Bible Translation History (33- 1450 AD)

    The early church relied on letters and verbal proclamations of Christ's words. However, as Christians began to mission and convert the spread of Christ's words and keep it as original as possible, a compilation of text written by the apostles and other writers began. It begins with the original texts of the Bible, which were written in Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) between roughly 1200 BCE and 100 CE. These texts would go on to be translated into many different languages over the centuries, each reflecting the unique cultural and historical context in which it was produced. Here are some key moments and references in the history of Catholic Bible translation during this period: The New Testament is written in Greek by various authors, including the apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul. The early church relied on letters and verbal proclamations of Christ's words. 

   

    The first translations of the Bible were into Greek, with the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) being completed in the 3rd century BCE. Early Christians widely used this translation, especially those who spoke Greek as their first language. As the Christian faith spread throughout the Mediterranean world, however, new translations of the Bible began to emerge in other languages. in 382 AD: Pope Damasus I commissioned the creation of the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible. One of the most significant translations of the Bible during this period was the Vulgate, a Latin translation produced by St. Jerome, completed in 405 AD. This translation became the standard version used in the Western Church for many centuries and played an essential role in shaping the development of Catholic theology and liturgy. The Vulgate becomes the official Bible of the Catholic Church for many centuries. In 420-430 AD, St. Augustine translated some of the Psalms and other books from Hebrew into Latin, which he used for his commentaries and sermons. Many people were illiterate in the early Middle Ages and relied on the clergy to read and interpret the Bible. However, as literacy rates increased, there was a demand for vernacular translations of the Bible. In the middle ages, various translations of the Bible were made into other languages, including Old English 735 AD, Old French, and Middle High German. These translations were often made by monks and other religious figures and were intended primarily for use in liturgy and religious instruction. Translating the Bible into vernacular languages was a significant development during this period, as it allowed ordinary people to read and understand the Scriptures in their own language. 

• 800-900 AD: Irish monks created the Book of Kells, a lavishly illustrated Latin Gospels manuscript.
• 900-1000 AD: The Ottonian Renaissance in Germany created many illuminated Bibles, including the Bamberg Apocalypse and the Codex Aureus.
• 1096-1270 AD: During the Crusades, many translations of the Bible were made into Arabic, and other languages were spoken in the Holy Land. 

   One of the most influential translations of the Bible in the Middle Ages was the French Bible, also known as the Bible of Saint Louis. This translation was commissioned by King Louis IX of France in the 13th century and was the first complete translation of the Bible into a vernacular language. It was based on the Latin Vulgate and included the Old and New Testaments. In 1229-1234 AD, The University of Paris required all students to study the Bible in the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, leading to a renewed interest in biblical scholarship. This would encourage John Wycliffe to translate the Bible into Middle English, becoming one of the first people to translate the Bible into a vernacular language, around 1320-1384 AD. His followers would distribute handwritten copies of the Wycliffe Bible throughout England, leading to a movement for greater access to the Bible in the vernacular.

The creation of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the production and distribution of books, including Bibles.

    The translation history of the Catholic Bible from 33-1450 is a rich and complex story that reflects the diversity and creativity of human language and culture. From the earliest Greek translations to the Middle English Wycliffe Bible and beyond, each Bible translation has helped shape the development of the Catholic Church and its teachings and has contributed to the ongoing dialogue between faith and culture that continues to this day.

[1] Metzger, Bruce M. The Bible in Translation: Ancient and English Versions. Baker Academic, 2001.

[2] Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church, Volume IV: Mediaeval Christianity. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910.

[3] Coogan, Michael D., et al. The Oxford History of the Biblical World. Oxford University Press, 1998.

[4] Finkelstein, Louis, and James J. White. Bible Review and Bibliography: The Ottonian Renaissance in Germany. Vol. 5, No. 2, 1989, pp. 20-35.

[5] Thompson, John J. "The Medieval Bible in the West." The Cambridge History of the Bible, Volume 2: The West from the Fathers to the Reformation, edited by G. W. H. Lampe, Cambridge University Press, 1969, pp. 200-261.