Jerome was a prominent 4th and 5th-century theologian, historian, and cleric. Born in Stridon, he studied rhetoric and philosophy in Rome before converting to Christianity. After a period spent as an ascetic in the Syrian Thebaid, he moved to Bethlehem to study Hebrew. He is most famous for producing the Vulgate, a Latin translation of the Bible, which was commissioned by Pope Damasus I. Recognized as one of the four Great Latin Fathers, his scholarly contributions shaped much of Western Christian thought.