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The Biblical Homilies of Ephraem Graecus

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The Biblical Homilies of Ephraem Graecus THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA The Biblical Homilies of Ephraem Graecus A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology and Religious Studies Of The Catholic University of America In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree Doctor of Philosophy By Trevor Fiske Crowell Washington, D.C. 2016 The Biblical Homilies of Ephraem Graecus Trevor Fiske Crowell, Ph.D. Director: Robert D. Miller II, O.F.S., Ph.D Ephrem the Syrian (ca. 306-373) is one of the most revered figures of Eastern Christianity and one of the few people canonized in both the Eastern and Western Churches. Ephrem’s renown spread beyond the boundaries of Syriac-speaking Christendom and attracted the interest of Greek-speaking Christians. Demand for more information about this figure sparked production of texts about and putatively by Ephrem in many languages, including Greek. Ultimately, the number of Greek texts attributed to Ephrem ranks second to only John Chrysostom. These texts, known as the Ephraem Graecus corpus, have gone relatively unstudied as the works are almost certainly inauthentic. Ephrem composed exclusively in Syriac. Nevertheless, the texts have been influential in the history of Christianity, providing some of the foundational texts of Orthodox monasticism and inspiring theologians such as John Wesley. This study seeks to explore the portion of the corpus on the topic of biblical exegesis. It provides the first ever English translation of many of these homilies. The homilies evince a creative style of exegesis relatively unknown in Western Christianity but which does appear in Syriac. These works imaginatively retell the biblical stories, inventing new dialogue and situations for the familiar characters within their established narratives. This study argues that the homilies transport the audience into a dramatic re-creation of the biblical stories where they encounter the biblical figures in a new way which emphasizes the humor, pathos, and the humanity of the characters in Scripture. A work on Joseph translated here, e.g., depicts Joseph momentarily freeing himself from his Ishmaelite captors to fall on his mother’s grave and cry out to her in Hebrew, an act misinterpreted by the fearful Ishmaelites as necromancy. This episode is known from Jewish and Syriac Christian exegesis on this story, but is not attested by the Greek-speaking Christian tradition. This study argues that the Ephraem Graecus corpus is an important case study for understanding the interconnected, multi-lingual world of Late Antique Christianity. The anonymous author of the Ephraem Graecus corpus created literature for a group of Christians reflecting Syriac concerns, motifs, and interests but in the Greek language. This dissertation by Trevor Crowell fulfills the dissertation requirement for the doctoral degree in Theology approved by Robert D. Miller II, O.F.S., Ph.D. as Director and by Robin Darling Young, Ph.D., and Rev. Christopher Begg, S.T.D., Ph.D., Ph.B. as Readers ______________________________ Robert D. Miller II, O.F.S., Ph.D., Director ______________________________ Robin Darling Young, Ph.D., Reader ______________________________ Rev. Christopher Begg, S.T.D., Ph.D., Ph.B., Reader ii Acknowledgements The fact that only one name appears on the title page betrays the reality that many, many people helped to make this dissertation possible. First and foremost is my committee, Bob Miller, Fr. Begg, and Robin Darling Young. Special thanks must be given to Dr. Young, whom I had never met before she came onto my committee late in the process and worked tirelessly to help bring the project to completion. I would also like to thank the Princeton Theological Seminary’s library and staff for being extraordinarily helpful to a CUA student. But the biggest thanks go to my parents, as well as my partner Meg Slachetka whose encouragement and support throughout this process enabled it to see its end. It could not have been done without you. Trevor Crowell April 2016, Jersey City, NJ iii Table of Contents Chapter 1……………………………………………………………………………………..1 The Many Faces of St. Ephrem the Syrian…………………………………………………....1 The Texts of Ephraem Graecus and Their Study…………………………………………......8 Scope of the Study…………………………………………………………………...……...16 Chapter 2…………………………………………………………………………………....19 Ephrem’s Exegetical Works…………………………………………………………………19 Ephrem’s Mêmrê and Madrāshê, The Case of De Paradiso…………………………...…...20 Mysteries and Types (râzê and ṭupsê) in Ephrem’s Exegesis…………………………….....21 The Biblical Exegesis of Ephrem’s Prose Commentaries…………………………………...34 Connection to Ephrem Unlikely……………………………………………………………..36 Anonymity and Pseudonymity………………………………………………………………37 The Dramatic Dialogue Poem Genre……………………………………………...