1. Introduction

In chapter 1 of the monograph, the author addresses Jerome’s background and the context in which the Vulgate enterprise took place. The following issues are explored in depth: the translations of Scripture that existed before the Vulgate; biographical information about Jerome’s education; the context in which he made the decision to create a new version of Scripture; his treatment of the Book of Genesis; the different meanings that he ascribed to the terms ‘Hebrews’ and ‘Jews’; his relationship with the authoritative version of the Old Testament in the Church; his translation technique. This introduction serves as the basis for the theory that is posited in the monograph, namely, that Jerome’s sources in his translation of the Hebrew Bible are not just the Hebrew Bible.

In this introduction, the author also describes the methodology that he employs throughout the monograph. In order to demonstrate that Jerome exploited various sources and sometimes incorporated readings that differed from the Hebrew into his translation of the Hebrew text, verses selected from the relevant Vulgate version are analysed in comparison with all the sources that he potentially had at hand and which are still extant. In each case, the author deals with specific aspects of the verse that is being investigated, such as a structure, a phrase, or a term: this takes the form of case studies (each of which is introduced in due course). The verses selected in these case studies permit us to identify patterns in Jerome’s translation technique and to thoroughly examine his relationship with his sources. All primary sources are quoted in the original language and rendered into English by the author. Through his English translations, he attempts in each case to highlight and address the elements in the original that are germane to the present study.