As Christianity grew from a tiny persecuted group to the official religion of the Roman Empire, its leaders and thinkers gradually incorporated elements of Greek and Roman philosophy and learning into Christian teachings, modifying them to fit with Christian notions. Saint Jerome (340–419), for example, translated the Old and New Testaments from Hebrew and Greek into vernacular Latin. Called the Vulgate, his edition of the Bible served as the official translation until the sixteenth century. Familiar with the writings of classical authors, Saint Jerome maintained that the best ancient literature could and should be interpreted in light of the Christian faith.