Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies

This thesis is an examination of the exegetical intent and the translational methods employed in Targum Lamentations (TgLam). There are three primary steps involved in this study of TgLam. The first step involves a survey of the Book of Lamentations (as found in the Masoretic Text [MT]) in order to determine the basic text and meaning of the book which the targumist is interpreting. The second step is a

Several of the Targumim of the Megilloth contain lists (songs, famines, kings, etc.) that culminate in the future Messianic age. For example, Tg. Song opens with the list of Ten Songs and Tg. Ruth opens with the list of Ten Famines. Such lists are well known from other midrashic texts and this article will consider how and why these lists are used in the Targumim of the Megilloth and will propose that these additions are not merely the result of an opportunity presented by the Hebrew text but are being used specifically to further the overarching exegetical agenda of the Targum in question.

When considering t he ori gins of a targumic text, Ezekiel's vision of whoe l, within wheels i, likely to be called to IHind. Many of the issues relating 1.0 the dat.e of a targurn are of eq ual importance in considering its provenance, and these issues inform our views as to the Sitz im Leben of a targillllic text. The date and provenance of a targumic text are, in turn, related to the recensional history of the text and its language. These difficulties are magnified in Targum Lamentations (Targ. Lam.) which has two clear textual traditions. I will therefore begin by examining the textual t.radition of Targ. Lam. and identify which MS will form t,he basis of this study. 1 will then examine the language of Targ. Lam. with specific reference to date and provenance. From there I will foclls upon the question of the Sitz im Leben of Targ. Lam'

It is considered a truism today to say that how we receive and read the Bible, or any text, is conditioned by our own experience. We bring as much to the text as we may get out of it. We would like to think that as scholars we are beyond this, able to read dispassionately and objectively the objects of our academic study. More importantly, the implicit, and in a secular context often explicit, assumption is that when we teach the Bible in a secular classroom we certainly present nothing but the most clear-eyed and unbiased presentation of the material under consideration. The reality is that how we teach the Bible is based as much upon our experience as is how we read the Bible. This should not cause us to despair, rather it should give us some sense as to how we might fruitfully engage our students and help them in their own reading and study of the Bible.

In the book of Ruth there is no doubt that the title character is a central figure. Targum Ruth re-presents her as the Rabbinic proselyte par excellence. This is accomplished primarily through additions to 1:16-7. But Ruth's status as the ideal convert is also confirmed thorough Boaz's announcement that she would be "saved from the judgment of Gehenna so that [her] portion may be with Sarah and Rebekah and Rachel and Leah" (TgRuth 2:12) and that she is "a righteous woman and there is in [her] strength to bear the yoke of the commandments of the LORD" (TgRuth 3:11). Examining these and other changes to the biblical text introduced by the Targumist, this article demonstrates how, in the Targum, Ruth becomes not just an admirable woman who acts out of kindness to her mother-in-law but is truly the Rabbinic exemplar for all converts.

This thesis is an examination of the exegetical intent and the translational methods employed in Targum Lamentations (TgLam). There are three primary steps involved in this study of TgLam. The first step involves a survey of the Book of Lamentations (as found in the Masoretic Text [MT]) in order to determine the basic text and meaning of the book which the targumist is interpreting. The second step is a detailed exegetical commentary of TgLam. This involves a verse by verse analysis of the targum with particular attention paid to the ways in which the targumist has departed from or transformed the biblical text. The final step is an analysis of the targum in order to determine how the targumist has modified the biblical text in order to convey or emphasize his message and address the questions of the date, provenance, and Sitz im Leben of TgLam.
From the very beginning TgLam presents the argument that Jerusalem was destroyed because Israel had disobeyed God. The people of Judah had transgressed God’s Commandments and refused to repent, therefore God decreed that the nations should enter Jerusalem and destroy the city and the Temple. The targumist used a variety of literary devices in order to convey this message. These include the use of aggadic additions and expansions that catalogue the sins of Israel. The first four verses of TgLam are particularly expansive and provide a theological framework within which the audience is to interpret Lamentations. The targumist has also followed the principle of ‰„Ó „‚ðÎ ‰„Ó and interpreted the nature of Israel’s punishment in light of their sin. Where the biblical text depicts graphic scenes such as cannibalism TgLam does not soften the image, but instead intensifies the language and thus increases the dramatic tension while warning the audience of the real, life-threatening dangers of transgressing God’s Commandments. TgLam in its present form was intended for use within the synagogue, presumably during the ninth of Ab service, and provided the congregation with an explanation of the destruction of the Temple. While placing the blame firmly upon the Congregation of Israel the targumist also exhorts his audience to repent and return to the LORD through the study of Mishnah and Torah.

In the book of Ruth there is no doubt that the title character is a central figure. Targum Ruth re-presents her as the Rabbinic proselyte par excellence. This is accomplished primarily through additions to 1:16-7. But Ruth's status as the ideal convert is also confirmed thorough Boaz's announcement that she would be "saved from the judgment of Gehenna so that [her] portion may be with Sarah and Rebekah and Rachel and Leah" (TgRuth 2:12) and that she is "a righteous woman and there is in [her] strength to bear the yoke of the commandments of the LORD" (TgRuth 3:11). Examining these and other changes to the biblical text introduced by the Targumist, this article demonstrates how, in the Targum, Ruth becomes not just an admirable woman who acts out of kindness to her mother-in-law but is truly the Rabbinic exemplar for all converts.

Callimachus 31 uses a hunting metaphor to describe love. This article argues that κεχρημένος in line 3 does not mean “beset” by frost and snow, but rather “using” frost and snow to track the animals mentioned. This is a more satisfying interpretation based on the themes of the poem, and it presents interesting possible parallels in Xenophon’s On Hunting (Κυνηγετικός).

The standard translation of µύωψ in Plato's Apology of Socrates 30e is 'gadfly'. However, this word was generally translated as 'spur' until the 1800s. This article re-evaluates the scholarship that led to the 'gadfly' translation and argues that the 'spur' translation is correct based on the use elsewhere in Greek literature of µύωψ and other significant words in the passage.

Pherecydes of Syros’ work is difficult to understand because of its fragmentary nature. A previously unexplored perspective on his work is to analyze how it was understood and used in Ptolemaic Alexandria, particularly by Eratosthenes and Callimachus. Eratosthenes’ distinction between Pherecydes of Syros and Pherecydes of Athens (DL 1.119) has been used as a key piece of evidence that those two authors are, in fact, distinct. However, there has been little discussion of Eratosthenes’ interest in these authors outside of that statement. Callimachus’ interest in Pherecydes has also been ignored by both scholars of Pherecydes and scholars of Alexandrian poetry (except for brief references). Through this examination, I argue that Pherecydes of Syros was an important figure in discussions about the development of prose in Ptolemaic Alexandria.