The Latin Psalter

This chapter outlines the origins, nature and differences found in the traditions that make up the Latin Psalter. Tracing the development from the time of Tertullian to that of Jerome and Augustine, particular attention is paid to new discoveries in the field that help explain the evolution in the text found in the early citations of the Old Latin Psalter to that found in later Psalter Manuscripts. The dependence of the Latin Psalter on the Septuagint Psalter and Origen’s Hexapla is explained, while Jerome’s authorship of the Roman Psalter is evaluated, and his method in composing the Hexaplaric (Gallican) and the Iuxta Hebraeos (Hebrew) Psalters is explored. Finally, a summary is given of the reception of the different Latin Psalter traditions.