Texts in Conversation
Genesis 49 describes a ruler from Judah tying his colt to a vine, interpreted in the Aramaic translation in Targum Onkelos as a sign of a messianic king. Mark’s image of Jesus entering Jerusalem on a colt may have been influenced by a similar tradition.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Onkelos Genesis 49:10
Targum
9 The dominion shall be yours in the beginning, and in the end the kingdom shall be increased from the house of Judah, because from the judgment of death, my son, you have withdrawn. He shall rest and remain in strength as a lion, and as a lioness, there shall be no king that may cut him off. 10 He who rules shall not pass away from the house of Judah, nor the saphra from his children's children forever, until the Meshiha comes, to whom the kingdom belongs and whom the nations shall obey. 11 He shall lead Israel around His city; the people shall build his temple, they will be righteous around him, and obey the law through his teaching. His clothes will be of fine purple, and his outer garment of crimson wool with colors. 12 His mountains shall be red with his vineyards, and his vats shall overflow with wine; his valleys shall be white with grain, and with flocks of sheep.
Date: 50–500 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
Mark 11:2
New Testament
1 Now as they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.’” 4 So they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it. 5 Some people standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.
Date: 60–75 CE (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... In Genesis 49:10-11, Jacob prophesies that 'the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him: and the obedience of the peoples is his. Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine and his robe in the blood of grapes... This line was given a messianic interpretation in Judaism. In Targum Onkelos, for example ..."
Dale C. Allison, Scriptural Allusions in the New Testament: Light from the Dead Sea Scrolls (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2019), 49–50.
* 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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