Moore Bede facts for kids
The Moore Bede is a very old handwritten book, called a manuscript, from the 8th century. It contains an important history book written by a monk named Bede, called Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, which means Ecclesiastical History of the English People. This special book is kept at the Cambridge University Library in England. It used to belong to a bishop named John Moore, and later, King George I bought it and gave it to Cambridge University.
What the Moore Bede Looks Like
This ancient book is made from parchment, which is a type of treated animal skin used for writing before paper was common. It has 128 folios, which are like pages. Each page is about 293 by 215 millimeters in size. The writing area on each page is a bit smaller, around 250 by 185 millimeters.
The text is written in a single column, with about 30 to 33 lines of writing on each page. Experts believe that one person copied the entire book by hand. They also think the scribe might have been in a hurry while writing it!
What's Inside the Moore Bede
The Moore Bede contains an early version of Bede's famous Latin book, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum. This history tells the story of the early English people and the Christian church in England.
One very special part of the manuscript is on the last page (folio 128v). It has a copy of Cædmon's Hymn. This is one of the oldest surviving poems in the Old English language. It was added by a scribe who lived around the same time the main book was written. This scribe might also be the one who wrote some notes, called "Memoranda," on the same page.
How Old is the Moore Bede?
Experts believe the Moore Bede was created between the years 734 and 737. This date comes from the "Moore Memoranda," which are notes about dates found on the last page of the manuscript.
Even though some people have questioned these notes, other clues help us know the book is from the 8th century. These clues come from studying the handwriting style, known as palaeography, and the way the book was put together, called codicology.
It is now thought that the manuscript was probably made in England. Later, around the year 800 CE, it was likely at the Palace School in Aachen, which is now in Germany. Some historians think it might have been sent there from York, England, possibly at the request of a scholar named Alcuin.
