Targum and Testament Revisited: Aramaic Paraphrases of the Hebrew Bible: A Light on the New Testament, 2nd ed.
Overview
Targum and Testament Revisited is a new edition of a text first published in 1972, now revised in light of recent research. In his introduction, Martin McNamara details significant developments in the field, ending with a note on the tell-like structure of targumic tradition, with interpretations from different ages, also showing the presence of continuity in interpretation of certain passages down through the centuries of Jewish history.
The first part of the book examines the formation of targumic tradition, specifically treating the early written Targums, Aramaic as the language of the Jews, and the origin, transmission, and date of the Targums of the Pentateuch and the Prophets. Part two considers the possible relationship between certain New Testament passages and targumic tradition, including a reverential manner of speaking of God, God and creation, sin and virtue, eschatology, and the Targums and Johannine literature.
There has been intense examination of most aspects of targumic tradition over recent decades. McNamara draws on these varied sources—including the annotated English translation of all the Targums in the Aramaic Bible—and offers an appendix outlining all extant Targums of the rabbinic tradition. McNamara’s updated overview will be an indispensable resource for scholars of biblical and Jewish studies.
With the Logos edition of Targum and Testament Revisited, Scripture references link directly to the Bibles in your library—both to the original-language texts and to the English translations. Double-clicking any word automatically opens your lexicons to the relevant entry, making Hebrew words instantly accessible.
- Historical overview
- Introduction for each chapter
- Bibliographical references and indexes
Top Highlights
“Border Lines: The Partition of Judaeo-Christianity,43 in a detailed study in Part II of his work, makes a substantial case that Christianity’s developing Logos Christology should be seen as closely parallel to Judaism’s (the Targums’) Memra theology.” (Page 14)
“There is no ‘Palestinian,’ ‘pre-Christian’ Targumim.” (Page 10)
“Targums instance not only traditions which may be reflected in the New Testament, but a process of conveying these traditions which might be illuminating.” (Page 11)
“Proto-Onqelos was composed under the auspices of the priestly elite in Jerusalem.” (Page 6)
“Targums are of less moment for reconstructing the dialect of Jesus” (Page 11)
- Title: Targum and Testament Revisited: Aramaic Paraphrases of the Hebrew Bible: A Light on the New Testament
- Author: Martin McNamara
- Edition: 2nd
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Publication Date: 2010
- Pages: 367
