Onkelos
Encyclopedia
Onkelos is the name of a famous convert to Judaism
in Tannaic
times (c.35-120 CE). He is considered to be the author of the famous Targum Onkelos
(c.110 CE).
. According to the traditional Jewish sources, he was a prominent Roman
nobleman, a nephew of the Roman emperor Titus. According to R' Eliyahu of Vilna he was a nephew of Hadrian, and not Titus. His conversion is the subject of a story whereupon he first consulted with the spirits of three deceased enemies of Israel to see how Israel fared in the next world
(Gittin 56b). The first was his uncle Titus
, who was blamed for the destruction of the Second Temple
; the second was the seer Balaam
, hired by Balak
king of Moab to curse Israel; and the last was Yeshu
, a name used for those who sought to lead Jews astray to idolatry, in particular an idolatrous former student of Rabbi Joshua ben Perachiah in the Hasmonean
period as well as king Manasseh of Judah
. (In later writings Yeshu
is used for Jesus, but opinions differ over whether it can be understood this way in the Talmud
.) Onkelos is said to have seen all of them subject to humiliating punishments for harming Israel. The earlier Jerusalem Talmud gives the subject of these stories as Aquila
, another convert to Judaism, who translated the Bible into Greek. Stories about the two men had become confounded due to the similarity of names. By another theory, "Onkelos" is simply a variant of "Aquila", applied in error to the Aramaic instead of the Greek translation.
After his conversion, the Talmud records a story of how the Roman emperor
tried to have Onkelos arrested (Avodah Zarah
11a). Onkelos cited verses from the Tanakh
to the first Roman legion
, who then converted. The second legion was also converted, after he juxtaposed God's personal guidance of Israel in the Book of Numbers
to the Roman
social hierarchy. A similar tactic was used for the third legion, where Onkelos compared his mezuzah
to a symbol of God guarding the home of every Jew, in contrast to a Roman king who has his servants guard him. The third legion also converted and no more were sent.
as an exposition of the "official" interpretation of the pshat (or basic meaning) of the Torah, as received by Rabbi Eliezer. This helped canonise the status of both Onkelos and his Targum in the Jewish tradition.
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in Tannaic
Tannaim
The Tannaim were the Rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishnah, from approximately 70-200 CE. The period of the Tannaim, also referred to as the Mishnaic period, lasted about 130 years...
times (c.35-120 CE). He is considered to be the author of the famous Targum Onkelos
Targum Onkelos
right|thumb|Interlinear text of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 6.3–10 with [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] Targum Onkelos from the [[British Library]]....
(c.110 CE).
Onkelos in the Talmud
Onkelos is mentioned several times in the TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
. According to the traditional Jewish sources, he was a prominent Roman
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
nobleman, a nephew of the Roman emperor Titus. According to R' Eliyahu of Vilna he was a nephew of Hadrian, and not Titus. His conversion is the subject of a story whereupon he first consulted with the spirits of three deceased enemies of Israel to see how Israel fared in the next world
Jewish eschatology
Jewish eschatology is concerned with the Jewish Messiah, afterlife, and the revival of the dead. Eschatology, generically, is the area of theology and philosophy concerned with the final events in the history of the world, the ultimate destiny of humanity, and related concepts.-The Messiah:The...
(Gittin 56b). The first was his uncle Titus
Titus
Titus , was Roman Emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, thus becoming the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own father....
, who was blamed for the destruction of the Second Temple
Second Temple
The Jewish Second Temple was an important shrine which stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BCE and 70 CE. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BCE, when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylon...
; the second was the seer Balaam
Balaam
Balaam is a diviner in the Torah, his story occurring towards the end of the Book of Numbers. The etymology of his name is uncertain, and discussed below. Every ancient reference to Balaam considers him a non-Israelite, a prophet, and the son of Beor, though Beor is not so clearly identified...
, hired by Balak
Balak
Balak was king of Moab around 1200 BC. According to Book of Numbers 22:2, and the Book of Joshua 24:9, Zippor was the father of Balak.Book of Revelation 2:12 - 2:14 says about Balak:...
king of Moab to curse Israel; and the last was Yeshu
Yeshu
Yeshu is the name of an individual or individuals mentioned in Rabbinic literature. The oldest works in which references to Yeshu occur are the Tosefta and the Talmud, although some scholars consider the references to Yeshu to be post-Talmudic additions....
, a name used for those who sought to lead Jews astray to idolatry, in particular an idolatrous former student of Rabbi Joshua ben Perachiah in the Hasmonean
Hasmonean
The Hasmonean dynasty , was the ruling dynasty of Judea and surrounding regions during classical antiquity. Between c. 140 and c. 116 BCE, the dynasty ruled semi-autonomously from the Seleucids in the region of Judea...
period as well as king Manasseh of Judah
Manasseh of Judah
Manasseh was a king of the Kingdom of Judah. He was the only son of Hezekiah with Hephzi-bah. He became king at an age 12 years and reigned for 55 years. Edwin Thiele has concluded that he commenced his reign as co-regent with his father Hezekiah in 697/696 BC, with his sole reign beginning in...
. (In later writings Yeshu
Yeshu
Yeshu is the name of an individual or individuals mentioned in Rabbinic literature. The oldest works in which references to Yeshu occur are the Tosefta and the Talmud, although some scholars consider the references to Yeshu to be post-Talmudic additions....
is used for Jesus, but opinions differ over whether it can be understood this way in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
.) Onkelos is said to have seen all of them subject to humiliating punishments for harming Israel. The earlier Jerusalem Talmud gives the subject of these stories as Aquila
Aquila of Sinope
Aquila of Sinope was a 2nd Century CE native of Pontus in Anatolia known for producing an exceedingly literal translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek around 130 CE. He was a proselyte to Judaism and a disciple of Rabbi Akiba...
, another convert to Judaism, who translated the Bible into Greek. Stories about the two men had become confounded due to the similarity of names. By another theory, "Onkelos" is simply a variant of "Aquila", applied in error to the Aramaic instead of the Greek translation.
After his conversion, the Talmud records a story of how the Roman emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
tried to have Onkelos arrested (Avodah Zarah
Avodah Zarah
Avodah Zarah is the name of a tractate in the Talmud, located in Nezikin, the fourth Order of the Talmud dealing with damages...
11a). Onkelos cited verses from the Tanakh
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
to the first Roman legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
, who then converted. The second legion was also converted, after he juxtaposed God's personal guidance of Israel in the Book of Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
to the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
social hierarchy. A similar tactic was used for the third legion, where Onkelos compared his mezuzah
Mezuzah
A mezuzah is usually a metal or wooden rectangular object that is fastened to a doorpost of a Jewish house. Inside it is a piece of parchment inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah...
to a symbol of God guarding the home of every Jew, in contrast to a Roman king who has his servants guard him. The third legion also converted and no more were sent.
The Targum of Onkelos
According to tradition, Onkelos authored his TargumTargum Onkelos
right|thumb|Interlinear text of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 6.3–10 with [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]] Targum Onkelos from the [[British Library]]....
as an exposition of the "official" interpretation of the pshat (or basic meaning) of the Torah, as received by Rabbi Eliezer. This helped canonise the status of both Onkelos and his Targum in the Jewish tradition.
External links
- The Targumim and Halakha by Jose Faur, analyzing the status of the Targumim in Jewish law