Orthodox · † 373
Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
Commemorated: February 10 (January 28, Old Style)
Life
Ephraim was born c. 306 in Nisibis in Mesopotamia and served its church as a deacon and teacher. When Nisibis was handed over to Persia in 363, he moved with many Christians to Edessa, where he lived as an ascetic in a cave outside the city and taught in its school. Tradition tells that he met Basil the Great in Caesarea.
He wrote hundreds of hymns in Syriac, set to melodies for choirs of women, and commentaries on the Scriptures; he is called "the Harp of the Spirit". The Lenten prayer "O Lord and Master of my life" is traditionally attributed to him. During a famine in Edessa c. 372–373 he organized relief and care for the sick with money from the city's wealthy. He died soon afterwards, in 373 (some sources give a later year).
Places
- Place of birth: Nusaybin
- Place of death: Edessa
Retold briefly in our own words from: the Lives of the Saints by St Dimitry of Rostov (1902–1916).
The commemorations of the day: Ponomar (ponomar.net), CC BY-SA 3.0.
Places and years: Wikidata (CC0), each saint matched by hand.