The ''Prologus Galaetus'' or ''Galeatum principium'' ( lit. and traditionally translated as "helmeted prologue"; or sometimes translated as "helmeted preface") is a preface by Jerome, dated 391–392, to his translation of the ''

Liber Regum In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of th ...

'' (the book of Kings composed of four parts: the first and second books of Samuel the first and second books of Kings). In this text, Jerome affirms his opposition to the books of the

Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...

which are outside the Hebrew canon. Jerome writes: "This prologue to the Scriptures may be appropriate as a helmeted introduction 'galeatum principium''to all the books which we turn from Hebrew into Latin, so we may be able to know whatever is outside of these is set aside among the apocrypha. Therefore, Wisdom, which is commonly ascribed to

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

, and the

book of Jesus son of Sirach The Book of Sirach () or Ecclesiasticus (; abbreviated Ecclus.) is a Jewish work, originally in Hebrew, of ethical teachings, from approximately 200 to 175 BC, written by the Judahite scribe Ben Sira of Jerusalem, on the inspiration of his fa ...

, and Judith and Tobias, and ''The Shepherd'' are not in the canon. I have found the

First Book of the Maccabees The First Book of Maccabees, also known as First Maccabees (written in shorthand as 1 Maccabees or 1 Macc.), is a book written in Hebrew by an anonymousRappaport, U., ''47. 1 Maccabees'' in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001)The Oxford Bible Comme ...

(is) Hebrew, the

Second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

is Greek, which may also be proven by their styles."

About the Hebrew canon

In this prologue Jerome mentioned the grouping, number, and order of the Hebrew Bible: * Law consists five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy * Prophets consists eight books: Joshua, Judges (includes Ruth), Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah (includes Lamentations), Ezekiel, Twelve Prophets * Hagiographa consists nine books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Daniel, Chronicles, Ezra, Esther When he counted, the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles were not divided in two. Ezra and Nehemiah were not separated at the time. Also, he mentioned "some include Ruth and Lamentations amongst the Hagiographa."

References

External links

In English
''Prologus Galaetus'' in English
* In Latin * ''Patrologia Latinae'', v. 28, "Praefatio Hieronymi in libros Samuel et Malachim", pp. 547–558 in Latin
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* ttp://www.thelatinlibrary.com/bible/prologi.shtml On ''The Latin Library'' website* Jerome Bible versions and translations Vulgate {{Bible-stub

About the Hebrew canon

See also

References

Further reading

External links