Several years ago I offered a “brief definition” of Targum and the Targumim but here is the more detailed entry I wrote for the Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. The Hebrew term “targum” (plural “targumim”) literally means “translation,” but in the rabbinic period (c. 1st century – 7th century AD) the term came to […]
The transcription of TgLam from the MS Urbanis Hebr. 1 has been available on Targuman for quite some time. Today I have made available my transcription of TgRuth from the Valmadonna No. 1 MS. This will also be included in my forthcoming book, The Proselyte and the Prophet : Character Development in Targum Ruth […]
This weekend was my daughter’s high school graduation so my plan of reminding everyone of the role of the Book of Ruth in Shavuot was set aside. There does remain one more day of observance so for my observant Jewish friends, yom tov and hag sameach! Shavuot is the Feast of Weeks, the […]
I finally got around to posting the transcription I made years ago of TgLam for my doctorate and the subsequent book. The text is from the MS Urb. 1, represented without the vocalization. There may be some new errors introduced with the copying and pasting process (and Unicode transitions) but I think I cleaned […]
I just finished this section and I thought it curious (bizarre, amusing) enough to share this snippet. This is from my commentary on Tg. Ruth. No footnotes are reproduced. The Targumist follows the beginning of verse 8 very closely until he reaches the point where Boaz “was startled and turned […]
Dineke Houtman sent me word of this new and intriguing book. It’s Brill so save up your shekelim. A Jewish Targum in a Christian World ISBN: 9789004267817 What is the use of a Targum in a cultural setting where Aramaic is not a common language anymore? And why would Christians be […]
My article “The Conversion of Ruth in Targum Ruth” has just been published in Review of Rabbinic Judaism, Volume 16, Issue 2, 2013. Due to Brill’s generous policies, you may find the article on this site under the “Targum Ruth” tab above.
A long title. I shall have to find a shorter version, but it gets at the challenge we often find in Targumic studies. For those who are not familiar with the Targumim a very simplistic description is this: Aramaic translation of the biblical text PLUS interpretive material. A little more […]
We are now just about two weeks away from the 2013 IOTS conference in Munich. My paper, as always seems to be the case, is on the last day, just a few hours before we catch our flight back. My paper is “On Some Exegetical Similarities Between the Targumim of […]