When was Targum Yonatan Written?

וְיָתִיב בְּמַדְבְּרָא דְפָּארָן וּנְסֵיב אִתְּתָא יַת עֲדִישָׁא וְתֵרְכָהּ וּנְסִיבַת לֵיהּ אִמֵיהּ יַת פְּטִימָא אִתְּתָא מֵאַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 21:21

And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran, and took for a wife Adisha, but put her away. And his mother took for him Fatima to wife, from the land of Mitzraim.

Based on the references to the wife and daughter of the Prophet Mohammed, it seems that Targum Yonatan must have been written after the mid-600s.

פרקי דרבי אליעזר ל׳:ו׳

״וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתֵּתַע״ וְכוּ'. אֵין וַתֵּתַע אֶלָּא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה דִּכְתִיב בָּהּ (יִרְמְיָה י טו) ״הֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתֻּעִים״. וְעָיְפָה נַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל בַּצָּמָא וְהָלַךְ וְהִשְׁלִיךְ אֶת עַצְמוֹ תַּחַת חֲרוּלֵי הַמִּדְבָּר לִהְיוֹת חַרְשָׁן עָלָיו וְאָמַר: ״אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִי, יֵשׁ לְפָנֶיךָ תּוֹצָאוֹת מָוֶת, קַח אֶת נַפְשִׁי מִמֶּנִּי וְאַל אָמוּת בַּצָּמָא״. וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶת קוֹל הַנַּעַר בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם״. וְשָׁם נִפְתְּחוּ לָהֶם הַבְּאֵר שֶׁנִּבְרֵאת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת וְהָלְכוּ וְשָׁתוּ וּמִלְּאוּ אֶת הַחֵמֶת מַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּפְקַח אֱלֹהִים אֶת עֵינֶיהָ״. וְשָׁם הִנִּיחוּ הַבְּאֵר וּמִשָּׁם נָשְׂאוּ אֶת רַגְלֵיהֶם וְהָלְכוּ אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר כֻּלּוֹ עַד שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לְמִדְבַּר פָּארָן וּמָצְאוּ שָׁם מוֹצָאֵי מַיִם וְיָשְׁבוּ שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּר פָּארָן״. שָׁלַח יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְלָקַח לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת מוֹאָב וְעַיְשָׁה שְׁמָהּ. לְאַחַר שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים הָלַךְ אַבְרָהָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנוֹ, וְנִשְׁבַּע לְשָׂרָה שֶׁלֹּא יֵרֵד מֵעַל הַגָּמָל בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁיִּשְׁמָעֵאל שָׁרוּי תַּמָּן, וְהִגִּיעַ לְשָׁם בַּחֲצִי הַיּוֹם וּמָצָא שָׁם אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל. אָמַר לָהּ: ״הֵיכָן הוּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל?״ אָמְרָה לוֹ: ״הָלַךְ הוּא וְאִמּוֹ לְהָבִיא פֵּרוֹת וּתְמָרִים מִן הַמִּדְבָּר״. אָמַר לָהּ: ״תְּנִי לִי מְעַט לֶחֶם וּמַיִם כִּי עָיְפָה נַפְשִׁי מִדֶּרֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּר״. אָמְרָה לוֹ: ״אֵין לִי לֶחֶם וְלֹא מַיִם״. אָמַר לָהּ: ״כְּשֶׁיָּבֹא יִשְׁמָעֵאל הַגִּידִי לוֹ אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ וְאִמְרִי לוֹ: זָקֵן אֶחָד מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בָּא לִרְאוֹתְךָ וְאָמַר: 'חַלֵּף מִפְתַּן בֵּיתְךָ, שֶׁאֵינָהּ טוֹבָה לְךָ'״. וּכְשֶׁבָּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל מִן הַמִּדְבָּר הִגִּידָה לוֹ אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ, וּבֵן חָכָם כַּחֲצִי חָכָם, וְהֵבִין יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְשָׁלְחָה אִמּוֹ וְלָקְחָה לוֹ אִשָּׁה מִבֵּית אָבִיהָ, וּפָטִימָה שְׁמָהּ.

