Ithamar | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Rochester | |
| Term ended | between 655 and 664 |
| Predecessor | Paulinus of York |
| Successor | Damianus |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | before 655 by Honorius of Canterbury |
| Personal details | |
| Died | between 655 and 664 Rochester |
| Denomination | Chalcedonian Christianity |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 10 June |
| Venerated in | Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church |
Ithamar (sometimesYthamar[1]) was the first bishop in England to beSaxon-born rather than consecrated by the Irish or from amongAugustine's Roman missionaries. He was also the first Saxonbishop of Rochester.
Ithamar was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury,Honorius, and was said byBede to be "of theKentish nation, but not inferior to his [episcopal] predecessors for learning and conduct of life".[2]
Upon consecration as bishop, Ithamar took his new name fromIthamar, a son ofAaron, from theOld Testament.[3] Although a number of new Anglo-Saxon bishops had taken new names upon either entering religious life or upon consecration as bishops, these names were usually taken from church history.[4] The practice of taking a new name from the Old Testament was extremely rare in the Roman tradition, but did occur more often in theCeltic Church.[3]
As bishop, Ithamar consecratedDeusdedit as the first Saxonarchbishop of Canterbury on 26 March 655.[5]
Ithamar died between 655 and 664,[6] probably close to 656, atRochester.[7]
After Ithamar's death he was considered a saint and given a shrine atRochester Cathedral. His feast day is 10 June.[7] There is no writtenLife detailing his biography, but a short work giving his miracles was composed in the 12th century. At that time, his remains were translated to a new larger shrine inRochester Cathedral. The work on his miracles survives in one manuscript, MS Corpus Christi College Cambridge 161.[5]
| Christian titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Bishop of Rochester 644–c. 660 | Succeeded by |