The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context
The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context
DlEZ MERINO Targum Manuscripts and Critical Editions 83 (except for the Complutensian Targum Onqelos published in the vol. I of the Complutensian Polyglot) can be found in the list of MSS given above when we examined the Sephardic tradition of the Aramaic Bible, which is represented as far as we know today by the Targum Onqelos of the Complutensian Polyglot, Antwerp Polyglot and MS 100 of Paris National Library. In the original edition 600 or more copies were printed (Pope's Prologue: 'usque ad sexcenta volumina vel amplius'), but most of them were lost at sea when taken to Italy, 75 and this was the reason for the new edition in the Antwerp Polyglot, also paid for by the Spanish king Philip II. This Complutensian Polyglot has been more recently reproduced in Rome, by the Spanish Biblical Foundation in 1,000 copies, and is still available in Valencia (Spain) at the Spanish Biblical Association. The Aramaic text presented by the Complutensian Polyglot has to be examined: (a) because it was made upon reliable MSS, whose identity has not yet been discovered, but were very old and correct; (b) because the transcription was made with fidelity, and not with editorial aims of analogy with other biblical texts, as can be said of the Antwerp or London Polyglots. The Antwerp Polyglot. Christophe Plantin (ca. 1520-1589) was a French Humanist, printer and publisher. He was a Catholic, but his Protestant sympathies led him (1549) to the more congenial atmosphere of Antwerp (Spanish Netherlands). He started his work as a publisher about 1555, and was, after Daniel Bomberg, the outstanding sixteenth-century Christian printer of Hebrew books. Plan tin's greatest publishing achievement was the eight-volume Antwerp Polyglot: Biblia Sacra hebraice, chaldaice, graece et latine..., 1568-72), presented as an improved and expanded version of the first Spanish Polyglot Bible, namely the Complutensian Bible (Alcala de Henares, 1513-1517). The Pope's approval was given in 1568. The four volumes devoted to the Old Testament included revised texts of the Targums, and a Latin translation; the fifth covered the New Testament; and the three last volumes constituted the Apparatus Sacer, which included pioneering lexicons of Syriac and Aramaic. The introductions to the first volume, inspired by the prefaces to Daniel 75. 'Carta del Rey Felipe II al Duque de Alba con el Doctor Arias Montano', in Instruction, Memorias de la R.A. de la Historia (Madrid 7, 1832), p. 144.
84 The Aramaic Bible: Targums in their Historical Context Bomberg's second Rabbinic Bible (1525), contain interesting Hebrew panegyrics by Benito Arias Montano, Guy Le Fevre de la Boderie, and Gilbert Genebrard. Of the 1,200 copies printed, 12 sets on vellum were prepared for Philip II of Spain, who made Plantin his Royal Architypographer. Benito Arias Montano (1527-1598) was ordained a priest and became a member of the Order of Santiago. In 1568 King Philip II of Spain appointed him first director of the Escorial Library and chief editor of the second Biblia Polyglotta, which was to supplant the first polyglot Bible (the Complutensian), also a product of Spanish scholarship. This second Polyglot is known as Biblia Regia (1569-1572): volumes I-IV contain MT, LXX, Pes, each one with its Latin translation, Vg; volume V NT, Greek, Syriac, and Latin. Despite the fact that Arias Montano dedicated himself to the study of the Hebrew language and that he was accused of harbouring an inclination toward Judaism, it should not be assumed that he descended from Marranos. The Targums of this Polyglot have special problems: a) they try to be very close to the Hebrew texts; b) they reproduce Spanish MSS taken from Alcala by Benito Arias Montano to Antwerp; c) each book of the Targum always finishes with a phrase in Hebrew, translated into Latin, but over-abbreviated. I here transcribe some of these colophons: (1) at the end of the Onqelos: Quinque Mosis libros Hebraice, Graece, et Latine cum paraphrasi Chaldaica et Latinis versionibus, summa diligentia a Plantino excuses, Benedictus Arias Montanus, ex Philippi Catholici regis mandato Legatus, a se cum Complutensi et correctissimis aliis exemplaribus collatos, recensuit et probauit. (2) At the end of the Prophet Zechariah: Hanc qvartam et vltimam totivs Veteris Testamenti partem, Hebraice, Graece