Saint Bede—whom tradition has surnamed the “Venerable”—was a renowned Anglo-Saxon monk, theologian, and historian from Northumbria, England. Brought up in a monastery during the time of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, he fully imbibed the spirituality of his age and went on to become one of the greatest luminaries of his homeland and, indeed, of all of Western Europe. A prolific author, Bede is considered to be the Father of English history and composed commentaries on almost every book of the New Testament. He also used his inspired intellect to unravel the obscure symbolism of the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation.
The account of his life presented here was composed in Latin in Northern England towards the close of the eleventh century and is translated for the first time into English. Also included in this edition is an introduction on the history of Christianity in Britain and the story of the translation of Saint Bede’s relics from Jarrow to Durham Cathedral.
