Steven, it is your arguments that are weak at best as you assume, but do not prove.
The overall evidence suggests that Jerome did not revise the Old Latin or translate the Catholic Epistles and the Pauline Epistles (he only revised the gospels) so why would he write a prologue concerning books that he did not revise or retranslate? H. A. G. Houghton noted: "There are several indications that Jerome was responsible for the revision of the Gospels only and not the rest of the New Testament. When he discusses questions of translation affecting the Gospels he quotes forms matching his revised version, but he never cites readings characteristic of the Vulgate in the other New Testament books. What is more, in his commentary on four of the Pauline Epistles, he criticizes the existing Latin translation and provides his own alternative" (Latin New Testament, p. 34). Houghton observed: "The whole of the latter part of the Vulgate New Testament has a common origin. There is a noticeable difference in translation technique between the Gospels and the other writings" (p. 41). Houghton asserted that "the principal evidence for the identity of the translator is the prologue to the Pauline Epistles which begins Primum quaeritur; this includes views concerning Hebrews which run counter to Jerome and was written in Rome by someone at odds with the local community" (p. 41).
Because the prologue was written in first person does not at all prove that Jerome wrote it. Your assumption is incorrect. Anyone writing it could write in first person, especially someone pretending to write as Jerome.
The overall evidence suggests that Jerome did not revise the Old Latin or translate the Catholic Epistles and the Pauline Epistles (he only revised the gospels) so why would he write a prologue concerning books that he did not revise or retranslate? H. A. G. Houghton noted: "There are several indications that Jerome was responsible for the revision of the Gospels only and not the rest of the New Testament. When he discusses questions of translation affecting the Gospels he quotes forms matching his revised version, but he never cites readings characteristic of the Vulgate in the other New Testament books. What is more, in his commentary on four of the Pauline Epistles, he criticizes the existing Latin translation and provides his own alternative" (Latin New Testament, p. 34). Houghton observed: "The whole of the latter part of the Vulgate New Testament has a common origin. There is a noticeable difference in translation technique between the Gospels and the other writings" (p. 41). Houghton asserted that "the principal evidence for the identity of the translator is the prologue to the Pauline Epistles which begins Primum quaeritur; this includes views concerning Hebrews which run counter to Jerome and was written in Rome by someone at odds with the local community" (p. 41).
Because the prologue was written in first person does not at all prove that Jerome wrote it. Your assumption is incorrect. Anyone writing it could write in first person, especially someone pretending to write as Jerome.
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