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This targum, often printed nowadays alongside the Hebrew text of the Five Books of Moses, as the Mishna, was composed in Palestine, and bears the peculiarities of Palestinian Aramaic (Nöldeke, "Mandäische Grammatik," p. xxvii.). But making its way to the greater Jewish community of Babylon, it found its next to last, but most important redaction, there, and it became the Babylonian Targum (Targum Bavli). It is thought that it received the name Targum Onkelos, either from a convert (Ger Tsedek) named Onkelos who translated the Five Books into Aramaic,  or by linguistic corruption  of the name Aquilas, the Greek convert to Judaism who translated the Hebrew Bible into a literalized Greek to take the place of the Septuagint which was being used by Christians to prove the faith. (Targum Onkelos, making its way back into Palestine would get its final redaction under the name Pseudo-Jonatan Targum)

This targum, often printed nowadays alongside the Hebrew text of the Five Books of Moses, as the Mishna, was composed in Palestine, and bears the peculiarities of Palestinian Aramaic (Nöldeke, "Mandäische Grammatik," p. xxvii.). But making its way to the greater Jewish community of Babylon, it found its next to last, but most important redaction, there, and it became the Babylonian Targum (Targum Bavli). It is thought that it received the name Targum Onkelos, either from a convert (Ger Tsedek) named Onkelos who translated the Five Books into Aramaic,  or by linguistic corruption  of the name Aquilas, the Greek convert to Judaism who translated the Hebrew Bible into a literalized Greek to take the place of the Septuagint which was being used by Christians to prove the faith. (Targum Onkelos, making its way back into Palestine would get its final redaction under the name Pseudo-Jonatan Targum)

Targum Onkelos has been noted for its anti-anthropomorphism. That is, where the Hebrew text is very clear in visualizing the God of Israel in physical terms, even if meant to be understood metaphorically, Onkelos will not allow it to be so presented but will speak around it (paraphrase) or use an intermediary word between the physical description and God. In Genesis 32, Jacob is wrestling with "a man" but after the bout, Jacob says, in the original Hebrew text,"I have seen God face to face and my life has been saved". In Targum Onkelos, however, Jacob is made to say, " I have seen the angel of God face to face and my life has been saved". At times the intermediary word is the word "Word" - in Aramaic, ''Memra'' (the root is Aleph, Mem, Resh  as in the Hebrew word 'Omer). Whereas the Hebrew text (Gen. 3:8) has it, "They (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the LORD God walking about in the garden", Onkelos has it, "they heard the sound of the Memra of the LORD God walking about in the garden"  Apparently, walking about in the garden conjured up too much of  rustling of leaves and bushes to take figuretivly, and so it was the Memra that was heard and not the LORD God. This is the pattern in other places in Genesis. Prof. David Flusser of the Hebrew University notes that it is to this Targumic mindset that we owe our understanding of John 1:1 and not to Philo and the Alexandrian "logos" philosophy. " In the beginning was the Word (Memra) and the Word(Memra) was with God.. and the.Word (Memra)was God. John 1:1 is meant to rip away the distinction between  God and the Memra and so declare that they are in reality one, ...and this One has, indeed,  become flesh.

Targum Onkelos has been noted for its anti-anthropomorphism. That is, where the Hebrew text is very clear in visualizing the God of Israel in physical terms, even if meant to be understood metaphorically, Onkelos will not allow it to be so presented but will speak around it (paraphrase) or use an intermediary word between the physical description and God. In Genesis 32, Jacob is wrestling with "a man" but after the bout, Jacob says, in the original Hebrew text,"I have seen God face to face and my life has been saved". In Targum Onkelos, however, Jacob is made to say, " I have seen the angel of God face to face and my life has been saved". At times the intermediary word is the word "Word" - in Aramaic, ''Memra'' (the root is Aleph, Mem, Resh  as in the Hebrew word 'Omer). Whereas the Hebrew text (Gen. 3:8) has it, "They (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the LORD God walking about in the garden", Onkelos has it, "they heard the sound of the Memra of the LORD God walking about in the garden"  Apparently, walking about in the garden conjured up too much of  rustling of leaves and bushes to take figuretively, and so it was the Memra that was heard and not the LORD God. This is the pattern in other places in Genesis. Prof. David Flusser of the Hebrew University notes that it is to this Targumic mindset that we owe our understanding of John 1:1 and not to Philo and the Alexandrian "logos" philosophy. " In the beginning was the Word (Memra) and the Word(Memra) was with God.. and the.Word (Memra)was God. John 1:1 is meant to rip away the distinction between  God and the Memra and so declare that they are in reality one, ...and this One has, indeed,  become flesh.

==The Principal Targumim==

==The Principal Targumim==

==See Also==

==See also==

*[[Aramaic Church]]

*[[Aramaic Church]]

[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=67&letter=T&search=targum Jewish Encyclopedia:  Targum]

[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=67&letter=T&search=targum Jewish Encyclopedia:  Targum]

[[category:Religious Scholarship]]

[[Category:Religious Scholarship]]

[[Category:Judaism]]

[[Category:Judaism]]