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From Luke Daly

The Latest: A Remarkable Revelation - The 'Lost' Gospel of Bede

I am thrilled to share an extraordinary discovery in the realm of medieval manuscripts, shedding light on the depths of our historical knowledge. Professor Michelle P. Brown, a distinguished expert in Medieval Manuscript Studies, has made a groundbreaking revelation regarding the Lindisfarne Gospels, a treasured artefact housed at the British Library.

According to Professor Brown, the Gospel of St John, translated from Latin into Old English by the venerable Bede, is believed to be one of the Lindisfarne Gospels. This revelation challenges previous assumptions about the origins of this ancient text. Brown's meticulous research indicates that Bede, a renowned theologian, spent his final days translating what he referred to as 'the little Gospel that speaks of love.' Remarkably, this translation, presumed lost for centuries, might have been found.

The Old English translation of the Lindisfarne Scriptures is commonly attributed to Aldred, a priest in Chester-le-Street Co. Durham, dated around 950 AD. However, signs of Bede's influence have been discovered, suggesting his involvement as early as 735AD, the year of his passing. This finding marks the first instance of a Bible book being translated into a Western vernacular language, showcasing Bede's pioneering work in this field.

One compelling clue lies in the intricate annotations within the margins of the text. Professor Brown meticulously compared these annotations with Bede's known works, including his Ecclesiastical History of the English People. The resemblance is striking, revealing Bede's unique method of marking up quotations with distinctive 'z-shapes'. Additionally, Greek and Hebrew letters sprinkled in the margins further point to Bede's involvement, as his extensive knowledge of these languages was rare during his time.

This remarkable discovery redefines our understanding of the Lindisfarne Gospels and underscores Bede's enduring legacy as a pioneering translator and scholar. As we delve deeper into the annals of history, let us celebrate these profound revelations that continue to enrich our appreciation of our cultural heritage.

Sceptical Scribes: The Myth of the Medieval Religious

On the topic of Bede, he was a great advocate for overturning one of the greatest myths of the Middle Ages. Often when I talk to people about saints and Christianity, there is almost a uniform agreement that people in the past blindly followed their faith without critique. This could not be further from the truth! Many contemporaries and predecessors analyse and criticise aspects of the Bible. Bede, for example, in the eighth century, wrote an exegesis, an analysis/critique, on the story of Noah’s ark where he attempted to rationalise the claims made within it – even rejecting some of the more far-fetched ones. Yet he was not alone. Guibert of Nogent, who lived in the 12th century, is another sceptical scholar who was greatly irked by the world of relics.

A monastery in Soissons, Saint-Médard, about 10 miles from his home, claimed to have an ancient relic that was the baby tooth of Christ. Founded in the sixth century, the ancient church of Saint-Médard had played a pivotal role in some of history’s great events. It was, for example, the place where Louis the Pious, the son of Charlemagne, was imprisoned when he was being deposed. With this in mind, it seemed strange to Guibert that a site which was wealthier and more powerful than that of Nogent would claim to have something so absurd. As such, there is scepticism within Guibert’s tone. He writes:

There exist, on the other hand, certain practices that we hold and that are preached in churches, although they do not figure among the things that we must do for our salvation and without which we cannot live rightly [...] Such as the case with saints’ bodies and their relics. We ought to revere and honour the Relics, both because of the Saints’ examples and the protection they provide, but we must have truly sound evidence as to the authenticity of these relics, such that someone is called a saint only if there is a sure tradition of antiquity about his saintliness or else if true writings, not mere opinion, confirms it.

In other words, he is pondering here the utility of saints and relics if Mass and more so the Eucharist already exist. If the wine and bread representing Christ’s body bridge the gap between human and eternal, then what is the need for an intermediary in the form of a relic or saint? He then moves on to criticise the potentially blind worship afforded to some saints:

What then can I say about men who have become illustrious elsewhere through the support of no evidence but who, because some believed them to, have been celebrated in some type of writing, prove especially elusive? What am I to make of one whose birth and whose life are known to none, and whose Death is entirely obscure, though because of that death, his praises are sung? and what person would pray to those Saints for help, when he does not know if they are merited anything from God? Doesn’t a man’s conscience cause grave offence if it calls as an intercessor before God someone who in fact offers no great hope? Surely the keenness of your prayer – more truly, of your intention – grows dull when you do not know whether the one you pray to shares anything with God.

The above is a very blunt and somewhat damaging statement to the thousands who place so much hope and faith in their idols, but without getting too theological, that in itself is the problem at hand. Guibert retains the belief that the former Byzantine Iconoclasts did centuries before - that faith and worship should be directed towards Christ and Christ alone, or at least to those who we know lived with piety such as his apostles. As we will come to see in a later chapter when sainthood gets out of control and twisted by fraud, there are a plethora of saints and relics, such as the tooth of Christ, that are just simply too good to be true and quite simply distract the worshipper from the main goal of salvation.?

Here we find a hint of modernity in Guibert’s voice as if he were a proto-scientist dispelling the work of God. It should be said, though, that his scepticism towards relics does not mean a rejection of Christianity and faith - nor does Bede when he criticises the story of Noah's Ark. Rather, Guibert and Bede were not unbelievers, but instead concerned about these so-called ‘pointless wonderworks’ that were seemingly so widespread and distracting people from the true rewards of faith.

This was an excerpt from my upcoming book 'Saints and Sinners: A History of the Middle Ages Through Saints and Their Stories'. If you would like to read more excerpts then click here.

Personal Updates:

This month saw several new videos being uploaded on 'The Daly Medieval Podcast' Channel. Of particular note was the honour of interviewing Matt Lewis from HistoryHit about Richard III and the controversy around the murder of the nephews. You can find this and my other videos here:

• Interview with HistoryHit's Matt Lewis | Ep 7
• The Authors Workshop Ep1: A General Q&A
• A Tale of The Beguines: The 14th Century Order of Women

Likewise, I am also proud to announce the full revamp of my website.

Thank you for being a part of our community. We look forward to unravelling more historical wonders with you in the coming months. Until next time!

Warmest regards,

Luke