The Vulgate is a Latin translation of the Bible that was largely completed by Saint Jerome in the late 4th century AD. It was commissioned by Pope Damasus I and became the standard Bible used in the Western Church for over a thousand years. The word “Vulgate” comes from the Latin term “versio vulgata,” which means “common version,” indicating its widespread use among Latin-speaking Christians.
Jerome’s Vulgate was not the first Latin translation of the Bible, but it became the most authoritative and widely used in the Western Christian tradition during the Middle Ages. It was particularly significant because it provided a unified Latin text for both the Old and New Testaments, which had previously existed in separate translations.
The Vulgate’s influence on Western Christianity was immense. It was the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church until the 20th century and continues to be an important text in Catholic theology and liturgy. It also had a profound impact on Western culture and language, influencing literature, art, and scholarship throughout the medieval period and beyond.
In summary, the Vulgate is a Latin translation of the Bible, primarily the work of Saint Jerome, which became the standard Bible of the Western Church for many centuries and played a crucial role in shaping Western Christian culture and theology.
