Author Archives: tikhonpino

Click here to read the Acrostic Paraenesis Most of the charm of this Greek acrostic is lost in translation, but the spiritual counsel retains its force in any language. Image: British Library Harley MS 5624, f.12r, Acrostic of Theodore Prodromos

  “On the Verse, There Will Be Two in the Field (Mt 24:40″ This Ephraemic text, cited in some later versions of St. Anastasios of Sinai‘s Questions and Answers, offers an interpretation of the “rapture” of the righteous on the Day of Judgement. Image: British Library Add MS 19352 (Theodore Psalter), f. 170r

Fr. Kevin Kalish, of Bridgewater State University, has graciously shared his new translation of a Homily on Cain and Abel. This text, which contains a fascinating lament by our mother Eve, and many other interesting features, is now the longest text featured on this site. You can find the full text of Fr. Kevin’s translationContinue reading “New Translation”

Academic work on the Greek corpus attributed to St. Ephrem (i.e., Ephraem Graecus) is still, unfortunately, rare. I’m happy to pass along this article. Emmanouela Grypeou, “Ephraem Graecus, ‘Sermo In Adventum Domini’. A Contribution to the Study of the Transmission of Apocalyptic Motifs in Greek, Latin and Syriac Traditions in Late Antiquity,” in Graeco-Latina etContinue reading “Ephraem Graecus Scholarship”

Fr. Ephrem reposed in the Lord on 15 March 2016. He was one of a few people who recognized the historical importance of the Greek writings attributed to St. Ephrem the Syrian, and he left behind him a number of valuable translations (hitherto the only ones in English). The centrality of ‘Ephraem Graecus’ for theContinue reading “In Memoriam Fr. Ephrem Lash”

There are many prayers in the Greek corpus attributed to St Ephrem, but the most well-known is the Lenten ‘Prayer of St Ephrem’ appointed to be said daily throughout the forty-day Fast preceding Pascha. O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, meddling, love of power, [love of money], and idle talkingContinue reading “‘The’ Prayer of St Ephrem”

St. Ephrem is pictured next to St. Isaac the Syrian in a row of monastic saints including Paul of Thebes, Abba Moses of Scetis, and Theodosius the Great. http://assumption-cathedral.kreml.ru/wall-painting/view/altar-frescoes/

http://cuapress.cua.edu/books/viewbook.cfm?book=F130 From the CUA Press website: “It is in his eighty-seven Hymns on Faith – the longest extant piece of early Syriac literature – that he develops his arguments against subordinationist christologies most fully. These hymns, most likely delivered orally and compiled after the author’s death, were composed in Nisibis and Edessa between the 350sContinue reading “New Translation of St. Ephrem from CUA Press”

Link to an online version (pdf) of the 18th century edition to which St. Nikodimos of the Holy Mountain refers in his Synaxarion entry for St. Ephrem. It is comprised of three volumes of Syriac writings and three volumes of Greek writings. All six volumes are accompanied by Latin translations, which makes both corpora evenContinue reading “Assemani Edition (1732-46) Online”

A Bibliographic Guide by Sebastian Brock http://syri.ac/brock/ephrem