Bede the Venerable

About Bede the Venerable

Bede was an English monk, scholar, and Doctor of the Church who spent his entire life at Jarrow monastery. His "Ecclesiastical History of the English People" is our primary source for early English history. He wrote biblical commentaries, works on chronology, science, and grammar. Bede introduced AD dating system to England. Despite never traveling far, his learning was encyclopedic. He translated John's Gospel into Old English on his deathbed. Called "Venerable" from shortly after death, declared Doctor of the Church 1899.