Second-century c.e. translator of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. Onkelos was reputed to be a nephew of the Roman emperor Hadrian and a convert to Judaism; the name is probably a corruption of Aquila. His work is known as the “Targum Onkelos,” “translation of Onkelos.” Written in Israel, Targum Onkelos became the standard version of the Hebrew Bible that was used in Babylonian synagogues during the talmudic era. Even as a convert, Onkelos gained the respect of the leading Hebrew scholars of his day. His translation became almost as authoritative a text as the Tanakh itself, and was of particular interest to later commentators and scholars, since as a translation and thus a subjective interpretation, it reflects the common understanding of the Hebrew text of Onkelos’ time. Many modern scholars contend that the name “Onkelos” was mistakenly attached to the Aramaic text in early medieval times on account of a mis-identification with a translation by “Onkelos the Proselyte” that is mentioned in the Talmud. No alternative authorship of this Aramaic translation has been suggested.