The Theology of Dead Sea Scrolls - Lecture I: Targum
Sat, Jun 14
|08:00 PM ET
📜 Aramaic Targumim, with their reverent expansions and clarifications, reflect a theology that balances reverence with relevance. The Targum does not merely translate—it interprets. It avoids anthropomorphisms of the divine, amplifies messianic expectation, and elevates hidden motifs.
Time & Location
Jun 14, 2025, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM CDT
08:00 PM ET
About the event
📜 Targumim (ܬܰܪܓܽܘܡܝܢ) are not simple translations—they are interpretive revelations ✨. Rooted in ancient synagogue life, they made the Hebrew Scriptures accessible to everyday Aramaic-speaking Jews after the exile.
🗣️ Instead of a word-for-word transfer, the Targum engages in a midrashic style—weaving explanations into the text. For example:
Where the Torah says “God walked in the garden” (Genesis 3:8),the Targum says: “the Word (Memra) of the LORD was walking” 👣➡️🕊️—a subtle but profound shift to preserve divine transcendence 🕊️.
🕯️ It avoids anthropomorphisms 🧍♂️➡️✨—God doesn't "come down" or "sleep"; rather, the Memra (ܡܶܡܪܳܐ) or Shekinta (ܫܰܟ݁ܺܝܢܬ݁ܳܐ) act on His behalf—divine intermediaries that become seeds for later theological development, even influencing Johannine Christology (John 1:1) 📖✝️.
🌱 The Targumim amplify messianic hope—Where the Hebrew text may speak simply of “a king” or “a deliverer,”the Targum boldly proclaims “the King Messiah” 👑✨ (e.g., Targum Isaiah 9:5).
💡 It brings to light themes hidden or subtle in the Hebrew, such as:
Tickets
General Admission
$35.00
Total
$0.00