The Vulgate and Christian-Jewish Dialogue

Abstract

Jerome is often mentioned in historical discussions of Jewish-Christian interactions. Although regularly identified as the author who translated the Latin Bible directly from the Hebrew, commonly known as the Vulgate, the implications of his long ‘conversation’ with the Hebrew text remains unexplored, with a few exceptions. Drawing on my recent research on Vulgate Exodus and Numbers, I present some examples of his translation that combine Classical, Jewish, and Christian traditions in order to illustrate the translation technique of the Vulgate. This translation technique offers ways of thinking about Jewish-Christian dialogue. Just as the Christian Jerome’s training in Late Antique Classical grammar inspires and mediates his interaction with Jewish sources, so does a third system of shared values neither Jewish nor Christian stimulate contemporary Jewish-Christian dialogue. Further, just as Jerome’s encounter with Jewish sources in the translation process ultimately reinscribes Christian supersessionism, there are limits to dialogue between Christians and Jews.