Jerome's Hebrew Philology · a Study Based on His Commentary on Jeremiah

St Jerome (ca. 347-419), translator and prolific commentator on the Old Testament, left a lasting and controversial mark on the history of biblical scholarship through his radical return to the hebraica veritas , the 'Hebrew truth.' Yet, the extent of Jerome s Hebrew knowledge has been debated, and the actual role of Hebrew in Jerome s biblical exegesis has been little explored. This book shows how Jerome s Hebrew philology developed out of his training in classical literary studies, describes the nature of Jerome s command of Hebrew in light of his historical context and his use of Jewish sources, and explains how Jerome used Hebrew scholarship in his biblical interpretation. Jerome emerges as a competent Hebraist, limited by his context, yet producing work of enduring significance."