July 1, 2026 Journal article Open Access

Efrati, Shlomi

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  <identifier identifierType="DOI">10.25592/uhhfdm.19356</identifier>
  <creators>
    <creator>
      <creatorName>Efrati, Shlomi</creatorName>
    </creator>
  </creators>
  <titles>
    <title>Rectifying an Obvious Error – Hints of Text-critical Sensitivity in Late Medieval Targum Manuscripts</title>
  </titles>
  <publisher>Universität Hamburg</publisher>
  <publicationYear>2026</publicationYear>
  <subjects>
    <subject>Manuscript studies</subject>
    <subject>Hebrew studies</subject>
  </subjects>
  <dates>
    <date dateType="Issued">2026-07-01</date>
  </dates>
  <resourceType resourceTypeGeneral="Text">Journal article</resourceType>
  <alternateIdentifiers>
    <alternateIdentifier alternateIdentifierType="url">https://www.fdr.uni-hamburg.de/record/19356</alternateIdentifier>
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  <rightsList>
    <rights rightsURI="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International</rights>
    <rights rightsURI="info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess">Open Access</rights>
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  <descriptions>
    <description descriptionType="Abstract">&lt;p&gt;Targum Onqelos, the &amp;lsquo;standard&amp;rsquo; Targum (Jewish Aramaic translation) of the Pentateuch, is preserved in hundreds of manuscripts and multiple printed editions. These witnesses, and in particular the medieval European ones, are replete with numerous variants which are usually described as secondary and corrupt, the result of lack of knowledge of Aramaic and careless handling of Onqelos&amp;rsquo; text. In this paper I would like to challenge this view concerning the negligence of Onqelos in Europe. I will offer a close study of select textual variants, which are both widely spread and&amp;mdash;seemingly&amp;mdash;obviously incorrect. However, these supposedly erroneous readings were not only carefully preserved but even actually preferred over against the &amp;lsquo;correct&amp;rsquo; version. Thus, I argue, they reflect not only ignorance or carelessness but also, in some cases, textual sensitivity and critical awareness. Moreover, glosses to and revisions of Onqelos&amp;rsquo; text allow us to understand how it was understood and evaluated by those who copied and studied it, long after it could no longer serve as a proper &amp;lsquo;translation&amp;rsquo; of any sort.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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