The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

HAYWARD A Portrait of the Wicked Esau 309
the other Targums, for example in Gen. 25.21 and in Gen. 25.31, 33,
where its translation of kayyom as 'now' coincides with LXX's 'today'.
This seems to be a very old rendering, and quite naive given the legal
point at issue, carelessly preserved, hardly a deliberate anti-halakhic
ploy. Such would only involve a major contradiction with the rest of
the Targum, and would allow for a favourable view of Esau which is
not found elsewhere in Neofiti. And as we saw in the discussion of
Gen. 25.23, where Hebrew 'peoples' become 'kingdoms', there is evidence
within the Neofiti tradition to suggest that the present rendering
may have been adopted in preference to another, for particular theological
purposes.
Yet throughout our study we have been careful to exercise caution.
It does, indeed, seem possible to separate layers of interpretation in
Neofiti's picture of Esau, and to offer some sort of dating of them
relative to one another. Absolute dates are quite another matter, and
in this instance are probably impossible to determine, since we do not
know for certain when the equation of Esau with Rome was actually
established. 38 What does seem clear, however, is that the text of
Neofiti's Esau material, as we possess it, dates most likely from some
time in the talmudic period.
38. It was certainly known to St Jerome, Comm. in lesaiam 21.11-12; but how
much older than his time it may be is disputed. J. Neusner, From Enemy to Sibling:
Rome and Israel in the First Century of Western Civilization (New York, 1986),
dates it to the fifth century, but Jerome's evidence suggests an earlier origin for it.
Feldman ('Josephus' Portrait', pp. 130-33) argues that Josephus knew of it, and
that it may be traced back as far as Philo; but it would seem that it became current in
rabbinic circles only at the time of the Second Revolt: see Cohen, 'Esau as Symbol',
pp. 22-23; and M.D. Herr, 'Edom', EncJud, VI, cols. 379-80.