ABSTRACT
St. Jerome, in some quarters seen as the greatest doctor of the church, is chiefly remembered as one of the most forceful personalities and one of the most important interpreters of the Bible in the early centuries of Christianity. Jerome was born in the early 340s ce in the town of Stridon, in Dalmatia, modern day Croatia. He died in 420, renowned for his exegetical and translation activities, and for living a holy and ascetic life. Though education was perhaps the single most important aspect of Jerome's personality, it was not the only one. He was a fervent supporter of asceticism. Jerome inherited a long tradition of biblical interpretation, both Jewish and Christian. The inescapable conclusion for Jerome was that he had to learn the original biblical languages. Jerome, more than any other Church Father of the first five centuries, was very well versed in principles and techniques of textual criticism.
