Editing Bede (section)

===Youth===
When Bede was about 17 years old [[Adomnán]], the abbot of [[Iona Abbey]], visited Monkwearmouth and Jarrow. Bede would probably have met the abbot during this visit, and it may be that Adomnán sparked Bede's interest in the [[Easter controversy|Easter dating controversy]].<ref name=World181>{{harvnb|Blair|1990|p=181}}</ref> 

In about 692, in Bede's nineteenth year, Bede was ordained a [[deacon]] by his diocesan bishop, [[John of Beverley|John]], who was [[Bishop of Hexham]]. The canonical age for the ordination of a deacon was 25; Bede's early ordination may mean that his abilities were considered exceptional,<ref name=CM_xx/> but it is also possible that the minimum age requirement was often disregarded.<ref name=World5>{{harvnb|Blair|1990|p=5}}</ref> There might have been minor orders ranking below a deacon; but there is no record of whether Bede held any of these offices.<ref name=World253/>{{efn|[[Isidore of Seville]] lists six orders below a deacon, but these orders need not have existed at Monkwearmouth.<ref name=World253>{{harvnb|Blair|1990|p=253}}</ref>}}