据盎格鲁-撒克逊人的文献所记载,比德精通语言学,对天文学、地理学、神学甚至哲学都深有研究。他出生于一个贵族家庭,自幼性格孤僻。传闻就是他发现地球是圆的这个事实,此事记载于他的作品《De temporum ratione(英语:De temporum ratione)》(On the Reckoning of Time)。[3]
歷史學上,他在703年完成《De temporibus》(英文:On Time),是一部較短的編年史。接著他在725年完成一部稍長的編年史《De tenoirum ratione》(英文:On the Reckoning of Time)。他最重要的著作,《英吉利教會史》(Ecclesiastical History of the English People)分為五卷,於731至732年間寫成,從主前55-54年被羅馬征服開始,追溯英國的歷史,直到731年為止。
值得一提的是,該書編年法按耶穌基督降生的那一年,區分為主前(Before Christ,B.C.)與主後(Anno Domini,A.D.)。由於《英吉利教會史》的普及,使得 A.D. 成為主後通用的縮寫。
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