Jerome
c. 347 – 420 · Stridon (Dalmatia) — Rome — Bethlehem
Priest, scholar, Father and Doctor of the Church
Awaiting theological review
In one sentence
The scholar who translated the Bible into Latin — the Vulgate — from his monastery in Bethlehem.
Why this person matters
For a thousand years the Western Church read Scripture largely in his translation.
Secretary to Pope Damasus in Rome, who asked him to revise the Latin Gospels.
From 386 he lived in Bethlehem, where he translated most of the Old Testament from Hebrew.
He wrote commentaries on nearly every book of the Bible.
Key ideas
- Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ (quoted in CCC 133)
Controversies
He was a fierce controversialist; his quarrels with Rufinus and with Augustine are well known.
Why they still matter
Patron of translators and biblical scholars.
Before
- Athanasius of Alexandriac. 296 – 373
Contemporary
- Basil the Greatc. 330 – 379
- Ambrose of Milanc. 339 – 397
- Gregory of Nazianzusc. 329 – 390
After
- Cyril of Alexandriac. 376 – 444
- The Vulgate
- Commentaries on the prophets and on Matthew
- Letters
- Historical context
- Early Christian source
Statements are labelled by source. Early Christian sources are named where known; dates before the 4th century are often approximate.