▁c oven ant , ▁an ▁unusual ▁form ▁of ▁sy ri ac ▁proto - mon astic ism . ▁Jacob ▁appointed ▁E ph rem ▁as ▁a ▁teacher ▁( S y ri ac ▁mal p ̄ ā n â , ▁a ▁title ▁that ▁still ▁car ries ▁great ▁respect ▁for ▁Sy ri ac ▁Christians ). ▁He ▁was ▁ord ained ▁as ▁a ▁de acon ▁either ▁at ▁his ▁bapt ism ▁or ▁later . ▁He ▁began ▁to ▁compose ▁h ym ns ▁and ▁write ▁bib lic al ▁comment aries ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁educational ▁office . ▁In ▁his ▁h ym ns , ▁he ▁sometimes ▁refers ▁to ▁himself ▁as ▁a ▁" h erd s man " ▁( , ▁‘ all ā n â ), ▁to ▁his ▁bishop ▁as ▁the ▁" she ph erd " ▁( , ▁r ā ‘ y â ), ▁and ▁to ▁his ▁community ▁as ▁a ▁' fold ' ▁( , ▁day r â ). ▁E ph rem ▁is ▁popular ly ▁cred ited ▁as ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁N is ib is , ▁which , ▁in ▁later ▁centuries , ▁was ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁learning ▁of ▁the ▁Sy ri ac ▁Orth odox ▁Church . ▁ ▁In ▁ 3 3 7 , ▁Emperor ▁Const antine ▁I , ▁who ▁had ▁legal ised ▁and ▁promoted ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁Christian ity ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁died . ▁Se izing ▁on ▁this ▁opportunity , ▁Sh ap ur ▁II ▁of ▁Pers ia ▁began ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁attacks ▁into ▁Roman ▁North ▁Mes op ot am ia . ▁N is ib is ▁was ▁bes ie ged