Martin McNamara, «Melchizedek: Gen 14,17-20 in the Targums, in Rabbinic and Early Christian Literature», Vol. 81 (2000) 1-31

The essay is introduced by some words on the nature of the Aramaic translations of Gen 14 used in the study (the Tgs. Onq., Pal. Tgs. as in Tgs. Neof. I, Frg. Tgs., Ps.-J.). Tg. Neof. identifies the Valley of Shaveh (Gen 14,17) as the Valley of the Gardens (pardesaya). The value of Tg. Neof.’s evidence here is doubtful. Most Targums retain Melchizedek as a personal name (not so Tg. Ps.-J.). Salem of v. 18 is identified as Jerusalem. Melchizedek is identified as Shem, son of Noah, mainly because of the life-span assigned to Shem in Gen 11. The question of Melchizedek’s priesthood in early rabbinic tradition and in the Targums (Tg. Gen 14; Tg Ps. 110) is considered, as is also the use of Jewish targumic-type tradition on Melchizedek in such early Fathers as Jerome, Ephrem, and Theodore of Mopsuestia.

referring to a known-place name, but rather understanding the MT Myd#& as the plural of hd#&, "field, open place". Whatever of this, it is unlikely that the author or compiler of Tg. Neof. would have used the same Aramaic term to identify two quite distinct place-names of the Hebrew Text.

III. Hebrew Texts and Targums: Gen 14,18

Hebrew Text

Ml#$ Klm qd( yklmw (a)
Nyyw Mxl )y(wh (b)
Nwyl( l)l Nhk )whw (c)

Targum Onqelos¹⁰

Ml#$ryd )klm qdc yklmw (a)
rmhw Myxl qyp) (b)
h)ly( l) Mdq #$ym#$m )whw (c)

Targum Neofiti

hbwr M#$ )wh Ml#$wryd )klm qdc )klmw (a)
rmxw Mxl qp) (b)
h)l( )hl) Mdq htbr [h]tnhkb #$m#$m Nhk hwh )whw (c)

Targum Neofiti marg

)yyly( )hl)l (as variant for h)l( )hl) Mdq htbr [h]tnhkb)

Fragment Targums^VNL

)br M#$ )wh Ml#$wryd )klm qdc yklmw (a)
h)ly( l)l Nyhk hwh (c)

Fragment Targums^P

)br M#$ )whd Ml#$wryd )klm qdc yklm (a)
h)ly( Nhk hwh (c)
rmxw Nwzm qyp) (b)
h)ly( l) Mdq )tbr )tnwhkb #$m#$mw My)q )whw (c)

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan

Mrb) twmdql qpn  Myl#$wryd )klm xn rb M#$ )wh )qydc )klmw (a)
rmxw Myxl hyl qyp)w (b)
h)ly( )ql) Mdq #$m#$m hwh )nmyz )yhhbw (c)