Jerome

Saint Jerome was born in Strido, Dalmatia (Croatia) in 347. After being educated by his father, he was sent to Rome where
he studied classical literature and rhetoric. While in Rome, he studied Greek, Latin, history and philosophy and built his own library by copying most of the works he read. Leaving Rome is his early twenties, he traveled to Trier in Gaul and transcribed the works of St. Hilary. After returning to Aquileia, he continued his theological studies.

About 373, he made a pilgrimage to the east. Reaching Antioch in Syria, he pursued humanistic and monastic studies, although he soon turned from the classics to Christian writings. Then he moved to the desert of Chalcia, southeast of Antioch, living as a hermit for five years, focusing upon his much-loved study of Scripture and copy work.

Jerome did not easily forget the delights of Rome and found himself homesick for a world of thought, study and discussion. However, he had a deep spiritual experience in a dream in which he was accused of being a “Ciceronian, not a Christian”. This drove him to study Hebrew and eschew classicla literature. He translated Scripture directly from Hebrew and organized a workshop dedicating himself to the Bible and Theology.

When his solitude was disrupted by quarelling monks, he returned to Antioch in 378 where a speech by Apollinaris the Younger influenced him to become a priest. In 382 he returned to Rome and Pope Damasus appointed him as secretary and librarian. He was also commissioned to render the Bible into Latin. He was spoken of as the next Pope; however, his satirical attacks on the manners of the Roman clergy caused him to make enemies.

While he enjoyed the patronage of Pope Damasus, little could be done against him. However, after death of Damasus he was banished from Rome. Then in 385, he left Osta for Antioch, to which a number of virgins and widows traveled and met Jerome. The party settled in Bethlehem where a monastery and convent were established. This began his literary period and was where he remained until his death.

In Bethlehem he began both his Biblical commentaries and his work on the Latin Bible. In addition to this work he helped establish monasteries. Jerome translated most of the Old Testament from Hebrew and some from Greek. Also, he wrote Scriptural commentaries, biographies, a history of writers and corresponded greatly. He also preached, held conferences and taught the young.

His greatest achievement was, of course, the translation of the Bible, still used by the Catholic Church, and setting the standard for the King James Version 1,200 years later. In addition to his Biblical work, he wrote extensively on varied topics, translations, heresies and commentary including all the prophets, books of the Bible and polemical treatises. He continued to live in Bethlehem for thirty-six years and was involved in quarrels over doctrine, disputed with St. Augustine, the heretic Jovinian, the Bishop of Jerusalem and with Rufinus over the writing of Origen. A difficult and hot-tempered man, he made enemies, but his correspondence with both friends and enemies is of interest, particularly with Augustine. Also, his scholarship is unsurpassed in the Church, helping to create the culture of the ​middle ages by developing allegorical and realistic schools of writing.

Jerome died in 419, and was buried under the Church of the Nativity close to the site of the birth of Jesus.