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 30:6

"And she departed and wandered" (ibid.). The meaning of "and she wandered" is merely idolatry, because it is written, concerning (this root), "They are vanity, a work of delusion" (Jer. 10:15). He went and cast himself beneath the thorns of the wilderness, so that the moisture might be upon him, and he said: O God of my father Abraham ! Thine are the issues of death; take away from me my soul, for I would not die of thirst. And He was entreated of him, as it is said, "For God hath heard the || voice of the lad where he is" (Gen. 21:17). The well which was created at twilight was opened for them there, and they went and drank and filled the bottle with water, as it is said, "And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water" (Gen. 21:19). And there they left the well, and thence they started on their way, and went through all the wilderness until they came to the wilderness of Paran, and they found there streams of water, and they dwelt there, as it is said, "And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran" (Gen. 21:21). Ishmael sent for a wife from among the daughters of Moab, and 'Ayeshah was her name. After three years Abraham went to see Ishmael his son, having sworn to Sarah that he would not descend from the camel in the place where Ishmael dwelt. He arrived there at midday and found there the wife of Ishmael. He said to her: Where is Ishmael? She said to him: He has gone with his mother to fetch the fruit of the palms from the wilderness. He said to her: Give me a little bread and a little water, for my soul is faint after the journey in the desert. She said to him: I have neither bread nor water. He said to her: When Ishmael comes (home) tell him this || story, and say to him: A certain old man came from the land of Canaan to see thee, and he said, Exchange the threshold of thy house, for it is not good for thee. When Ishmael came (home) his wife told him the story. A son of a wise man is like half a wise man. Ishmael understood. His mother sent and took for him a wife from her father's house, and her name was Fatimah.

The parallel passage in PRE seems like the foundation for Targum Yonatan's text, which offers a brief interpolation into the relevant pasuk of the longer aggadic version. The same reasoning applies to PRE, which itself must have been written sometime after the mid-600s, plus some unknown amount of time until the same tradition is found in Targum Yonatan.

תרגום יונתן על בראשית כ״א:י״ד

וְאַקְדִים אַבְרָהָם בְּצַפְרָא וּנְסִיב לַחֲמָא וְקִרְוָוא דְמַיָא וִיהַב לְהָגָר שַׁוִי עַל כַּתְפָהּ וְקָשַׁר לָהּ בְּמוֹתְנָהָא לְאוֹדוֹעֵי דְאַמְתָא הִיא וְיַת רִיבָא וּפַטְרָהּ בְגִיטָא וְאָזְלַת וְטָעַת מִן אָרְחָא לְמַדְבְּרָא דִסְמִיךְ לְבֵירָא דְשָׁבַע

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 21:14

And Abraham rose up in the morning, and took bread and a cruse of water, and gave to Hagar to bear upon her shoulder, and bound it to her loins, to signify that she was a servant, and the child, and dismissed her with a letter of divorce (be-gitta). And she went, and wandered from the way into the desert which was hard by Beersheba.

פרקי דרבי אליעזר ל׳:ד׳

הִשְׁכִּים אַבְרָהָם וְכָתַב גֵּט גֵּרוּשִׁין וְנָתַן לְהָגָר, וְשִׁלַּח אוֹתָהּ וְאֶת בְּנָהּ מֵעָלָיו וּמֵעַל יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ מֵהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּמֵהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיִּקַּח״ וְכוּ'. וַיְשַׁלְּחֶהָ בְּגֵט גֵּרוּשִׁין, וְלָקַח בֶּגֶד אֶחָד וְקָשַׁר בְּמָתְנֶיהָ כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא שׂוֹחֵף אַחֲרֶיהָ לֵידַע שֶׁהִיא שִׁפְחָה. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁעָמַד אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ לִרְאוֹת אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנוֹ וְלִרְאוֹת אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁהָלְכוּ בָהּ.

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 30:4

Abraham rose up early, and wrote a bill of divorce, and gave it to Hagar, and he sent her and her son away from himself, and from Isaac his son, from this world and from the world to come, as it is said, "And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water" (Gen. 21:14). He sent her away || with a bill of divorcement, and he took the veil, and he bound it around her waist, so that it should drag behind her to disclose (the fact) that she was a bondwoman. Not only this, but also because Abraham desired to see Ishmael, his son, and to see the way whereon they went.

Again, the parallel passage in PRE provides a fuller version of the aggadah, including the unique element of something bound around the waist signifying social status.

