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Born around 673, Bede entered the monastic life at the age of seven and was, from its foundation in 682 to his death in 735, a monk of the foundation of Jarrow-Monkwearmouth. He was educated and much influenced by Abbot Ceolfrid of Jarrow, and perhaps indirectly by the learning of Benedict Biscop, founder and overall controller of the joint-foundation. He was made deacon at the age of 19, unusually early, and made a priest at the age of 30. Best known for his Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, written in 731, Bede also wrote theological, historical and scientific treatises and accounts of lives of the saints and of notable abbots. His writings demonstrate considerable learning and knowledge of sources. He was made a saint in 1899.
Saint Jerome, Roman name Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus, was born around 347 (or possibly 340) in Stridon on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia. He studied in Rome, Trier and Aquileia then travelled to Antioch. It was at Antioch, in 375, that he experienced a vision in which he was reproved by Christ and which led him to abandon all scholarship except scriptural studies. After a period living as an ascetic in the desert he returned to Antioch, was ordained, and then went to Constantinople to study. In 382, Jerome went to Rome and became papal secretary. His knowledge of scripture meant he was in demand as a spiritual advisor and translator of the Bible. He was, however, unpopular with some because of his criticism of the secular clergy and in 386 went to a monastery in Bethlehem. He continued his prolific literary activities writing works on the Bible, historical works and contributing to various theological controversies. He also wrote the Life of Paul the First Hermit and the Life of Malchus. He worked on exegesis of the Old Testament, taking most of his material from Origen, and became interested in Hebrew. He made a list of grossly inaccurate definitions of Hebrew names and commented on the harder passages of Genesis. In 391 he began his new translation of the Bible which came to be known as the Vulgate. He completed it in 405, but carried on working on the Life of Hilarion and De Viris Illustribus. He remained in Bethlehem until his death in 420. His works were used more for scholastic than monastic theology, but he was valued as a model of asceticism and as a letter-writer.
The two scribes who carried out this work were probably English.
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