TARGIJK, the general term for the Aramaic versions—often paraphrases— )f the Old Testarrient, which became necessary when, after and perhaps dur ing the Babylonian Exile, Hebrew began to die out as the popular language, and was supplanted by Aramais.
The origin of the Targum itself is shrouded in mystery. The first signs of it—as an already fixed institution—have been found by some in Neh. viii: 8, and according to tradition Ezra and his co adjutors were its original founders. At first, and indeed for many centuries, the Targum was not committed to writing, for the same reason that the "Oral Law" or Halakhah itself was not at first in tended ever to become fixed as a code for all times. In the course of time, how ever, both had to yield to circumstances, and their being written down was con sidered preferable to their being utterly forgotten, of which there was no small danger. Yet a small portion only of the immense mass of oral Targums that must have been produced has survived.
All that is now extant are three distinct Targums on the Pentateuch, a Targum on the Prophets, Targums on the Hagio grapha—viz. on Psalms, Job, Proverbs, the five "Megilloth" (Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, Ecclesi astes), 'another Targum on Esther, one on Chronicles, one on Daniel, and one on the apocryphal pieces of Esther. The most important of the three Pentateuch Targums is the one named after Onkelos, probably a corruption of Akylas (Aquila, a pro selyte, one of Gamaliel's pupils), whose Greek version had become so popular that this Aramaic version was honored with being called after it. This Targum seems to have been originally produced among the scholars of R. Akiba between A. D. 150 and 200 in Palestine, and sent to Babylonia, where it was more needed; wherefore it is called Babli. Here it was probably edited about 300, and afterward voweled in the Babylonian method. Sub sequently voweled in the Palestinian method, it spread from Palestine over the world. It is an excellent translation for the people, and adheres more closely to the Masoretic text than any other an cient translation. It is useful for the exegete, the linguist, and the antiquary.
Two other Targums on the Pentateuch have hitherto been known as Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel and Targum Jeru shalmi. They are of the Palestinian or Syrian growth. Jerushalmi is fragmen tary, and appears to be a Haggadic sup plement to Onkelos. The Pseudo-Jona
than, by its maturer angelology, its abbre viations, and other signs, appears to be a later recension of the Jerushalmi. It can not well have been composed before 750. As a version this Targum is of small im portance; but it is valuable as a store house of allegories, parables, sagas, and the like popular poetry of its time. Its general use lies more in the direction of Jewish literature itself, as well as of archmology and antiquities of the early Christian centuries, than in that of a mere direct interpretation of the Bible text.
The Targum on the Prophets is ascribed to one R. Joseph, president of the Babylonian academy of Sora about 322. This Targum, while tolerably lit eral in the first—the historical—books, gradually becomes a frame for Hag gada, which it introduces at every turn and at great lengths.
Joseph the Blind, to whom the fore going Targum is ascribed, is the re puted author of Targums on the Hagio grapha. Several centuries lie between him and them, their date being approxi mately 800 and 1,000. Certain distinc tions between the different books must further be made. The Targums on Psalms, Job, and Proverbs were probably contemporaneous compositions due to private enterprise in Syria. The two former are made more paraphrastic than the last, which resembles closely the Syriac version. The paraphrase on the five "Megilloth" mentions the Mohamme dans, and is of later date, probably one man's work. It is principally a collection of more or less poetical fancies, tradi tions, and legends to which the single verse in hand merely seems to furnish the keynote. Its dialect lies somewhat between the East and West Aramaic.
The Targum on the Book of Chronicles —almost unknown till it was printed in the 17th century—also belongs to a late period, and was probably composed in Palestine. A Persian version of a Tar gum on Daniel (unedited) is all that has been discovered on that book as yet. It was probably composed in the 12th cen tury, the influence of the early Crusades being plainly visible in it. By 900 in Africa and Spain the Targum had begun to be disused in public, Arabic, or the national language being substituted. In Yemen the Aramaic Targum is still used in the ancient manner, the meturgeman standing beside the reader and rendering verse by verse.