Eadberht of Lindisfarne

Eadberht of Lindisfarne (died 6 May 698), also known as Saint Eadberht, was Bishop of Lindisfarne, England, from 688 until his death on 6 May 698.[2]

Eadberht
Bishop of Lindisfarne
Appointed688
Term ended6 May 698
PredecessorCuthbert
SuccessorEadfrith
Personal details
Died6 May 698
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church[1]
Sainthood
Feast day6 May

Life

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After the death of Saint Cuthbert in 687, Wilfrid acted as administrator of the see of Lindisfarne.[3] His brief tenure was confrontational. Eadberht was consecrated bishop of Lindisfarne in 688.[4] He is credited with securing the buildings of St. Finan’s wooden church with lead, making them more durable.[5] He is also notable as having founded the holy shrine of his predecessor Saint Cuthbert on the island of Lindisfarne, a place that was to become a centre of great pilgrimage in later years.

It is said that Eadberht favoured poverty and long periods of solitude and devotion as part of his service in the bishopric.[c] He was known for his great knowledge of scripture and for giving a tenth of everything to the poor.[8] When he died he was buried in the same location from which Cuthbert's body had been exhumed earlier the same year. When the monks withdrew from the Island in 875 Eadberht's relics were eventually moved to Durham.[9]

Citations

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  1. ^ (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἐαντβέρτος ἐκ Σκωτίας. 6 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  2. ^ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 219
  3. ^ Stenton, F. M., Anglo-Saxon England (Third ed.) 1971. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 139 ISBN 978-0-19-280139-5
  4. ^ Charles-Edwards, T. M., Early Christian Ireland, Cambridge University Press, 2000, p. 341 ISBN 9780521363952
  5. ^ "Northern Saints", 'This is Durham', Durham County Council
  6. ^ Cartwright & Cartwright 1976, pp. 56.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Medieval chapel and associated building on St Cuthbert's Isle (1014485)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  8. ^ A Dictionary of Christian Biography,..., Volume 2, (William Smith, Henry Wace, eds.) J. Murray, 1880, p. 2
  9. ^ Tristram, Kate. "Eadberht", Little-Known Saints of the North, The Holy Isle of Lindisfarne

Notes

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  1. ^ The Holy Island (Cartwright)
    ..."This small island...was the site of Cuthbert's earliest retreats before he went to the Farnes...and Eadberht, also, was in the habit of isolating himself there in Lent...[6]
  2. ^ Historic England..."The island was used by Cuthbert (c.AD 630-687) and his successor Eadberht as a retreat. It has been suggested that the Anglo-Saxon retreat might be comparable with that described by Bede on Farne, and comprise a cell and an oratory or chapel for private prayer...[7]
  3. ^ Eadberht is known to have followed Cuthbert's example by using the small island of Hobthrush near Lindisfarne as a retreat.[a][b]

References

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  • Cartwright, R A; Cartwright, D B (1976). The Holy Island of Lindisfarne and the Farne Islands. David & Charles. ISBN 0715371851.
  • Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
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Christian titles
Preceded by Bishop of Lindisfarne
688–698
Succeeded by