tradition could of course be imported into Targum from
elsewhere, but its existence in the Targums alone 19 adds strength to
the assumption that the Meturgemanim are its progenitors.
Likewise the assumption that the Meturgeman will not render into
Aramaic a verse by means of another verse yet to be read and translated;
a verse coming later in the sequence of the biblical narrative.
The Meturgeman is unable to do many things that the preacher can do
with abandon, such as suggest alternative and even contradictory
interpretations. The Meturgeman cannot render only one part of the
verse and ignore the rest, nor can he be indifferent to context. And he
certainly cannot skip over an entire verse or wrest it out of its biblical
sequence. All this to name but a few of the qualifications binding the
hands, as it were, of the Meturgemanim. Aggadic traditions in the
Targums that came into being on the basis of such qualifications could
not therefore be considered as targumic in origin.
Differentiation between that which 'is by its nature un-targumic',
though embedded in the Targums before us, and between that which
does not reveal its un-targumic identifying marks, is to travel, of
course, along the via negativa of old. Yet the virtues of this method
were recognized long before us today. Combing the Targums through
and through in the light of such negative deductions will ultimately
isolate a group of traditions reasonable claimed as the creation of the
Meturgemanim. We shall succeed thereby in bringing these sacerdotal
figures of ancient Judaism all the more sharply into focus. This group
of traditions will better illuminate the world outlook of the
Meturgemanim and the nature of their congregations and will aid in
clarifying their affinity to the world of midrash and the Bet Midrash.
Lastly, this group of traditions will be of no small help in summoning
before our eyes the ancient Jewish community in its full and measured
stature.
19. Cf. Brayer, 'Pentateuchal Targum', p. 119.