Jerome facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the great priest and Bible translator. For other uses, see Jerome (disambiguation) and Saint Jerome (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Saint Jerome
St. Jerome in His Study by Albrecht Dürer, 1521
Doctor of the Church
Born	c. 342–347 Stridon (possibly Strido Dalmatiae, on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia
Died	30 September 420 (aged approximately 73–78) Bethlehem, Palaestina Prima
Venerated in	Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church Oriental Orthodox Church Anglican Communion Lutheranism
Major shrine	Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Rome, Italy
Feast	30 September (Latin Catholic Church) 15 June (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Attributes	Lion, cardinal attire, cross, skull, trumpet, owl, books and writing material
Patronage	Archaeologists; archivists; Bible scholars; librarians; libraries; school children; students; translators; Morong, Rizal; Dalmatia, against anger
Influences	Paula of Rome, Plato, Vergil, Cicero, Isocrates, Philo, Seneca the younger, Eusebius, Paul the Apostle, Ezra the scribe, Onkelos
Influenced	Virtually all of subsequent Christian theology, including Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and some Protestant

Jerome (born between 342 and 347 AD – died September 30, 420 AD), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was an important Catholic priest, theologian (someone who studies religion), and historian. He is widely known as Saint Jerome.

Jerome was born in Stridon, a village near what is now Ljubljana, Slovenia. He is most famous for translating the Bible into Latin. This translation became known as the Vulgate. Jerome worked hard to translate the Old Testament directly from Hebrew texts. Before him, most Latin Bibles used a Greek translation called the Septuagint. Jerome also wrote many commentaries (explanations) on the Bible. Besides his Bible work, he wrote essays about history and religious ideas.

Jerome was also known for teaching about how Christians should live. He often advised people in big cities like Rome. He especially focused on how women devoted to Jesus should live their lives.

Because of his important work, Jerome is recognized as a saint and a Doctor of the Church by the Catholic Church. He is also considered a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Lutheran Church, and the Anglican Communion. His special day is September 30.

Early Life and Education
Becoming a Christian
Working in Rome
Important Scholarly Works
- Translating the Bible (382–405)
- Bible Commentaries (405–420)
Jerome in Art
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

St. Jerome in His Study (1480), by Domenico Ghirlandaio

Jerome was born Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus around 342–347 AD. He was from a group of people called the Illyrians. He was not baptized (a Christian ceremony) until he was about 18-27 years old. This happened in Rome, where he had gone with his friend Bonosus of Sardica. In Rome, he studied rhetoric (the art of speaking and writing well) and philosophy (the study of knowledge and existence). He learned Latin and some Greek from a teacher named Aelius Donatus.

Becoming a Christian

At first, Jerome was a bit afraid of Christianity. But eventually, he decided to become a Christian.

St. Jerome in the Desert, by Giovanni Bellini (1505)

Jerome wanted to live a simple, strict life focused on his faith. So, he went to the desert of Chalcis, near Antioch. This area was known as the "Syrian Thebaid" because many holy people lived there. During this time, he studied and wrote a lot. He started learning Hebrew from a Jewish person who had become a Christian. He also copied parts of a Hebrew Gospel, which is now known as the Gospel of the Hebrews. Jerome translated parts of this Hebrew Gospel into Greek.

Working in Rome

Saint Jerome Writing, by Caravaggio, 1607, at St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta

Jerome became an important helper to Pope Damasus I in Rome. The Pope gave him tasks, including updating the older Latin versions of the New Testament. He used Greek manuscripts to make these corrections. He also updated the Book of Psalms that was used in Rome, basing it on the Septuagint (an old Greek translation of the Old Testament).

Important Scholarly Works

Translating the Bible (382–405)

Jerome finished his Bible translation while living in a monastery in Bethlehem. He started in 382 by fixing the existing Latin version of the New Testament, called the Vetus Latina. By 390, he began translating the Hebrew Bible directly from the original Hebrew. He finished this huge project by 405.

Before Jerome's translation (the Vulgate), all Latin translations of the Old Testament were based on the Septuagint. Jerome chose to use the Hebrew text instead, which was a new idea. Many other Christians, including Augustine, believed the Septuagint was inspired by God. But Jerome felt it was important to go back to the original Hebrew.

Bible Commentaries (405–420)

St Jerome in His Study by Antonello da Messina

For the next 15 years, until he died, Jerome wrote many commentaries on the Bible. In these writings, he often explained why he chose certain words in his translation. He believed it was best to use the original Hebrew texts rather than older translations that might have mistakes.

Jerome in Art

Jerome is often shown with a lion. This comes from a popular story that he once tamed a lion in the wilderness by healing its injured paw. This story might have come from an older Roman tale about a man named Androcles.

From the Middle Ages onwards, artists often showed Jerome in different settings. He might be in his study, surrounded by books and writing tools. Or he might be in a rocky desert. Sometimes, he is shown studying a book in a cave. His study is often shown as large and full of books, and he is usually clean-shaven and well-dressed. A cardinal's hat (a symbol of high rank in the church) might also appear. These images show him as a serious scholar. The lion, often smaller, might be next to him in either setting.

Jerome is also sometimes shown with an owl, which is a symbol of wisdom and learning. Writing tools and a trumpet (symbolizing the final judgment) are also part of his common images.

A large limestone statue of Jerome was placed above the entrance of O’Shaughnessy Library at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota in 1950. The sculptor was Joseph Kiselewski.

Images for kids

St Jerome in the Nuremberg Chronicle
Saint Jerome in His Study, 1451, by Antonio da Fabriano II, shows writing implements, scrolls, and manuscripts testifying to Jerome's scholarly pursuits. The Walters Art Museum.
Saint Jerome in His Study, by Niccolò Antonio Colantonio c. 1445–46, depicts Jerome's removal of a thorn from a lion's paw.
Jerome in the desert, tormented by his memories of the dancing girls, by Francisco de Zurbarán, 1639, Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe
Saint Jerome by Matthias Stom, 1635
Francesco St Jerome by Jacopo Palma il Giovane, c. 1595
The Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome and Nicholas of Tolentino by Lorenzo Lotto, 1522
Jerome in his study, made by the Flemish drawer de Bry.
Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, Leonardo da Vinci, 1480–1490, Vatican Museums
Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness. Copper engraving, Albrecht Dürer 1494–1498
Hieronymus in Gehäus. Copper engraving, Albrecht Dürer 1514
Saint Jerome in the Wilderness by Lucas Cranach the Elder c. 1515
Saint Jerome c. 1520 Netherlandish stained glass window at MET.
Saint Jerome by Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1525
Saint Jerome in his study, c. 1530 by Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Workshop, Walters Art Museum
Saint Jerome and the Paulines painted by Gabriel Thaller in the St. Jerome Church in Štrigova, Međimurje County, northern Croatia (18th century)
Saint Hieronymus (1978), by Jose Escada