תרגום יונתן על בראשית כ״ב:א׳

וַהֲוָה בָּתַר פִּתְגָמַיָא הָאִילֵין מִן דִי נָצוּ יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל יִשְׁמָעֵאל הֲוָה אָמַר לִי חֲמָא לְמֵירוּת יַת אַבָּא דַאֲנָא בְּרֵיהּ בּוּכְרַיָא וְיִצְחָק הֲוָה אָמַר לִי חָמֵי לְמֵירוּת יַת אַבָּא דַאֲנָא בַּר שָרָה אִנְתְּתֵיהּ וְאַנְתְּ בַּר הָגָר אַמְתָא דְאִמִי עָנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וַאֲמַר אֲנָא זַכְּאַי יַתִּיר מִנָךְ דַאֲנָא אִתְגְזָרִית לִתְּלֵיסְרֵי שְׁנִין וְאִין הֲוָת צְבוֹתִי לִמְעַכְּבָא לָא הֲוֵינָא מָסַר נַפְשִׁי לְאִתְגַזְרָא וְאַנְתְּ אִתְגַזְרַת בַּר תְּמַנְיָא יוֹמִין אִילוֹ הֲוָה בָּךְ מַנְדְעָא דִלְמָא לָא הֲוֵיתָ מָסַר נַפְשָׁךְ לְאִתְגַזְרָא מְתִיב יִצְחָק וַאֲמַר הָא נָא יוֹמַיָא בַּר תְּלָתִין וְשִׁית שְׁנִין וְאִילוּ בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְכוּלֵי אֵבְרַיי לָא הֲוֵיתִי מְעַכֵּב מִן יַד אִשְׁתְּמָעוּ פִּתְגָמִין הָאִילֵין קֳדָם מָרֵי עַלְמָא וּמִן יַד מֵימְרָא דַיְיָ נַסִי יַת אַבְרָהָם וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבְרָהָם וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ הָא נָא

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 22:1

And it was after these things that Izhak and Ishmael contended; and Ishmael said, It is right that I should inherit what is the father's because I am his firstborn son. And Izhak said, It is right that I should inherit what is the father's, because I am the son of Sarah his wife, and thou art the son of Hagar the handmaid of my mother. Ishmael answered and said, I am more righteous than thou, because I was circumcised at thirteen years; and if it had been my will to hinder, they should not have delivered me to be circumcised; but thou wast circumcised a child eight days; if thou hadst had knowledge, perhaps they could not have delivered thee to be circumcised. Izhak responded and said, Behold now, today I am thirty and six years old; and if the Holy One, blessed be He, were to require all my members, I would not delay. These words were heard before the Lord of the world, and the Word of the Lord at once tried Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Behold me.

פרקי דרבי אליעזר ל״א:ה׳

בֶּן שְׁלֹשִׁים וָשֶׁבַע שָׁנָה הָיָה יִצְחָק בְּלֶכְתּוֹ אֶל הַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה, וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה. נִכְנַס תַּחֲרוּת בֵּין אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל. אָמַר יִשְׁמָעֵאל לֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר: ״עַכְשָׁו אַבְרָהָם הִקְרִיב אֶת יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ מוֹקְדָה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וַאֲנִי בְּכוֹרוֹ יוֹרֵשׁ אַבְרָהָם״. אָמַר לוֹ אֱלִיעֶזֶר: ״כְּבָר גֵּרְשָׁךְ כְּאִשָּׁה שֶׁהִיא מְגֹרֶשֶׁת מִבַּעְלָהּ וְשִׁלְּחֲךָ לַמִּדְבָּר, אֲבָל אֲנִי עַבְדּוֹ מְשָׁרֵת אוֹתוֹ בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה, וַאֲנִי הוּא הַיּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת אַבְרָהָם״. וְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְשִׁיבָה אוֹתָם וְאוֹמֶרֶת לָהֶם: ״לֹא זֶה יוֹרֵשׁ וְלֹא זֶה יוֹרֵשׁ״.

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 31:5

Isaac was thirty-seven years old when he went to Mount Moriah, and Ishmael was fifty years old. Contention arose between Eliezer and Ishmael. Ishmael said to Eliezer: Now that Abraham will offer Isaac his son for a burnt offering, kindled upon the altar, and I am his first-born son, I will inherit (the possessions of) Abraham. Eliezer replied to him, saying: He has already driven thee out like a woman divorced from her husband, and he has sent thee away to the wilderness, but I am his servant, serving him by day and by night, and I shall be the heir of Abraham. The Holy Spirit answered them, saying to them: Neither this one nor that one shall inherit.

