Saint the Venerable Bede

Born around 672 or 673, Bede spent most of his life in the twin monasteries of Monkwearmouth and Jarrow in Northumbria. He became one of the best-known scholars of the early Middle Ages, writing on scripture, history, science, chronology, and the lives of saints.

His most famous book, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, is one of the key sources for early English history and helped earn him lasting fame. Bede was admired for his learning even in his own lifetime, and later tradition gave him the title "the Venerable."

He died in 735, but his influence continued for centuries through his writing and teaching. For readers today, he stands out as a patient observer of faith, learning, and the making of a people.