The International Organization for Targum Study (IOTS) held its third congress on 2-3 August 2001, in Basel, Switzerland. Robert Hayward opened the congress with an exciting plenary talk on the changing of Jacob’s name to Israel and its targumic interpretation, while Paul Flesher in the second day’s plenary made a provocative case for the role of priests in creating the Pentateuchal Targums. In all, 21 papers were given, ranging across the spectrum of Targum studies, presented by scholars from across Europe as well as the United States and Israel.

At the congress, the IOTS decided that a major, long-term project to create scholarly editions of all the targumim should be undertaken, and an exploratory committee was established to design an overall plan to be brought before the society at its next meeting in 2004. This committee is called the Targum Edition Exploratory Committee (TEEC). It is chaired by Alberdina Houtman (Kampen), and its members are: Moshe Bernstein, Luis Díez Merino, Rimon Kasher, Stephen Kaufman, Willem Smelik and the President of the IOTS (ex officio). A copy of its charge can be found on the Newsletter’s website. Over the next three years there will be widespread consulting among targum scholars, and the successful implementation of any plan will involve the cooperation of all interested targumists from around the world. So plan on attending the next congress in 2004 in Amsterdam and help us launch this project. If you have any suggestions or comments to contribute, please contact Alberdina Houtman (a.houtman1@chello.nl) or any other TEEC member. Occasionally, discussions concerning aspects of the developing plan will take place via email on the Targum-L discussion list. So if you are not a subscriber, sign up to get in on the action!

During the IOTS Business Meeting, a new set of Bylaws was adopted for the Organization. They can be viewed on the NTCS website. The Bylaws put into effect a new governing structure, with an Executive Council consisting of nine members. These comprise a President, a Vice President, a Secretary-Treasurer, with the remainder of the Council serving at large. Paul Flesher was elected President, Willem Smelik as Vice President, and Christian Brady as Secretary-Treasurer. The at-large Council members are: Moshe Bernstein, Josef Ribera-Florit, Rimon Kasher, Eveline van Staalduine-Sulman, Robert Hayward, and Roger Syrén.

The new Bylaws also aim to put the IOTS on a firmer foundation with regard to membership and finances—up to now there has been neither. That is, there has been no procedure for joining the Organization and no income of any type. Starting in 2002, the IOTS will institute a formal membership process and charge members annual dues of fifteen US dollars ($15.00). More information will be forthcoming.

The IOTS sponsors an e-mail discussion list for the study of the targumim called Targum-L. Anyone wishing to subscribe should send their email address to “listmaster” Paul Flesher at: PFlesher@uwyo.edu.