EPHRAEM, E'PHREM SY' RUS, ErnucAmit TILE SYRIAN ( e.:306 -78). The greatest, of the Syrian Church fathers, known as the Prophet of the Syrians. He was born at Nisibis, Mesopotamia, about :306. Ile was a pupil of Jacob, Bishop of Nisibis (died :3:35), became a teacher in the latter's school, and in 325 accom panied him to the Council of Nic;:ca. in 363 Nisi his was ceded by the Emperor Jovial' to the Per sians, and Ephraim took up his abode at Edcssa (Orfa ). He became a hermit and lived in a cave near the town. Toward the •nd of his life he visited Basil the Great at Caesarea in Cappadocia, who tried to make him a bishop, but he refused any higher office than the diaconate. He died at Edessa, probably in 378—according to some ac counts in 373. His death is said to have been hastened by his efforts to relieve the sufferers from plague and famine then raging at his home. An extraordinary mass of fable and legend has gathered about Ephraim's name. He was a zealous upholder of orthodoxy, and wrote and preached unceasingly against idolaters, 'Clial dees,' Jews, and all heretics. He was a volu
minous writer, and has left commentarieP, on nearly all the Old Testament in the Syriac or Peshitto version, as well as many homilies, and several hymns of much merit. His works exist partly in the original Syriac, partly in Greek, Latin, and Armenian translations. They were edited by the Assemani (Rome, 1732-46). There in also an edition of Opera Selecta by Overbeck (Oxford, 1865). Consult in English: Morris, Select Writings of Ephraim flue Syrian (Oxford, 1347) ; Burgess, The Repentance of Nineveh and Select Metrical Hymns and Homilies (London, 1853) ; Hill, A Dissertation. on the Gospel Com mentary of Ephraim the Syrian (London, 18'96). 'there is a prose translation of several hymns and homilies with an introduction by John Gwynn in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, second series, vol. xiii. (New York, 1898).