………...41 Greek Connections………………………………………………………………...………...50 Pseudo-Chrysostom’s In Eliam Prophetam and Basil of Seleucia’s In Sanctam Eliam.........52 Romanos……………………………………………………………………………………..55 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………...58 Chapter 3……………………………………………………………………………………60 Rewritten Bible……………………………………………………........……………………60 Invented Dialogue………………………………………………...….....…….......…………71 Increasted Texture for Female Characters………………………....….....………...………...76 Indifference to Typology……………………………………………………....………....….82 Realism………………………………………………………………………………………84 Ephrem’s Meter and Metrical Compositions……………………...………………………...91 Metrical Form of the Ephraem Graecus Homilies………………...………………………...97 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….102 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………104 Final Thoughts……………………………………………………………………………...108 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………….112 Appendix: Translations of the Ephraem Graecus Homilies Abraham…………………………………………………………………………………...119 Abraham and Isaac I……………………………………………………………………...127 Abraham and Isaac II…………………………………………...………………………..137 Defense, to a brother, about Eli, the Priest………………………………………………151 Homily about Cain and the Murder of Abel…………………………………………….161 Homily on the All-Beautiful Joseph……………………………………………………...175 Homily on the Holy Elijah, the Prophet………………………………………………....201 Homily on the Prophet Daniel and the Three Holy Youths…………………………....208 iv Homily on When the Wise Men came into Jerusalem…………………………………..211 Homily on the Prophet Jonah and the Repentance of the Ninevites…………………...214 On the Preparation and on the Thief and the Cross…………………………………....237 On the Thief Upon the Cross……………………………………………………………..245 v Chapter 1 The Many Faces of St. Ephrem the Syrian. St. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373) is quite possibly the most revered author in the tradition of Syriac-speaking Christianity. He is one of the few theologians canonized in both the Eastern and Western churches, and his fame transcended political and linguistic boundaries both in his lifetime and afterward. Among the Syriac-speaking Christians, his works are foundational, with Eastern and Western Syrian traditions using his hymns even to the present day.1 While other Syriac authors wrote mêmrê and madrāshê, his use of these genres popularized them, setting the boundaries within which later Syriac authors would work. Mar Jacob of Serugh chose to use the mêmrê form for his encomium of the late Ephrem.2 Ephrem’s career took place in a turbulent time for Syrian Christianity. Early in his life, Ephrem began working for Jacob, the bishop of Nisibis (d. 338). He continued to work under the next three bishops in the church of Nisibis, until 363 when that city and its territory were surrendered to the Persian Empire following the death of the Roman Emperor Julian (the Apostate) in a disastrous military campaign.3 Ephrem then moved to Edessa where he worked under the bishops in that city until his death on June 9, 373, according to the 1 Kathleen McVey, Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns (New York: Paulist Press, 1989), 4. 2 Joseph P. Amar, A Metrical Homily on Holy Mar Ephrem by Mar Jacob of Sarug, Patrologia Orientalis 47, fasc. 1, no. 209 (Turnhout: Brepols, 1995). 3 Sidney H. Griffith, “Faith Adoring the Mystery”: Reading the Bible with St. Ephraem the Syrian, The Pere Marquette Lecture in Theology 1997 (Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press, 1997), 7. 1 2 Chronicle of Edessa.4 Though later Syriac writers would confer upon Ephrem the position of “Interpreter,” i.e. the head of the city’s school of religious education and biblical exegesis, akin to the position that Athanasius held in Alexandria, it appears that Ephrem’s actual position was more humble.5 Ephrem himself depicted the city’s bishop as the “shepherd” of the “flock” of his congregation. Further extending this familiar Christian metaphor, Ephrem conceived of himself as one of the herdsmen who assisted the chief shepherd.6 That he lived as a “single person” (îḥîdāyā) in a community of other “single persons” in a group called the “sons of the covenant” (bnay qyāmâ), has caused much confusion about whether Ephrem was a monk.7 These “sons of the covenant,” and Ephrem in particular, were fully involved in the pastoral work of the diocese. Ephrem acted as a teacher, preacher, poet, and choirmaster for his bishops. He wrote his famous mêmrê and madrāshê with the whole of the Christian community, laypeople and clergy alike, in mind. He worked closely with the church choirs, even arguing for the inclusion of women in them. These choirs were responsible for singing the responses to his madrāshê.8 The genius of Ephrem’s compositions soon became apparent among his contemporaries, and the popular focus of his poems were so appreciated by fellow clergymen that his works began to circulate
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