Saint Ephraim, also Ephraim, was the Syrian, who is referred to as “ the harp of the Holy Spirit”. He earned that nickname for his beautiful writings and hymns.
Ephrem was born in Nisibis around 306, few years after the persecution, to Christian parents, and was baptized when he was in his teens. By his own writing, as related by one source, he was raised in Christian environment. He tells us:“ I had been early taught about Christ by my parents. They who begat me after the flesh had trained me in the fear of the Lord… My parents were confessors before the judge: yea, I am of the kindred of the martyrs”. In his youth, Constantine became emperor. St. Jacob was the famous bishop of Nisibis whom he accompanied to the Council of Nicaea in 325.
St. Ephraim became the head of a cathedral school, which he joined in his youth. After the Persians raid in 363, captured the city, and drove Christians away, he moved to Edessa (Iraq), which was a great Christian center. He lived there in a secluded rocky cave. He spent the rest of his austere life as a monk, writing and composing his sweet liturgical hymns, which enriched the church, and earn him the above-mentioned nickname. Aside from hymns, he tackled many orthodox subjects, and wrote exegetical works. In his portrayal of heaven and hell, for instance, he influenced the writings of Dante.