Joseph’s Two Garments. The Reception of Joseph in Targum Neofiti

Abstract

Biblical characters underwent certain ‘transformations’ as they were received in targumic literature. Although previous studies of Joseph have considered his image in the extant Targums, it seems that scholars have passed over some of his salient features present in Targum Neofiti, such as his relationship with his father, his brothers, Esau, and the Egyptians, along with a detailed and overall evaluation of his moral conduct. On the basis of particular interpretations that appear in Targum Neofiti, it is possible to describe some of the exegetical traditions about Joseph that were circulating in early Judaism.