Targum and Testament Revisited is a new edition of a text first published in 1972, now revised in light of research during the intervening period. In his introduction Martin McNamara details significant developments in the field, ending with a note on the tell-like structure of targumic tradition, with interpretations from different ages, also showing the presence of continuity in interpretation of certain passages down through the centuries of Jewish history.
The first part of the book examines the formation of targumic tradition, specifically treating the early written Targums, Aramaic as the language of the Jews, and the origin, transmission, and date of the Targums of the Pentateuch and the Prophets. Part two considers the possible relationship between certain New Testament passages and targumic tradition, including a reverential manner of speaking of God; God and creation; the Holy Spirit; sin and virtue; eschatology; and the Targums and Johannine literature.
There has been intense examination of most aspects of targumic tradition over recent decades. McNamara draws on these varied sources - including the annotated English translation of all the Targums in the Aramaic Bible - and offers an appendix outlining all extant Targums of the rabbinic tradition. McNamara's updated overview will be an indispensable resource for scholars of biblical and Jewish studies.
