Born: Near St. Peter and St. Paul monastery, Wearmouth-Jarrow, England. Died: 735. Buried: At the monastery of St. Paul at Jarrow in 735. In 1022, his bones were brought to Durham. Then, in 1370, his remains were moved to the Galilee Chapel. This shrine was destroyed during the Reformation in 1540, and Bede’s bones reinterred in a grave where the shrine had stood. |
Bede became a monk and was ordained at age thirty. He devoted himself to the study of Scripture and to teaching and writing. He is considered one of the most learned men of his time, and a major influence on English literature. He wrote commentaries on the Pentateuch and various other books of the Bible, theological and scientific treatises, historical works, and biographies. His best known work is Historia Ecclesiastica, a history of the English church and people. Called “Venerable” to acknowledge his wisdom and learning, the title was formalized at the Council of Aachen in 853. He was a careful scholar and has been called the “father” of English history, the first to date events Anno Domini (A.D.)
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Hymns