(also spelled Beda or Baeda) (673?–735), English Roman Catholic saint, called the Father of English History, who established the practice of dating events from the birth of Christ by using the designation AD, or anno Domini (in the year of the Lord). His most famous work, ‘Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum' (Ecclesiastical History of the English People), which he finished in 731, is a primary source of information on the early history of the church and of England, particularly on the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. The work covers British history from about 55 BC to AD 600 and is noted for its painstaking separation of historical fact from hearsay and its documentation of sources. He was one of the best-educated men of his time and had a major influence on English literature as well as on the church. Bede was born in what is now Northumberland and at the age of 7 was sent to the monastery of St. Peter in Wearmouth to be educated by the abbot Benedict Biscop. He was later sent to the nearby monastery of St. Paul in Jarrow, where he studied under the abbot Ceolfrith. Bede was ordained a deacon in 692, at an age that was much younger than usual, and became a priest when he was only about 30 years old. Other than a few short trips, Bede spent most of his life inside the monastery, devoting his time to studying, writing, teaching, and praying. Besides studying Latin , Greek, and classical writings and doctrines, he also learned Hebrew, medicine, astronomy, and the science of versification. He wrote about 40 books, including lives of the saints, hymns, epigrams, works on chronology and grammar, and commentaries on the Old and New Testaments. For his books Bede gathered information from ancient writings but also from native chronicles, biographies, records, and public documents. His influence as a writer was recognized by the church in 1899 when he was made a doctor of the church by Pope Leo XIII. His feast day is May 25. (See also History.) |