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TheVetus Latina ("Old Latin" inLatin), also known asVetus Itala ("Old Italian"),Itala ("Italian")[note 1] andOld Italic, and denoted by thesiglum, are the Latintranslations of biblical texts (bothOld Testament andNew Testament) that preceded theVulgate (the Latin translation produced byJerome in the late 4th century).
TheVetus Latina translations continued to be used alongside the Vulgate, but eventually the Vulgate became the standard Latin Bible used by theCatholic Church, especially after theCouncil of Trent (1545–1563) affirmed the Vulgate translation as authoritative for the text ofCatholic Bibles. However, theVetus Latina texts survive in some parts of the liturgy (e.g., thePater Noster).
As the English translation ofVetus Latina is "Old Latin", they are also sometimes referred to as theOld Latin Bible,[1] although they are written in theform of Latin known asLate Latin, not that known asOld Latin. TheVetus Latina manuscripts that are preserved today are dated from AD 350 to the 13th century.
There is no single "Vetus Latina Bible". Instead,Vetus Latina is a collection of biblicalmanuscript texts that are Latin translations ofSeptuagint and New Testament passages that preceded Jerome'sVulgate.[1]
Some of the oldest survivingVetus Latina versions of the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh) include theQuedlinburgItala fragment, a 5th-century manuscript containing parts of1 Samuel, and theCodex Complutensis I, a 10th-century manuscript containing Vetus Latina readings of theBook of Ruth,Book of Esther,[2]Book of Tobit,[3]Book of Judith, and 1-2 Maccabees.[4]
There are over80 manuscripts or fragments with Latin translations of New Testament books that pre-dateJerome (i.e. before AD 350). There are around 50 for the Gospels in particular.[5] Thevetus latina were revised to form theVulgate New Testament: Jerome producing the Gospels and anunknown scholar producing the rest.
After comparing readings forLuke 24:4–5 inVetus Latina manuscripts,Bruce Metzger counted "at least 27 variant readings inVetus Latina manuscripts that have survived" for this passage alone.[6]
WhenJerome undertook the revision of Latin translations ofOld Testament texts in the late 4th century, he checked the Septuagint andVetus Latina translations against the Hebrew texts that were then available. He broke with church tradition and translated most of the Old Testament of hisVulgate from Hebrew sources rather than from the Greek Septuagint. His choice was severely criticized byAugustine, his contemporary; a flood of still less moderate criticism came from those who regarded Jerome as a forger. While on the one hand he argued for the superiority of the Hebrew texts in correcting the Septuagint on both philological and theological grounds, on the other, in the context of accusations of heresy against him, Jerome would acknowledge the Septuagint texts as well.[7]
Below are some comparisons of theVetus Latina with text from critical editions of the Vulgate.
The following comparison is of Luke 6:1–4, taken from theVetus Latina text in theCodex Bezae:
| Vetus Latina[8] | Latin Vulgate[9] | Douay Rheims |
|---|---|---|
| Et factum est eum in Sabbato secundoprimo abire per segetes discipuli autem illius coeperunt vellere spicas et fricantes manibus manducabant. | factum est autem in sabbato secundoprimo cum transiret per sata vellebant discipuli eius spicas et manducabant confricantes manibus | And it came to pass on the second first sabbath, that as he went through the corn fields, his disciples plucked the ears, and did eat, rubbing them in their hands. |
| Quidam autem de farisaeis dicebant ei, Ecce quid faciunt discipuli tui sabbatis quod non licet? | quidam autem Pharisaeorum dicebant illis quid facitis quod non licet in sabbatis | And some of the Pharisees said to them: Why do you that which is not lawful on the sabbath days? |
| Respondens autem IHS dixit ad eos, Numquam hoc legistis quod fecit David quando esuriit ipse et qui cum eo erat? | et respondens Iesus ad eos dixit nec hoc legistis quod fecit David cum esurisset ipse et qui cum eo erant | And Jesus answering them, said: Have you not read so much as this, what David did, when himself was hungry, and they that were with him: |
| Intro ibit in domum Dei et panes propositionis manducavit et dedit et qui cum erant quibus non licebat manducare si non solis sacerdotibus? | quomodo intravit in domum Dei et panes propositionis sumpsit et manducavit et dedit his qui cum ipso erant quos non licet manducare nisi tantum sacerdotibus | How he went into the house of God, and took and ate the bread of proposition, and gave to them that were with him, which is not lawful to eat but only for the priests? |
TheVetus Latina text survives in places in theCatholic liturgy, such as the following verse well known from Christmas carols, Luke 2:14:
| Vetus Latina[10] | Latin Vulgate[11] | King James Version (1611) | Douay Rheims |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gloria in excelsis Deo, et super terra pax in hominibus consolationis | gloria in altissimis Deo et in terra pax in hominibus bonae voluntatis | Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. | Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will. |
TheVetus Latina text means, "Glory [belongs] to God among the high, and peace [belongs] to men of good will on earth".[citation needed] The Vulgate text means "Glory [belongs] to God among the most high and peace among men of good will on earth".[citation needed]
Probably the most well known difference between theVetus Latina and the Vulgate is in thePater Noster, where the phrase from theVetus Latina,Panem nostrum cotidianum, "our daily bread", becomesPanem nostrum supersubstantialem, "oursupersubstantial bread" in the Vulgate; theVetus Latina form being retained in theRoman Missal for liturgical use.[citation needed]
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