Nov. 6] PROCEEDINGS. [1804.
improvethe older and not sufficiently literal translation of the
LXX.*
Fromthe comparative obscurityanduncertaintyas to the date
andpersonalityof Theodotion in which we are left by the writers of
the Church, he is lifted out by this attempted identificationof Theo
dotionor Theodot (so in some MSS.)withTodos,the popular and
shorterformof the same name.
Todosis a man wellknownin Talmudic literature. He is men
tionedin both the Talmuds at least five or six times, and always as a
richmanandin high position. He is a munificent supporterof the
wisemen,andassiststhem materially.! "Heusedto give to the
peopleof Rome the passah-lamb preparedin a peculiar manner,in
the same wayalmostas it used to be prepared in Jerusalem, so that
it looked like the sacrificial lamb. Thesages sentword to him
saying: ' if thou wertnot Todos, we would haveexcommunicated
thee.'"J.
In all these passagesit is R. Jose, (second halfof the second
century)whomentionsthis fact. In one place onlythe name of the
rabbiwhosentthatthreatis given as that of R. Simeon b. Shetah,
of the time of Jannai the Makkaboean king;§ but this namehas
creptin from the other incidentmentioneda few lines higheron the
samepage,andis undoubtedly a mistake of the writer or printer.
Theparallelpassagein the Jesusalem Talmud(Moedkatan)proves
it also to be a mistake. From this passage two thingsare evi
dent: (1) that Todoswishedto observe the commandment of the
passah-lambin the strictest possiblemanner,so strictly in fact that he
almostbrought downupon himselfthe censure and possiblythe
anathemaof the authorities. If anything, thisis the characteristic
of the proselyte, whois more strictin the observance of the law than
- Theodotion, or, as he is called in the same MSS.,Theodot,standsprobably
for the Hebrew fonathan. It is rather a peculiar coincidencethatthe Aramaic
translationof the Prophets is ascribed to a Jonathan, whois identified in the
TalmudwithJonathan,son of Uziel, pupilof Hillel. In a similar mannerwe
havethe Aramaic translationof the Pentateuch ascribedto Onkelos, the counter
part of Akilas. I do not intend layingany stress on this peculiar coincidence,
beyondpointingout the parallelism in the names of the Greek andAramaic
translatorsof the Bible. Nordo I wish it to be understood thatI identify
Jonathanthe Targumist withTheodotion.
t Tr. Pesahim, fol. 53A, jer. Moed katan,III, § 1/, Si*/.
% I..c., v. Tr. Betzah, fol. 230.
§ Tr. Berachoth, fol. 19a.
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