Tomb of the Venerable Bede
© Durham Cathedral

 

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The work of Bede (673-735) is one of the foundations of the early history of the church in Britain and he is often refered to as England's first historian. He was a monk of Jarrow and was born nearby, close to Sunderland, on lands afterwards owned by his monastery. Bede was educated from the age of seven, first by St Benedict Biscop at Wearmouth and then by St Ceolfrith at Jarrow, where he was a monk for the rest of his life. St Boniface called him "the candle of the Church" out of respect for his great learning. Bede was not just a historian and he considered his best works to be his 25 works of scripture commentary. At the time of his death he had just finished a translation into Anglo-Saxon of St John's Gospel. His bones were translated from Jarrow to Durham by Alfred Westow in the mid-11th century. They were translated again to the Galilee Chapel of Durham Cathedral in 1370.

This image is the property of the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral.

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