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As Christianity
spread throughout the Roman Empire in the first centuries after Christ, it
became necessary to produce Latin versions of the Bible for those not able
to understand the Greek of the New Testament or Septuagint.
The first translations were made by individual Christians for use within their own community. These are known as the Old Latin or Vetus Latina. Towards the end of the fourth century, Pope Damasus asked the scholar Hieronymus (St. Jerome) to produce a common version, the Vulgate, for the use of the whole Church. This remains the basis for the modern Latin Bible. |
| The Vulgate
took many years to become established as the principal Latin Bible. In the
meanwhile, the Old Latin versions continued to be used. Some of
these translations are preserved in Bible manuscripts, in the writings of
the Church Fathers and in early Christian liturgies.
These texts are of
great significance for the history of the early Church and the
transmission of the Bible. Most of the Old Latin translations were
made from Greek manuscripts which no longer exist. Although the Latin
texts have undergone their own process of transmission, the original layer
preserves a witness to the Bible, especially the New Testament, which
would otherwise be lost to us. The language and history of these documents
also provides information on the social background of early Christian
communities and the spread of the Church. |
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| This website is intended to provide resources on the Vetus Latina for scholars and students engaged in the study of the early Church and the history of the Bible. |
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It hosts information on the current state of research into the Vetus Latina, including major ongoing projects, as well as articles and tools for the study of the Church Fathers and a gateway of links. |
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This website
is maintained by Hugh Houghton, |
