Jerome was to medieval biblical and historical scholarship what his contemporary Augustine was to medieval theology: a founding father whose works were revered for centuries. His knowledge of Greek and Hebrew equipped him to produce the Vulgate, the Latin version that was the official Bible of the Catholic church until recent decades. Jerome's biblical commentaries blended the insights of earlier writers with his own contributions. His translations and expansions of some of the works of Eusebius put all subsequent church historians in his debt. A beautifully written book its text marked by clarity of thought and elegance of expression wide-ranging in its learning yet delicately worked and immensely readable.