EPHREM. - A city near the desert, to which Jesus withdrew with his disciples after the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus (Io. 11, 54). It is generally identified with Ophera (Jos. 18, 23), with Ephraim near Baal-Hasor, where Absalom held a feast at the time of sheep-shearing (II Sam. 23, 23), with Ephron occupied by Abia (II Par. 13, 19), with Aferema, the chief town of a district of Samaria in 145 B.C. (I Mach. 11, 24), later occupied by Vespasiano. The various morphological alterations are explained as Aramaic or Hellenistic developments of the name Ophera (Heb. 'Ophrâh).
The native map of Madaba, in agreement with the distances supplied by the Onomasticus of Eusebio (29, 4), inscribes above Bethel and Rammon: “Efron or Efraim, whence the Lord came,” indicating it in the present-day Christian village of et-Tajjibeh, 7 km. northeast of Bethel (Bejrih) and 2 km. north of Rammon (Rammon), in a position dominating the Jordan valley and from which the view extends over the desert of Giuda as far as Thecua and over the Dead Sea. Since the ancient name of 'Afrah was of ill omen because of its assonance with 'Ifris (= evil spirit), it was changed to et-Tajjibeh el-ism (= of good name).
On the summit of the village, the remains of a medieval castle are visible, and to the southeast, on a small hill, are the vestiges of a sixth-century basilica rebuilt in the time of the Crusaders.
BIBLI: D. Baldi, Enchiridion Locorum Sanctorum. Gerusalemme 1935, p. 452; F. M. Abel, Géographie de la Palestine, II. Parigi 1938, p. 402. Donato Baldi