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Genesis 10 locates Nimrod’s kingdom in Shinar. The Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos translates this to Babylon, harmonizing the ancient name with what it was called in the translators’ time. This follows a pattern in the Targums of updating geographic references with familiar names.
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Genesis 10:10
Hebrew Bible
9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. (That is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.”) 10 The primary regions of his kingdom were Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Onkelos Genesis 10:10
Targum
9 He was a powerful man before the Lord: therefore it is said, Like Nimrod the man of might before the Lord. 10 And the head (beginning) of his kingdom was Bavel, and Erek, and Akad, and Kalneh in the land of Bavel. 11 From that land he went forth to Athura, and built Nineveh, and the city of Rechov, and Kalach,
Date: 100-200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
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Notes and References
"... In all the Targums, for instance, “Argob” (Deuteronomy 3:4) is translated by “Trachonitis,” “Ararat” (Genesis 8:4) by “Kardu” (Cordyene; this translation is also found in the Peshitta), “Zoan” (Numberfs 13:22) by “Tanis” (an interpretation also found in the Septuagint), and “Caphtorim” (Genesis 10:14) by “Cappadocians” (also found in the Septuagint). In this respect, the Targums, as is evident, are in step with the translation technique of late antiquity, and many cities and provinces of the time are identified, with varying degrees of plausibility,with biblical locations in the Targums ... They do not always agree in the identifications, however; for instance, in Genesis 10:10, Onkelos and Neofiti translate “Shinar” as “Babylon,” while Pseudo-Jonathan and one manuscript of the Fragment-Targum translate it as “Pontus.” ..."
Cook, Edward M.
"The Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in the Targums" in Henze, Matthias (ed.) A Companion to Biblical Interpretation in Early Judaism
(pp. 92-117) William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2012
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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