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The Book of Tobit: A Chaldee Text From an Unique Ms. In the Bodleian Library With Other Rabbinical Texts, English Translations and the Itala (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Book of Tobit: A Chaldee Text From an Unique Ms. In the Bodleian Library With Other Rabbinical Texts, English Translations and the Itala

Jerome, in his preface to the translation of Tobit, says that he translated it from a Chaldee text. We give his own words:

'Chromatio et Heliodoro Episcopis Hieronymus Presbyter in Domino salutem.

'Mirari non desino exactionis vestrae instantiam: exigitis enim, ut librum Chaldaeo sermone conscriptum ad Latinum stylum traham, librum utique Tobiae, quem Hebraei do catalogo divinarum Seripturarum secantes, his, quae Apocrypha memorant, manciparunt. Feci satis desiderio vestro, non tamen meo studio. Arguunt enim nos Hebraeorum studia, et imputant nobis contra suum canonem Latinis auribus ista transferre. Sed melius esse judicans Pharisaeorum displicere judicio, et Episcoporum jussionibus deservire, institi ut potui. Et quia viciua est Chaldaeorum lingua sermoni Hebraico, utriusque linguae peritissimum loquacem reperiens, unius diei laborem arripui: et quidquid ille mihi Hebraicis verbis expressit, hoc ego, accito notario, sermonibus Latinis exposui. Orationibus vestris mercedem hujus operis compensabo, quum gratum vobis didicero me, quod jubere estis dignati, complesse.'

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