Earliest English Poem Found in 8th-Century Rome Manuscript

A medieval manuscript in Rome has been discovered to contain the oldest known copy of the first poem written in English, predating the previous earliest version by three centuries. The manuscript, dating from the early 9th century, was found in a library in Rome. This discovery shifts the timeline of English literary history, showing that English was being written and valued much earlier than previously thought. The poem, known as "Cædmon's Hymn," is considered the earliest surviving English poem. The find was reported by the Seattle Times via the Associated Press.