Ephrem the Syrian
Syriac Christian poet and theologian
- Born
- c. 306, Nisibis, Mesopotamia
- Died
- 373, Edessa
- Known for
- Hymns (madrashe) and biblical commentaries in Syriac
- Bynames
- 'Harp of the Spirit', 'Deacon of Edessa'
- Honor
- Doctor of the Church, 1920
The great fourth-century Syriac hymn writer, to whom the Cave of Treasures was traditionally but wrongly credited.
What is Ephrem the Syrian known for?
Ephrem was born around 306 in Nisibis, in northern Mesopotamia, and served the church there as a deacon and teacher. When Nisibis was handed to Persia in 363 he moved to Edessa, where he died in 373. He is the most celebrated writer of Syriac Christianity.
He wrote biblical commentaries and polemical works, but he is best known for his hymns, called madrashe, which earned him the name 'Harp of the Spirit.' His work was translated into Greek, Armenian and other languages, and in 1920 the Catholic Church named him a Doctor of the Church.
Because of his fame, many later works were attached to his name. One of these is the Cave of Treasures, a Syriac retelling of history from Creation to Christ that includes Adam's burial cave and the Sethites' fall into sin with the daughters of Cain. Scholars date it to the fifth or sixth century and reject the attribution to Ephrem.
The Cave of Treasures, a Syriac history with its own version of the fallen 'sons of God,' was traditionally but wrongly credited to him.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeCave of Treasures
Sources
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