Targum Lamentations
Encyclopedia
The Targum of Lamentations (TgLam) is an Aramaic
rendering of the biblical
Book of Lamentations
. Like all other targumim
, TgLam renders the biblical book into Aramaic while incorporating rabbinic
interpretations into the resultant text. TgLam probably originated in the early centuries of the Common Era as a result of Lamentations' use in the liturgical worship of Tisha b’Av, the day commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem. Reference to the use of a targum of Lamentations during Tisha b'Av services appears in the seventh-century text Soferim
(42b). The extant versions of TgLam incorporate rabbinic traditions and may date to as late as the eight century CE. The earliest manuscript of TgLam is Codex
Solger MS 1-7.2∫, dated 1291 CE. TgLam’s Aramaic mixes elements of eastern and western dialects. There are two primary textual traditions, that of western texts and those of Yemenite provenance.
had been destroyed not once, but twice (in 586 BCE by the Babylonians and in 70 CE by the Romans), and the text of the Book of Lamentations itself, which challenges God directly. TgLam renders the first four verses of the Hebrew text with an extensive description of the sins of God’s people, from Adam and Eve’s rebellion to the refusal of the People of Israel to observe the Day of Atonement
. The amount of additional material quickly declines so that the book’s last three chapters are largely rendered verbatim. Yet when additions are made, they speak either to the deservedness of Israel's punishment or calling Israel back to right worship of God.
The targumist's concern to demonstrate Israel’s sin and rebellion against God responds to the biblical author’s challenge to God’s justice in allowing the destruction of Jerusalem and the death and suffering of so many. The targumist addresses this concern by following rabbinic interpretation of the destruction of Jerusalem, systematically demonstrating God’s justice in punishing Israel, and showing that repentance and obedience to Torah will enable Israel to be received by God “perfected in the world to come.”
Aramaic language
Aramaic is a group of languages belonging to the Afroasiatic language phylum. The name of the language is based on the name of Aram, an ancient region in central Syria. Within this family, Aramaic belongs to the Semitic family, and more specifically, is a part of the Northwest Semitic subfamily,...
rendering of the biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Book of Lamentations
Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations ) is a poetic book of the Hebrew Bible composed by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah. It mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the 6th Century BCE....
. Like all other targumim
Targum
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, TgLam renders the biblical book into Aramaic while incorporating rabbinic
Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term...
interpretations into the resultant text. TgLam probably originated in the early centuries of the Common Era as a result of Lamentations' use in the liturgical worship of Tisha b’Av, the day commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem. Reference to the use of a targum of Lamentations during Tisha b'Av services appears in the seventh-century text Soferim
Soferim (Talmud)
Soferim is a Talmudic treatise dealing especially with the rules relating to the preparation of the holy books, as well as with the regulations for the reading of the Law. It belongs to the so-called "smaller tractates," a term applied to about 15 works in rabbinical literature, each containing...
(42b). The extant versions of TgLam incorporate rabbinic traditions and may date to as late as the eight century CE. The earliest manuscript of TgLam is Codex
Codex
A codex is a book in the format used for modern books, with multiple quires or gatherings typically bound together and given a cover.Developed by the Romans from wooden writing tablets, its gradual replacement...
Solger MS 1-7.2∫, dated 1291 CE. TgLam’s Aramaic mixes elements of eastern and western dialects. There are two primary textual traditions, that of western texts and those of Yemenite provenance.
Content
The targumist faced two theological challenges: the historical reality that Jerusalem and the Lord's TempleTemple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
had been destroyed not once, but twice (in 586 BCE by the Babylonians and in 70 CE by the Romans), and the text of the Book of Lamentations itself, which challenges God directly. TgLam renders the first four verses of the Hebrew text with an extensive description of the sins of God’s people, from Adam and Eve’s rebellion to the refusal of the People of Israel to observe the Day of Atonement
Day of Atonement
Day of Atonement may refer to:*Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement* Day of Atonement , a national day established in 1995 by the Nation of Islam...
. The amount of additional material quickly declines so that the book’s last three chapters are largely rendered verbatim. Yet when additions are made, they speak either to the deservedness of Israel's punishment or calling Israel back to right worship of God.
The targumist's concern to demonstrate Israel’s sin and rebellion against God responds to the biblical author’s challenge to God’s justice in allowing the destruction of Jerusalem and the death and suffering of so many. The targumist addresses this concern by following rabbinic interpretation of the destruction of Jerusalem, systematically demonstrating God’s justice in punishing Israel, and showing that repentance and obedience to Torah will enable Israel to be received by God “perfected in the world to come.”
Sources
- Brady, Christian M.M.Christian M. M. BradyChristian M. M. Brady is an American targumist, Jewish studies scholar and academic. He is Dean of the Schreyer Honors College, Penn State University and is an Associate Professor of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Jewish Studies...
“Targum Lamentations’ Reading of the Book of Lamentations” (1MB pdf), Doctoral Thesis, Oxford, 2000. - Brady, Christian M.M. The Rabbinic Targum of Lamentations: Vindicating God (Leiden: Brill, 2003). ISBN 978-9004121638.
- Sperber, A. The Bible in Aramaic, vol. IVa (Leiden: Brill, 1968). ISBN 978-9004140387.
- Brady's English translation of Targum Lamentations.