ספר טוביה כסיפור חצר

Discoveries made in the previous century suggest that the book of Tobit, previously known only in Greek and other translations, was originally
|written in Aramaic. This is indicated by the presence of five Aramaic copies of the book among the Qumran scrolls, in addition to one in Hebrew. The originality of the Aramaic version is further suggested by a number of literary contacts between this book and other Aramaic literature. Foremost is the book’s reliance on the tale of the wise Ahiqar, fifth-century BCE Aramaic copies of which were discovered at Elephantine more than a century ago. Secondly, Tobit’s use of the court tale model, popular in the ancient Jewish Aramaic literature, signals Tobit’s backdrop in the Aramaic literary milieu. Court tales place Jewish wise/successful courtiers in the courts of Gentile monarchs, as exemplified by the biblical stories of Joseph, Esther, and Daniel. The court tale model used by Tobit belongs to the “conflict tale” type, in which the Jewish protagonist is endangered because of his different religious practice. In the use of this model, Tobit resembles the
|Aramaic court tales of Daniel chapters 3 and 6.