St Bede

St Bede (c. 673 — 735), also Beda, surnamed "The Venerable", was an English monk, theologian, and ecclesiastical historian, born at Monkwearmouth in 673, in the abbey of which, together with that of Jarrow, he spent his life, devoted to quiet study and learning. He was educated by Irish monks.

His writings were numerous and many of them were in Latin, in the shape of commentaries, biographies, and philosophical treatises, and many of them are considered great prose and poetry. He composed most of his works mainly when he was living at Jarrow. "The Ecclesiastical History of the English People", written in Latin and completed in 731, is his most important work, which is a primary source for early English history. It was translated in English by Alfred the Great. Bede also translated a part of the gospel of St. John in old English prose. He had knowledge of various subject like astronomy, history, lives of saints, and lives of Martyrs. The Ecclesiastical history of the English race is a great work.

He was full of simplicity like Irish monks. His simplicity and greatness of his mind reflected in his work.

Some educated persons, poets and ordinary people wanted poetry and prose from him in native tongue. He, then, also wrote in his native tounge (Celtic) or Old English. He wrote History Ecclesiastic for his lay brother Caedmon. He completed a translation of John's Gospel the day he died in 735.

Learning school at Jarrow shifted at York just after death of Bade. York became a great center of religion. York was a place outside of Rome. There was a good collection of books.

An old monk, it is said, wrote this epitaph over his grave, 'Hac sunt in fossâ Bedæ ... ossa', "In this pit are the bones ... of Beda," and then fell asleep; but when he awoke he found some invisible hand had inserted 'venerabilis' in the blank which he had failed to fill up, whence Bede's epinomen it is alleged.

Feast day in is honour is observed on May 27.