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Targum Onkelos
 
 
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Targum Onkelos (or Unkelus), is the official eastern (Babylonian) targum
Targum

A targum is an Aramaic language translation of the Hebrew Bible written or compiled from the Second Temple period until the early Middle Ages ....
 to the Torah
Torah

The term "Torah" , or Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch, refers to the entirety of Judaism's founding Halakha and ethical religious texts....
. However, its early origins may have been western, in Israel
Land of Israel

For other uses, see Israel The Land of Israel is the region which, according to the Hebrew Bible, was promised by God to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and to the Israelites, descendants of Jacob, Abraham's grandson....
. Its authorship is attributed to Onkelos
Onkelos

Onkelos is the name of a famous convert to Judaism in Tannaim times . He is considered to be the author of the famous Targum Onkelos ....
.

Some identify this translation as the work of Aquila of Sinope
Aquila of Sinope

Aquila of Sinope was a 2nd Century AD native of Pontus in Anatolia known for producing an exceedingly literal translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek language around 130 AD....
 in an Aramaic translation (Zvi Hirsch Chajes
Zvi Hirsch Chajes

Zvi Hirsch Chajes was one of the foremost Galicia talmudic scholars. He is best known for his work Mevo Hatalmud , which serves both as commentary and introduction....
), or believe that the name "Onkelos" originally referred to Aquila but was applied in error to the Aramaic instead of the Greek translation.






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Penteteuch2
Targum Onkelos (or Unkelus), is the official eastern (Babylonian) targum
Targum

A targum is an Aramaic language translation of the Hebrew Bible written or compiled from the Second Temple period until the early Middle Ages ....
 to the Torah
Torah

The term "Torah" , or Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch, refers to the entirety of Judaism's founding Halakha and ethical religious texts....
. However, its early origins may have been western, in Israel
Land of Israel

For other uses, see Israel The Land of Israel is the region which, according to the Hebrew Bible, was promised by God to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and to the Israelites, descendants of Jacob, Abraham's grandson....
. Its authorship is attributed to Onkelos
Onkelos

Onkelos is the name of a famous convert to Judaism in Tannaim times . He is considered to be the author of the famous Targum Onkelos ....
.

Some identify this translation as the work of Aquila of Sinope
Aquila of Sinope

Aquila of Sinope was a 2nd Century AD native of Pontus in Anatolia known for producing an exceedingly literal translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek language around 130 AD....
 in an Aramaic translation (Zvi Hirsch Chajes
Zvi Hirsch Chajes

Zvi Hirsch Chajes was one of the foremost Galicia talmudic scholars. He is best known for his work Mevo Hatalmud , which serves both as commentary and introduction....
), or believe that the name "Onkelos" originally referred to Aquila but was applied in error to the Aramaic instead of the Greek translation. The translator is unique in that he avoids any type of personification. Samuel D. Luzzatto suggests that the translation was originally meant for the "simple people". This view was strongly refuted by Nathan Marcus Adler
Nathan Marcus Adler

Rabbi Dr. Nathan Marcus Adler, , was the Orthodox Judaism Chief Rabbi of Great Britain 1845?1891, probably the most prominent 19th century rabbi in the English language-speaking world....
 in his introduction to Netinah La-Ger.

In Talmud
Talmud

The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Halakha, Jewish ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
ic times, and to this day in Yemenite Jewish communities, Targum Onkelos was recited by heart as a verse-by-verse translation alternately with the Hebrew verses of the Torah
Torah

The term "Torah" , or Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch, refers to the entirety of Judaism's founding Halakha and ethical religious texts....
 in the synagogue
Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer.Synagogues usually have a large hall for prayer , smaller rooms for study and sometimes a social hall and offices....
.

The Talmud
Talmud

The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Halakha, Jewish ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
 states that "a person should complete his portions of scripture along with the community, reading the scripture twice and the targum once." This passage is taken by many to refer to Targum Onkelos.

Sources

  • S. D. Luzzatto "Oheiv Ha-Ger" (Heb.)
  • N. Adler "Netinah La-Ger" (Heb.)


External links

  • - English translations by J.W. Etheridge
  • has the entire Aramaic text of Targum Onkelos with vowels according to Yemenite manuscripts. The Targum appears as digital text in two different user-friendly versions: (1) The Aramaic targum text with vowels can be viewed in its entirety on its own, either book-by-book or chapter by chapter. (2) The Aramaic targum can be viewed verse-by-verse parallel to the Hebrew text, within files that contain one weekly portion (parshat ha-shavua) at a time. The index to both versions is ; there is also an older version .