Ephrem the Syrian

Ephrem the Syrian ( Aramaic: ܡ ܪ ܝ ܐ ܦ ܪ ܝ ܡ ܣ ܘ ܪ ܝ ܝ ܐ Mor Aphrêm Syriac ) (c. 306 in Nisibis, today Nusaybin, † June 9 373 in Edessa, now Şanlıurfa ) was a saint, writer and Doctor of the Church. He taught as an ascetic in Nisibis, until Emperor Jovian in 363, the city had to leave the Persians. Since then he has lived near the city of Edessa.

He is considered the founder of the school of the Persians and next to his older contemporaries Aphraates as one of the greatest theologians of the Syrian Church. Since Ephrem lived before the great schism, it is very much appreciated in many Eastern and Western churches, and worshiped as a saint. In 1920 he was beatified by Benedict XV. explained by the encyclical Principi Apostolorum Petro Doctor of the Church.

The festival, Ephrem the Syrian is celebrated in the Lutheran, Anglican, Coptic, and the Catholic churches on 9 June (formerly: February 1 ), in the Orthodox Churches on January 28.

Life

Ephrem was around the year 306 in Nisibis (now Nusaybin / Turkey), a border town between the Roman and the Persian Empire, was born. According to a tradition variant he is the son of a Christian mother and a pagan priest of Amida from Nisibis, for another the son of Christian parents from the area around Nisibis.

With 18 years Ephrem was baptized and was from then on under the influence of James, the first bishop of Nisibis. The Christian United Church was at this time, however, much to the annoyance of Ephrem as " Palutianer " as a heretical sect ( Ephrem, adv. Haer.22 ). Bardaisaniten, Marcionites and Manichaeans were the majority of Christians in Nisibis and Edessa. The special devotion of the " Federal sons ," an ascetic, monasticism similar community, coined Ephrem. However, the actual monastic movement, which was influenced by Manichaeism in Mesopotamia, he fought back. Due to his piety and intelligence, he was appointed teacher of the school of Nisibis, later appointed to the head. A legend tells that he was ordained by Bishop Basil of Caesarea as a deacon.

In 363 Emperor Jovian occurred in the border dispute, the city Nisibis to the Persians (see peace of 363 ). Then left Ephrem, along with many other Christians his hometown and settled, after short stays in the territory of Beth Garmai and Amida, Edessa (now Şanlıurfa / Turkey), the capital of Osrhoene, down. Edessa is at that time the Roman center of that territory which at the same time but also the city with probably the largest Christian community. It is unclear whether the later famous school here Ephrem of Edessa (also Persian School ) founded or whether an existing school by him and his students experienced an upswing.

According to tradition, Ephrem continued to live as a hermit in a hermitage and spent his nights in prayer and the study of Scripture. However, this is probably the later interpretation of belonging to the Federal sons. Gregory of Nyssa left us of him the following portrait: " Ephrem is an emulator of the first apostles; it can serve all the monks and hermits as a model. He lived without pocket without floor and had neither silver nor gold. His food was oat bread and vegetables, his drink consisted of only water. His body was like a skeleton made ​​of clay. "

Ephrem led up to his death, his work as a teacher, as an exegete, polemicist than as a preacher and as a religious poet continues. At Edessa in Mesopotamia Ephrem died on June 9, 373, at the time of the Emperor Valens.

Works

Ephrem wrote his works in Syriac. Basis of his teaching is his good knowledge of the whole Bible, which he usually cited paraphrasing. In contrast, the contemporary Greek theologians and their terms such person, nature, and nature to him are largely unknown. The used of him concepts remain vague and may date to the early Syrian church.

In his works there is Ephrem to create a seamless, imperceptible transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The prälapsare Adam is chosen and pure and wearing a light robe. Its properties are virginity and domination. These attributes follow from the fact that he is the perfect image of God. This likeness and associated attributes are lost in the Fall, and will be restored in Christ and in the paradisiacal final state.

In his exegetical writings Ephrem commented on the books of Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, and Job, of which the first two are preserved in Syriac. The same applies to the commentary on the Gospel known to him, the Diatessaron ( Gospel harmony ), while the commentary on the book of Acts and Paul's letters, of which the third party Corinthians held by it to be genuine, is preserved only in Armenian translation.

In his dogmatic and polemical prose fought Ephrem Bardesanes, Marcion and Mani. In addition to the comments and Refutationes this is true of the prose only the Homily on our Lord as genuine.

But mainly he uses in his works of the bound speech. The singable poetry of Madroshé ( hymns in their number of lines and the number of their syllables varying stanzas with chorus ) and the non singable Mimré (metric speeches, lines from 2 x 7 syllables without verse division ) here take a prominent position. Of the latter are regarded as genuine speeches about faith, as well as the Armenian obtained speeches about Nicomedia and Job. Furthermore, genuine parts are included in the Sermones.

The singable poetry of Ephrem Madrashè probably went on Bardesanes, who had announced his doctrine in such a form back. Ephrem accepts this form of poetry, including their specific form of melody. The 15 hymns on the paradise resort in their imagery may be due to Jewish traditions back that are often adopted and modified in the Syrian Church. In 56 Hymns against Heresies he turns against known from the prose writings opponents Bardesanes, Marcion and Mani, as he grapples in the 87 anthems about faith with Arianism and developed his own Christology and the Trinity.

A special role in Ephrem's works occupies the Virgin Mary. Again and again he admired in his Marie songs the mystery of God's work, as it is expressed in Mary. Ephrem writes:

The political situation and the intolerant coexistence of pagan cultures, Judaism and Christianity, and of the various Christian denominations in the Roman -Persian border area Ephrem challenged to explain your position and defend it. Again and again he sang it the mystery of the redeeming God's care for all people. Against the theological speculation, he called for the consistent implementation of theological insights into the Christian way of life, since it an exclusive examining the magnitude of God through the " brooder " meant are probably the Arians, was released as inappropriate.

The most comprehensive critical edition with translation of the genuine works of Ephrem was published 1955-1979 by Edmund Beck, OSB, in the series Corpus Christianorum Scriptorum Orientalium ( CSCO). An edition with a Latin translation of the commentary on the Diatessaron was published by Louis Leloir, OSB, from 1953 in the same row and completed after the discovery of additional fragments 1991.

Under the name of Ephrem the Syrian and Greek writings of other authors (labeled as Ephraem Graecus ) spread.

Effect story

Ephrem the Syrian Church is the classic par excellence. His life story is early overgrown by legend. Impressive is the mass of under his name in the original and in foreign languages ​​Preserved, without even remotely exhaust the created things of him or him Accretion. Ephrem's estate was given by Sozomen, with 3,000,000 lines of text.

Ephrem is considered " the greatest poet of the patristic age ." He has shaped the Aramaic literature in form and content. Early on, his works found their way into the liturgy and worship should have already found use two decades after the death of Ephrem. In the 5th century the Syrian treasure cave, which paraphrases the salvation history from creation to the crucifixion in the style of hymns Ephrem and that was attributed to him was built. It was long regarded as true works of Ephrem, however, is well below monophysitischem influence.

His exegetical works are, however, ousted early in the Katenenkommentaren both Syriac denominations by the interpretations of the Antiochian school.

Translations should have learned his works during his lifetime into Greek, also into Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopian, Arabic and Greek into Latin. He attributed works in liturgical form are part of the Syrian, Armenian, Coptic, Greek and Slavic liturgies.