The Targum Rishon, the first Aramaic translation of the book of Esther, displays the standard characteristics of other Aramaic targumim. That is, it is an Aramaic translation of the text, but given that it emerged later than the targumim on most other biblical books, it is more paraphrastic and also includes relatively more midrashic narrative embellishment. The Targum Rishon contains less midrash than the Targum Sheni (or “second targum”) on Esther but nevertheless seems to have knowledge and expand upon rabbinic interpretations of the book of Esther found in the Babylonian Talmud and other midrashic works on the book of Esther. The work incorporates parts of a tamudic-era targum but should be dated later.