18.07.2013 Views

The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

314 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Aramaic</strong> <strong>Bible</strong>: Tar gums <strong>in</strong> <strong>their</strong> <strong>Historical</strong> <strong>Context</strong><br />

render<strong>in</strong>g 'he will stand <strong>in</strong> need of everybody, and men will also be <strong>in</strong><br />

need of him'. This is a salient po<strong>in</strong>t of difference between Targum<br />

Onqelos and the Palest<strong>in</strong>ian <strong>Targums</strong> although Targum Onqelos's. <strong>in</strong>o<br />

may actually also mean 'rebel'.<br />

For Esau, the situation is different. He receives appellatives, such as<br />

'the wicked' (Ps.-J. Gen. 29.17) and 'slayer'—much <strong>in</strong> the style of<br />

Jubilees. <strong>The</strong> latter is actually his self-designation <strong>in</strong> Ps.-J. Gen. 27.41,<br />

where he fosters plans to slay Jacob (<strong>in</strong> order to rema<strong>in</strong> Isaac's sole<br />

<strong>in</strong>heritor). Otherwise he is seen as the 'leader' or the 'father' of the<br />

Idumaeans: Ps.-J. Gen. 36.8 etc. Targum Onqelos holds fast to the<br />

Hebrew biblical toponyms Edom and Seir (Ps.-J, N: 'Gabla').<br />

As <strong>in</strong> the Hebrew <strong>Bible</strong>, it is above all <strong>in</strong> the narrative sections that<br />

the 'true' character of Ishmael and Esau is revealed also <strong>in</strong> the<br />

<strong>Targums</strong>. <strong>The</strong>ir deeds and utterances betray the quality of the <strong>in</strong>ner<br />

man. Indicative of this are the utterances put <strong>in</strong> <strong>their</strong> mouth at crucial<br />

moments. However, as a closer look at the narrative contexts bears<br />

out, the variety of stories accentuate different facets of <strong>their</strong> nature.<br />

Often the Targumists' own arguments are thereby brought to the fore,<br />

for example, under a certa<strong>in</strong> theologoumenon whereby Ishmael or<br />

Esau may act the devil's advocates <strong>in</strong> verbal disputes. On such occasions<br />

Ishmael and Esau seem to take on different personalities <strong>in</strong> different<br />

textual entities.<br />

To sum up, Pseudo-Jonathan shares some traits with ancient sources<br />

like Jubilees (and also Josephus) regard<strong>in</strong>g Ishmael and Esau. For<br />

<strong>in</strong>stance, these three sources show a fair and generous attitude towards<br />

Ishmael before Isaac is born. <strong>The</strong> difference is that Pseudo-Jonathan's<br />

attitude undergoes a much stronger shift, from generosity to contempt<br />

and even condemnation. <strong>The</strong> ethno-geographical factor may long have<br />

determ<strong>in</strong>ed the attitude taken towards Ishmael and Esau. <strong>The</strong> Book of<br />

Jubilees would seem to reflect periods of chang<strong>in</strong>g relationships<br />

between the Jews and <strong>their</strong> neighbours, sometimes at ease, sometimes<br />

at war. At least <strong>in</strong> the case of Esau, however, the peaceful coexistence<br />

is seen as a th<strong>in</strong>g of the past, the warlike conditions gradually tak<strong>in</strong>g<br />

over and term<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g that peaceful period. For Josephus, Ishmael and<br />

Esau still represented the foreign peoples allocated to regions outside<br />

(although adjacent to) the land of Israel. For its part, Pseudo-Jonathan<br />

adds a theological motivation for <strong>their</strong> deposition and removal:<br />

Ishmael's idolatry (ch. 21) and Esau's heresy (ch. 25) brought about<br />

<strong>their</strong> dissociation from the true Israel, the community of Abraham,

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!