Bible Society of South Africa

Targumim

Targumim (plural of Targum) are Aramaic translations of the Hebrew books of the Old Testament.

Old Aramaic Translations

The oldest Targumim are from the second century AD. They were intended for the Aramaic speaking Jews in Israel and Mesopotamia. Some well-known examples include:

  • Targum Onkelos: an Aramaic translation of the five books of the Torah;
  • Targum Jonathan: the Aramaic translation of the books of the prophets.

Precursors of the Targumim have been found in Qumran, some fragments of an Aramaic translation of Leviticus and Job.

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