Researchers stunned by a forgotten medieval book in Rome hiding the oldest English poem

Researchers in Rome reportedly uncovered a 9th-century manuscript containing Caedmon’s Hymn, identified by Ireland’s Trinity College Dublin as possibly the oldest surviving English poem inside a manuscript, with the poem dating to the 7th century and the find predating prior copies by about three centuries. AP frames the discovery as part of a chain—from a cowherd composing the hymn to a saint, a monk transcribing it, and modern digitisation enabling rediscovery. The two right-leaning outlets echo the same core, while noting the location, date, and researchers’ astonishment; the Associated Press provides the most formal framing and high reliability on the central claim, including the digitisation angle. Attribution varies on wording but core facts align with the AP account.