A Volgate Old Testament Reader

This book introduces students with a limited background in Latin to Jerome's Vulgate Old Testament. Several familiar and interesting selections are included, such as the stories of Joseph, Moses, David and Goliath, Job, Daniel, and Jonah. The book also contains several Psalms as well as selections from wisdom and prophetic literature. The introduction of the book discusses the development and importance of the Vulgate Bible and provides information on the special aspects of Latin grammar found in the Vulgate. There is also a review of the pronunciation of medieval Latin. One special feature of the book is a running vocabulary at the bottom of the page, which is designed to help readers learn vocabulary in a systematic way. The introduction contains a list of about seventy-five common words that are not glossed in the running vocabulary. All other words are included in the running vocabulary until they have appeared three times, at which point they are asterisked, so readers know to learn them. In this way readers gradually assimilate a great deal of vocabulary without having to spend excessive time looking up words. At the end of the book two passages are included without the running vocabulary. All words are included in the dictionary at the back of the book. Notes explain difficult passages and point out instances where Jerome's rendering differs from the classical grammatical structures. Initially, different uses of the subjunctive are pointed out in the notes.