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Ephrem was born around the year 306, in the city of Nisibis (the modern Turkish town of Nusaybin, on the border with Syria). Internal evidence from Ephrem's hymnody suggests that both his parents were part of the growing Christian community in the city, although later hagiographers wrote that his father was a pagan priest. Numerous languages were spoken in the Nisibis of Ephrem's day, mostly dialects of Aramaic. The Christian community used the Syriac dialect. Various pagan religions, [[Judaism]] and early Christian sects vied with one another for the hearts and minds of the populace. It was a time of great religious and political tension. The Roman Emperor [[Diocletian]] had signed a treaty with his Persian counterpart, Nerses in 298 that transferred Nisibis into Roman hands. The savage persecution and martyrdom of Christians under Diocletian were an important part of Nisibene church heritage as Ephrem grew up.
St. [[James of Nisibis|James]] (Mar Jacob), the first [[bishop]] of Nisibis, was appointed in 308, and Ephrem grew up under his leadership of the community. St. James is recorded as a signatory at the [[First Ecumenical Council]] in 325. Ephrem was [[baptism|baptized]] as a youth, and James appointed him as a teacher (Syriac ''malpânâ'', a title that still carries great respect for Syriac Christians). He was ordained as a [[deacon]] either at this time or later. He began to compose hymns and write biblical commentaries as part of his educational office. In his hymns, he sometimes refers to himself as a "herdsman" (''`allânâ''), to his bishop as the "shepherd" (''râ`yâ'') and his community as a "fold" (''dayrâ''). Ephrem is popularly credited as the founder of the School of Nisibis, which in later centuries was the centre of learning of the [[Assyrian Church of the East]] (i.e., the [[Nestorianism|Nestorians]]).
In 337, emperor [[Constantine the Great|Constantine I]], who had established Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire, died. Seizing on this opportunity, Shapur II of Persia began a series of attacks into Roman North Mesopotamia. Nisibis was besieged in 338, 346 and 350. During the first siege, Ephrem credits Bishop James as defending the city with his prayers. Ephrem's beloved bishop died soon after the event, and Babu led the church through the turbulent times of border skirmishes. In the third siege, of 350, Shapur rerouted the River Mygdonius to undermine the walls of Nisibis. The Nisibenes quickly repaired the walls while the Persian elephant cavalry became bogged down in the wet ground. Ephrem celebrated the miraculous salvation of the city in a hymn as being like Noah's Ark floating to safety on the flood.
