TheVulgate (/ˈvʌlɡeɪt,-ɡət/) is a late-4th-centuryLatin translation of theBible, largely edited byJerome, which functioned as theCatholic Church'sde facto standard version during theMiddle Ages. The original Vulgate produced by Jerome around 382 has been lost, but texts of the Vulgate have been preserved in numerousmanuscripts, albeit with manytextual variants.
Vulgate manuscripts differ fromVetus Latina manuscripts, which are handwritten copies of the earliestLatin-language Bible translations known as the "Vetus Latina" or "Old Latin", originating from multiple translators before Jerome's late-4th-century Vulgate.Vetus Latina and Vulgate manuscripts continued to be copied alongside each other until theLate Middle Ages; many copies of (parts of) the Bible have been found using a mixture ofVetus Latina and Vulgate readings. Manuscripts of the Vulgate, together with theCodex Vaticanus, formed the basis of the printedSixto-Clementine Vulgate in 1592, which became the Catholic Church's officiallypromulgatedLatin version of theBible.
Though the Vulgate exists in many forms, a number of early manuscripts containing or reflecting the Vulgate survive today. Dating from the 8th century, theCodex Amiatinus is the earliest survivingmanuscript of the complete Vulgate Bible. TheCodex Fuldensis, dating from around 547, contains most of the New Testament in the Vulgate version, but the fourgospels are harmonized into a continuous narrative derived from theDiatessaron.
Alcuin of York oversaw efforts to make an improved Vulgate, which most argue he presented toCharlemagne in 801. He concentrated mainly on correcting inconsistencies of grammar and orthography, many of which were in the original text. More scholarly attempts were made byTheodulphus,Bishop of Orléans (787?–821);Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury (1070–1089);Stephen Harding, Abbot of Cîteaux (1109–1134); and DeaconNicolaus Maniacoria (mid-12th century). TheUniversity of Paris, theDominicans, and theFranciscans followingRoger Bacon assembled lists ofcorrectoria; approved readings where variants had been noted.[1]
List of some manuscripts from theStuttgart Vulgate (officially known asBiblia Sacra iuxta vulgatam versionem) withsiglum from the same source; no name means the Stuttgart Vulgate did not give it a name, no provenance means the Stuttgart Vulgate did not give it a provenance:
| Sigla | Name | Approx. date | Prov. | Content | Custodian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | — | 8th century | Lugdunum | Sam,Rg,Pa | Municipal Lib. of Lyon |
| D | — | 8th century | Northumbria | Job | Russian National Lib. |
| F | — | 8th century | Gaul | Deut–Ruth | National Lib. of France |
| F | Psalt. Corbeiense triplex | 8th century | — | Ps (G&H) | Russian National Lib. |
| G | Pentateuchus Turonensis | 6th-7th century | — | Gen–Num | National Lib. of France |
| G | Sangermanensis | 9th century | — | Par,Esr,Est,Prv,Sap,Sir | National Lib. of France |
| H | CathachS. Columbae | 7th century | Hibernia | Psalms (G) | Royal Irish Academy |
| I | — | 10th century | — | Ps (G&H) | Municipal Lib. ofRouen |
| K | — | 8th century | Italia | Ezra–Job | Cathedral Lib. ofCologne |
| K | Psalt.Augiensetriplex | 9th century | Augia | Ps (G&H) | Baden State Library |
| L | — | 9th century | Würzburg | Deut–Ruth | Bodleian Library |
| L | — | 9th century | Lugdunum | Ezra | Municipal Lib. of Lyon |
| L | Laureshamensis | 6th-7th century | Italia merid. | Tobit–Job | Vatican Library |
| L | Psalt. Lugdunense | 5th-6th century | Lugdunum | Psalms (G) | Municipal Lib. of Lyon + |
| L | — | 9th century | Tours | Psalms (H) | British Library |
| M | Maurdramni | 8th century | Corbie | Ios–Rt,Dn–Mal,Mcc,Prv–Sir,Ez | Municipal Lib. ofAmiens |
The list of manuscripts below is based on citations inNovum Testamentum Graece (NA27) andThe Greek New Testament (UBS4). Each manuscript is identified first by itssiglum (the first column,s., in the table), as given by thecritical apparatus of the editions mentioned. These sigla are related to content, so are not unique. For example, the letterS refers toCodex Sangallensis 1395 in thegospels, but to Codex Sangallensis 70 in thePauline epistles. So sigla need disambiguation. In the table below, this is done by providing a full name. Additionally, the standard unique serial number for each manuscript is provided.
Certain Latin NT manuscripts may present a mixture of Vulgate and variousVetus Latina texts. For example,Codex Sangermanensis (g1 / VL6) isVetus Latina in sections of the Gospels and Acts, but Vulgate in the Pauline Epistles and Revelation.[3]
| Sigla | Name | Approx. date | Prov. | Content | Custodian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A[2] | Amiatinus | 8th century | Northumbria | Bible | Laurentian Library |
| C[2] | Cavensis | 9th century | Hispania | Bible withoutCath | Monte Cassino |
| C | Codex Complutensis I | 927 | Madrid | Bible | Bibl. Univ. Centr. 31 |
| T | Codex Toletanus | 950 | Madrid | Bible | National Library of Spain |
| Θ | Codex Theodulphianus | 950 | Paris | Bible | Bibliothèque nationale de France |