et Latine cum paraphrasi Chaldaica, et Latinis versionibus, Benedicti Ariae Montani, ex Philippi Catholici regis mandato Legati opera, cum Complutensi et correctissimis aliis exemplaribus collatam, et approbatam, summa diligentia Christophorus Plantinus excudebat Antuerpiae, Pridie D. lohannis Baptistae, anno Domini M. D. LXX. (3) At the end of Psalms: Finis libri Psalmorum. Ex regis catholici mandato. Benedictus Arias Montanus D. Th. recensuit et probauit. There are two expressions whose content is very difficult to ascertain: a se cum Complutensi et correctissimis aliis exemplaribus collatos, and recensuit et probavit (wnqr' wmwgh "m rv 'ywn). It seems that sometimes he simply took the Complutensian MSS, written
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84 <strong>The</strong> <strong>Aramaic</strong> <strong>Bible</strong>: <strong>Targums</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>their</strong> <strong>Historical</strong> <strong>Context</strong><br />
Bomberg's second Rabb<strong>in</strong>ic <strong>Bible</strong> (1525), conta<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g Hebrew<br />
panegyrics by Benito Arias Montano, Guy Le Fevre de la Boderie,<br />
and Gilbert Genebrard. Of the 1,200 copies pr<strong>in</strong>ted, 12 sets on vellum<br />
were prepared for Philip II of Spa<strong>in</strong>, who made Plant<strong>in</strong> his Royal<br />
Architypographer.<br />
Benito Arias Montano (1527-1598) was orda<strong>in</strong>ed a priest and<br />
became a member of the Order of Santiago. In 1568 K<strong>in</strong>g Philip II of<br />
Spa<strong>in</strong> appo<strong>in</strong>ted him first director of the Escorial Library and chief<br />
editor of the second Biblia Polyglotta, which was to supplant the first<br />
polyglot <strong>Bible</strong> (the Complutensian), also a product of Spanish scholarship.<br />
This second Polyglot is known as Biblia Regia (1569-1572):<br />
volumes I-IV conta<strong>in</strong> MT, LXX, Pes, each one with its Lat<strong>in</strong> translation,<br />
Vg; volume V NT, Greek, Syriac, and Lat<strong>in</strong>. Despite the fact<br />
that Arias Montano dedicated himself to the study of the Hebrew language<br />
and that he was accused of harbour<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>in</strong>cl<strong>in</strong>ation toward<br />
Judaism, it should not be assumed that he descended from Marranos.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Targums</strong> of this Polyglot have special problems: a) they try to<br />
be very close to the Hebrew texts; b) they reproduce Spanish MSS<br />
taken from Alcala by Benito Arias Montano to Antwerp; c) each book<br />
of the Targum always f<strong>in</strong>ishes with a phrase <strong>in</strong> Hebrew, translated <strong>in</strong>to<br />
Lat<strong>in</strong>, but over-abbreviated.<br />
I here transcribe some of these colophons: (1) at the end of the<br />
Onqelos: Qu<strong>in</strong>que Mosis libros Hebraice, Graece, et Lat<strong>in</strong>e cum paraphrasi<br />
Chaldaica et Lat<strong>in</strong>is versionibus, summa diligentia a Plant<strong>in</strong>o<br />
excuses, Benedictus Arias Montanus, ex Philippi Catholici regis<br />
mandato Legatus, a se cum Complutensi et correctissimis aliis exemplaribus<br />
collatos, recensuit et probauit. (2) At the end of the Prophet<br />
Zechariah: Hanc qvartam et vltimam totivs Veteris Testamenti partem,<br />
Hebraice, Graece et Lat<strong>in</strong>e cum paraphrasi Chaldaica, et Lat<strong>in</strong>is versionibus,<br />
Benedicti Ariae Montani, ex Philippi Catholici regis mandato<br />
Legati opera, cum Complutensi et correctissimis aliis exemplaribus<br />
collatam, et approbatam, summa diligentia Christophorus Plant<strong>in</strong>us<br />
excudebat Antuerpiae, Pridie D. lohannis Baptistae, anno Dom<strong>in</strong>i<br />
M. D. LXX. (3) At the end of Psalms: F<strong>in</strong>is libri Psalmorum. Ex regis<br />
catholici mandato. Benedictus Arias Montanus D. Th. recensuit et<br />
probauit. <strong>The</strong>re are two expressions whose content is very difficult to<br />
ascerta<strong>in</strong>: a se cum Complutensi et correctissimis aliis exemplaribus<br />
collatos, and recensuit et probavit (wnqr' wmwgh "m rv 'ywn). It<br />
seems that sometimes he simply took the Complutensian MSS, written
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