TARGUM
204
TARGUM
which the version of Akilas (DP'^p" C5~n) is men- tioned, and the notices concernini^ Akilas bear consid- erable likeness to those of Onkclos. Akilas is men- tioned in Siphrci (Lev. xxv, 7), and in Jorus. Talmud, I)eni<ii, '11 d, as having l)eeii born in Pontus; that, after havint; embraced the Jewish faith, he tlirew his pa- ternal inheritance into an asphalt lake (Jerus. Demai, 25 d); that he translated the Torith before 11. Hliezer and K. Jehoshua, who praised him (inX IDP'^pT) and said to him, "Thou art fairer than the sons of men" (cnx '^3Z'a P'S^S"^) ; or, according to the other ac- counts, before R. Akiba (comp. Jerus. Kiddushin, i, 1, 1, etc. ; Jerus. Mef/illah, i, 9 ; Babyl. Mefjillah, fol. 3, col. 1). We learn, further, that he lived in the time of Hadrian (Chag. ii, 1), that he was the son of the emperor's sis- ter (Tiinchini, ed. Prague, fol. 34, col. 2), that he be- came a convert against the emperor's will (ibid, and Shemoth Rubbuli.M. 146 c), and that he consulted Eliezer and Jehoshua about his conversion {Bereshith Rubha, fol. 78 d ; com]). Midrash Cokeleth, fol. 10-2 b).
That Akilas is no other than Aquila (A/cirXae), the ■well-known Greek translator of the Old Test., we need hardly add. He was a native of Pontus (Iren. . ) dr. liar. 3, 24 ;' Jerome, De Vir. III. c. 54 ; Philostr. De llier. § 90). He lived under Hadrian (Epiph. DePvnd.et Mens. § 12). He is called the TTw^epiCiQ {Chrun. Alex, nev^epog) of the emperor (ibid. § 14), becomes a convert to Judaism (§ 15), whence he is called the Proselyte (Iren. loc. cit. ; Jerome to Jer. viii, 14, etc.), and receives instructions from Akiba (Jerome, luc. cit.). He translated the Old Test., and his version was considered of the highest import and authority among the Jews, especially those unacquainted with the Hebrew language (Euseb. ProT). Evamj. luc. cit. ; Augustine, De Civ. Dei, xv, 23 ; Philostr. De Hcer.^ 90; Justin, A'ow^^. 14G). Thirteen distinct quo- tations from this version are preserved in the Talmud and Midrash; and we may classify the whole as follows:
Greek Quntatinns. — Gen. xvii, 1, in Beresh. Hub. 51 h; Lev. xxiii, 40, Jerus. Sukkah, 3, 5, f )1. 5.S d (comp. !'«;. Rab. 200 d) ; ls:f. iii, 20, Jems. Sliabb. 0, 4, fol. 8 b; Ez»'k. xvi, 10, Midi: Threa. 58 c : Ezek. xxiii, 43, Vaj. linb. 203 d : Psa. xlviii, 15 (Masor. text xlvii, accnrding to the Sept.). Jeius. Meg. 2, 3, fol. 73 b: Prov. xviii, 21, I'aj. Itab. f..l. 203 1) : Esih. i, C, Midi: Usth. 120 d; Dan. v, 5, Jerns. Voma, 3, 8, fol. 41 a.
Hebrem Quotations (retianslnted from the Greek). — Lev. xix, 20, Jei'us. Kid. i, 1, fol. 59 a ; Dau. viii, 13, Beresh. liab. 24 c.
Chaldee Quotation».—Pro\. xxv, 11, Beresh. Rab. 104 b ; Isa. V, C, Midr. Coh. 113 c, d.
All these quotations are treated at length by Anger, De Onkelo, i, 13 sq., and the variations adduced there show how carefully they have to be perused, and the more so since we have as yet no critical edition of the Talmud.
The identity of Akilas and Aquila having been as- certained, it was also argued that, according to the parallel accounts of Onkelos and Aquila, Onkelos and Aquila must be one and the same person, since it was unlikely that the circumstances and facts narrated could have belonged to two different individuals. But who will warrant that the statements are correct? There are chronological differences which cannot be reconciled, unless we have recourse to such means as the Jewish historian Dr. Griitz, who renders 'pTn 51 (i.e. R. Gamaliel I, or elder) "Gamaliel H." Is it not surprising that on one and the same page Onkelos is once spoken of as "Onkelos the Proselyte," and "Onke- los the son of Kalonymos became a convert" (Aboda Zarah, fol. 11, col. 1)? It has also been stated that Onkelos was neither the author of the Targum nor a historical person, but that Targum Onkelos means sim- ply a version made after the manner of A kilas, the Greek translator. Aquila's translation was a special favorite with the Jews, because it was both literal and accurate. Being highly valued, it was considered a model or type after which the new Chaldee one was
named, in commendation, perhaps, of its like excellences. This view is very ingenious, but it is hardly probable. Now the question arises, how is it that there is only a version of Onkelos on the Pentateuch, while Aquila translated the whole Old Test.? If Onkelos's Targum was really made alter the manner of Acjuila, how is it that the latter is so slavishly literal, translating even the riS, sign of the accusative, or, as Jerome states {De Opt. Gen. Interpret.), "Non solum verba scd et etymo- logias verborum transferre conatus est. . . . Quod He- bragi non solum habent dp^pa sed et irpuap^pa, ille KaKOL,i]\wQ et syllabas inlerpretetur et litteras, dictat- que avv rhv ovpavlv Kai avv Tt)v yijv quod Graeca et Latina lingua non recipit," while Onkelos is freer, adding sometimes here and there a word or phrase for the better understanding?
That the Targum Onkelos cannot mean a Targum after the manner of Aquila is also evident from the fact that while Aquila made a recension of the then existing Sept., nothing of the kind can be said of On- kelos. The latter wrote for the people in a languiige which it understood better than the original Hebrew; the former wrote for polemical purposes, to counterbal- ance the arguments of the Christian.s, who made use of the Alexandrian version against the Jews. That the author of the Chaldee paraphrase was not a proselyte, but a native Jew, is sufhciently proved from the excel- lence and accuracy of his work ; for without having been bred up from his birth in the Jewish religion and learning, and long exercised in all the rites and doctrines thereof, and being also thoroughly skilled in both the Hebrew and Chaldee languages, as far as a native Jew could be, he could scarcely be thought thoroughly ade- quate to that work which he performed. The repre- senting of Onkelos as having been a proselyte seems to have proceeded from the error of taking him to have been the same with Aquila of Pontus, who was indeed a Jewish proselyte. A comparison of both versions must show the superiority of Onkelos's over that of Aquila. The latter, on account of his literal adherence to the original, makes his version often nonsensical and unintelligible, and less useful than the former, as the following will show :