Haggadic Traditions and Jerome’s Exegesis: Hebraei Tharsis mare dici generaliter autumant

Abstract

Abstract: The study of haggadic sources in the writings of the Church Fathers has long been a subject of scholarly interest, particularly since the late nineteenth century. Initially, Christian scholars lacked the necessary training to undertake this line of research. Over time, however, the profile of researchers became more diverse, encompassing scholars from different confessional backgrounds and academic disciplines who were able to examine the interactions between Jewish and classical traditions within early Christian literature. The present study takes as its point of departure a specific case: Jerome’s biblical commentary on the Book of Jonah, in which his knowledge of the Hebrew tradition converges with his extensive training in the Latin classical tradition. Through this analysis, the study seeks to demonstrate the imprint of the Jewish tradition on Jerome’s writings and to examine how he integrates these two cultural heritages within his work..