Monasteries were nodes of scholarship in early medieval [[Europe]]. This would be where Bede would create in sheer breadth, depth and quality, the fifty plus works he produced. His greatest, Historia Ecclesiastica, consisting of five volumes, is of the [[Church]] using the power of its spiritual, doctrinal, and cultural unity to stamp out violence and barbarism. It had fulfilled its purpose of preparing Western [[Christianity]] to assimilate the non-Roman barbarian North. He clearly states his purpose in his writings, "For if history records good things of good men, the thoughtful hearer is encouraged to imitate what is good; or if it records evil of wicked men, the good, religious reader or listener is encouraged to avoid all that is sinful and perverse, and to follow what he knows to be good and pleasing to God."
Bede's earliest Biblical commentary was probably that on the book of Revelation. He interpreted the bible mainly as an allegory, applied criticism and tried to solve discrepancies. This was extremely popular in this period of time and his reputation spread feverishly across the monasteries of Europe. Bede's two chronological works, ''On Times'' and ''On the Reckoning of Time'' (De temporibus and De temporum ratione), establishing the dates for Easter and equating the number of the years of [[Jesus Christ]]'s life. Bede invented popularized the use of A.D., Anno Domini ('The Year Of of Our Lord') dating system. <ref>[http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/ukandireland/p/prbede.htm Bede] About.com</ref>
==Death==