But Targum Yonatan has a unique perspective on the origins of the Akeidah, describing a dispute between Yishmael and Yitzhak that diverges completely from the version in PRE.

תרגום יונתן על בראשית ט״ז:ב׳

וַאֲמָרַת שָרַי לְאַבְרָם הָא כְּדֵין מְנָעֲנִי יְיָ מִלְמֵלַד עוּל לְוַת אַמְתִי וְאַחְרְרִינָהּ מָאִים אִיתְבְּנֵי מִינָהּ וְקַבֵּל אַבְרָם לְמֵימַר שָרָי

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 16:2

And Sara said to Abram, Behold, now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing, go to my handmaid and set her free; perhaps I may be builded by her. And Abram hearkened to the word of Sara.

תרגום יונתן על בראשית ט״ז:ג׳

וְדַבָּרַת שָרַי אִתַּת אַבְרָם יַת הָגָר מִצְרֵיתָא אַמְתָהּ מִסוֹף עֶשֶר שְׁנִין לְמֵיתַב אַבְרָם בְּאַרְעָא דִכְנָעַן וַחֲרַרְתָּא וְיַהֲבָא יָתָהּ לְאַבְרָם בַּעֲלָהּ לֵיהּ לְאִנְתּוּ

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 16:3

And Sara the wife of Abram took Hagar the Mizreitha handmaid, when Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Kenaan, and set her free, and gave her to Abram her husband to wife.

Targum Yonatan shares the tradition with PRE that Hagar was set free, and was no longer handmaid at the time of her full and binding marriage to Avraham.

תרגום יונתן על בראשית כ״ה:י״ב

וְאִלֵין תּוּלְדַת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בַּר אַבְרָהָם דִילֵידַת הָגָר מִצְרֵיתָא אַמְתָא דְשָרָה לְאַבְרָהָם

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 25:12

And these are the generations of Ishmael bar Abraham, whom Hagar the Mizreitha, the handmaid of Sarah, bare unto Abraham.

תרגום יונתן על בראשית כ״ה:א׳

וְאוֹסִיף אַבְרָהָם וּנְסַב אִיתָא וּשְׁמָהּ קְטוּרָה הִיא הָגָר דִקְטִירָא לֵיהּ מִן שֵׁרוּיָא

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 25:1

And Abraham added and took a wife, and her name was Keturah; she is Hagar, who had been bound to him from the beginning.

Yet Targum Yonatan also has a layer that only recognizes Hagar as a handmaid, not a free woman, an internal contradiction.

Conclusion:

As with so many of our classical texts, Targum Yonatan does not have a single author, and was not written or created at a single moment in time. The text accumulated over multiple generation, and likely through the multiple different processes in use across those generations. Here's one plausible scenario.

The standard picture of the Meturgeman is a non-canonical oral tradition during the Tannaitic period. From this inception a consistent, but still oral, text develops in the name of Targum Yonatan. This foundational layer would use the Palestinian (eastern) Aramaic dialect.

Further elaborations on the now-canonical text, and integration of additional midrashic traditions, likely occurred during the Amoraic period. These introductions would use the Babylonian (western) Aramaic dialect, accounting for the inconsistency (see The Aramaic Bible, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Genesis, Introduction pp. 8-12).

It seems reasonable to assume that the transition from oral to written transition occurred at roughly the same time for Targum Yonatan as for the Gemara, roughly the early 800s (coinciding with the adoption of low-cost paper manufacturing in Baghdad -- see Paper Before Print).

Among the last layers to be added seems to be the interpolation of material from Pirkei de Rebbe Eliezer, as in the examples above. Coming in the age of manuscripts written on paper, it may well occurred in the same manner as so many other works of the Gaonim and Rishonim: the sofer creates a fresh copy of a manuscript, including wide margins for the new owner's comments and additions. For a respected scholar, the next sofer can incorporate some or most of the marginalia into the next generation of the work.

Scholars provide a variety of datings for that work, but again the 800s seems a reasonable hypothesis. All we can say with certainty is that the closing of Targum Yonatan post-dates PRE, but with the bulk of the Targum having far earlier origins.

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