The Targums: A Critical Introduction - Softcover

"Chilton and Flesher have finally given us the critical introduction to the Targums that has been needed for decades. The Targums is an excellent book that defines and explains these important Aramaic translations of Hebrew Scripture with with nuance and insight. Anyone interested in biblical interpretation--Jewish or Christian--must read this book. I recommend it with enthusiasm." --Craig A. Evans, Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Acadia Divinity College, Nova Scotia, Canada "Targum, the ancient Aramaic Bible version, bridges the gap between the Biblical and Rabbinic texts. In a critical sense, it is a valuable witness to the Hebrew text itself. A general work on the Targum has been a desiderata for a long time, and this work fits this need admirably. This book will prove to be invaluable to students of religion, Biblical scholars, students of the Ancient Near East, of Semitic linguistics, and those interested in Rabbinics and the early history of Christianity." Bernard Grossfeld, Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Adjunct Professor of Hebrew and Aramaic, Spertus College of Judaica "The most complete and up-to-date introduction to Targums, with clear presentation of current research, of issues involved, including Targums and the New Testament, and a rich bibliography. An outstanding achievement. Highly recommended." --Dr. Martin McNamara, Emeritus Professor of Scripture, Milltown Institute, Dublin, Ireland ...a most interesting engagement with Targums, of the kind that opens up the field, and its loaded and often obscure terminology, to scholars outside its immediate milieu, and to a wider audience. -- Meira Polliack, Tel-Aviv University -- The Journal of Theological Studies ... a truly monumental resource for the study of the Targums. -- Daniel M. Gurtner -- Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Indeed, it is a desideratum for future research, after reading this excellent Critical Introduction to the Targums, that biblical scholars and students should find themselves reading a similar work that will do the same kind of justice to the scope and depth of the Arabic tarjamat in years to come. -- Meira Polliack, Tel-Aviv University -- Journal of Theological Studies

The value and significance of the targums atranslations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic, the language of Palestinian Jews for centuries following the Babylonian Exilealie in their approach to translation: within a typically literal rendering of a text, they incorporate extensive exegetical material, additions, and paraphrases. These alterations reveal important information about Second Temple Judaism, its interpretation of its bible, and its beliefs. This remarkable survey introduces critical knowledge and insights that have emerged over the past forty years, including targum manuscripts discovered this century and targums known in Aramaic but only recently translated into English. Prolific scholars Flesher and Chilton guide readers in understanding the development of the targums, their relationship to the Hebrew Bible, their dates, their language, their place in the history of Christianity and Judaism, and their theologies and methods of interpretation.