The canon in the Vulgate

Abstract

This paper focuses on the historical development of the Latin translations of the Bible and the debates on the canon and its inherent terminology that came up during this period of almost fifteen centuries. It begins with the first Latin version, the Vetus Latina, and then it concentrates in the evolution of the Vulgate edition, since Jerome's translation and his perspective on the canon, until the debates in the Tridentine Council that finally approved the Vulgate's canon. Especial attention is given to the fourth session of the Council, when the canon is discussed and two decrees were issued, one on the canon and the other on the "authenticity" of the Vulgate edition. Finally the appropriateness of the use of the terminology "protocanonical" and "deuterocanonical" referred to the books of the Vulgate is discussed and called into question.

Keywords: bible, bible translation, canon, canonicity, Vulgate, deuterocanonical, protocanonical

Extracted text from The_Canon_in_the_Vulgate.pdf:

THE CANON IN THE VULGATE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE Daniel Kerber Antalya, 2015

 The debate on the different groups of

books that finally formed our bibles. (terminology) The development of the Vulgate and

its correlative discussion about the canon. (history, theology)

Introduction Different names for different groups of books: Eusebius of Cesarea (ca. 265- 340) Homologoumenoi (unanimously accepted) Antilegomenoi (disputed) Amphiballomenoi (uncertain) Jerome (ca. 340-420) Canonical scriptures Ecclesiastical Apocrypha

 Sixtus of Siena (1520-1569) coined the terminology (1566): Protocanonical Deuterocanonical This terminology has been present since in

Catholic tradition.

 Although many lists containing the

Hebrew and Greek canons were given since the 4th Century, for the Catholic Church, the canon debate reached its final point in the 4th Session of the Council of Trent (1546) with two decrees: On the canon (dogmatic truth for Catholics) On the authenticity of the Vulgate translation.

Background, the Vetus Latina Collective name for the large and very

diverse group of the Latin Bible texts translated from the Greek since the 2nd century in Christian communities Jerome: there were as many forms of the text

for Latin readers as there are manuscripts Praef. In Josue

The Old Latin sometimes attests the Old

Greek, itself witnessing an Old Hebrew prior to the Masoretic Text

The Vulgate For the Latin Fathers it was the Greek Bible

and its Latin version Since 7th century, it is the version containing Jeromes translation from the Hebrew text (382-ca.407), although he did not translate the full bible. In the 5th Cent. the translation was completed and put together by an editor (Rufinus). Jeromes relevance (and the mention of pope Damasus?) made this version spread and it was progressively accepted as the Vulgate version.

 Twofold reasons for Jeromes translation: Critical: to establish a good Latin text according to the hebraica veritas. To correct differences according to the Greek NT. Apologetic: because of the calumny of the Jews, who continually declared that Christians lacked the genuine Scriptural text and that their theological arguments were not authentic or valid

Jeromes view on the canon Jerome defended the veritas hebraica and so

the books written in Hebrew He lists 22 books of the Jewish Scriptures (alephat) corresponding to 39 in our bibles. The majority of the Church did not accept his view. Although he defended the veritas hebraica he also translated some Greek books (Tobias and Judith) its better to be judging the opinion of the Pharisees to displease and to be subject to the commands of bishops

Later history of the Vulgate until the Council of Trent Progressive acceptance of the Vulgate:

Nostra Editio (Bede, 735) Vulgata Editio (1294). Different recensions until the Paris Bible (13th c), used for the first printed bible finally recommended by Trent. The Vulgate took up all books of Hebrew Bible and the books of the LXX according to previous councils up to 4th Century

Receptio of the Vulgate Bible at the Council of Trent Facing the Reformation, the Catholic

Church needed a solid foundation to build the refutations. This solid foundation was the faith of the Church based on the Word of God contained in the Bible transmitted by the living tradition of the Church. But which Bible?

 The reformers wanted to return to the

sources and so they rejected the biblical books belonging to the Greek tradition used by the primitive church (LXX) and went back to the Hebrew canon. A fixed canon was needed, for Scripture was the necessary basis for all further dogmatic aspects that were challenged by the Reformation and the Council was willing to face.

 The decrees on the Canon and the Vulgate Makes no distinction regarding authority or origin [the Synod] receives and holds in veneration

with an equal affection of piety and reverence all the books both of the Old and of the New Testament, since one God is the author or both, [follows the list of all the books] entire with all their parts, as they were wont canonicity is defined in relation to be read in theto Catholic Church, and as they inspiration are contained in thelike oldthe Latin Vulgate edition referring to the portions additions to the of Esther There was anbook anatema added to this decree, and Daniel. so, it was transformed into a formal dogmatic definition.

 the Church has decided and declares that the said old Vulgate edition, which has been approved by the Church itself through long

usage for so many centuries in public lectures, disputations, sermons, and expositions, be considered authentic

in any way diminish the authority and value of the original texts so its authenticity is not specified primarily as critical, but rather as juridical. Divino afflante Spiritu, 1943

 Introduction The Vulgate

Background, S II- V the Vetus Latina

Historical perspective

Difficulty of the sources S IV- VIII Different Jeromes view on the canon interpretations Later history of the Vulgate until the Council of Trent S XVI Is Bible the historical Receptio of the Vulgate at the Council perspective enough to of Trent deal and withthe the canon? The decrees on the Canon Vulgate Deuterocanonical books in the Vulgate?

Deuterocanonical books in the Vulgate? No. proto- deutero canonical (coined

1566. would be an anachronistic use of the term, referred to the Vulgate. Yes (with doubts), the terminology has

been used, maybe acritically, for centuries, referred to the biblical books coming from the Greek tradition.

Sixtus of Siena Protocanonical (=belonging to the first order) (qui ad Primum sacri canonis ordinem pertinent) =

The Hebrew (Palestinian) canon? Deuterocanonical (=belonging to the second order) = the Greek (Alexandrian) canon? the works of Sundberg (1966, 1997) seem to

demonstrate that there is not a complete Hebrew canon prior to the Greek canon, so, is it accurate to go on talking about protocanonical and deuterocanonical?