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                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                           Washington, D.C.  20549

                                   Form 8-K

                                CURRENT REPORT


                    Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                       Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                    Date of Report (Date of earliest event
                        Reported):  September 29, 1997


                            THE PROVIDENT BANK                     
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     (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


         Ohio                  333-35275         31-0412725     
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(State or Other Jurisdiction  (Commission    (I.R.S. Employer
     of Incorporation)        File Number)   Identification No.)


One East Fourth Street
Cincinnati, Ohio                                    45202  
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(Address of Principal                             (Zip Code)
 Executive Offices)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code (513) 579-2000
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Item 5.  Other Events.
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Filing of Derived Materials.
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     In connection with  the offering of the Provident Bank  Home Equity Loan
Trust  1997-B, Home  Equity Loan  Asset-Backed  Certificates, Series  1997-B,
Class A-1, Class A-2 and Class A-3 (the "Certificates"), Lehman Brothers Inc.
("Lehman"),  as  an underwriter  of  the Certificates,  has  prepared certain
materials for  distribution to its  potential investors (the  "Lehman Derived
Materials") and  Donaldson,  Lufkin &  Jenrette  (together with  Lehman,  the
"Underwriters"), as an underwriter of the Certificates, has prepared  certain
materials  for  distribution  to  its  potential  investors.    Although  The
Provident  Bank  (the  "Company")  provided  the  Underwriters  with  certain
information regarding the characteristics of the Mortgage Loans (the "Loans")
in the related  portfolio, it did not  participate in the preparation  of the
Lehman Derived Materials.   Concurrently with the filing  hereof, pursuant to
Rule 311(i)  of  Regulation S-T,  the Company  is filing  the Lehman  Derived
Materials by paper filing on Form SE.

     For  purposes of  this Form  8-K,  Lehman Derived  Materials shall  mean
computer  generated  tables and/or  charts  displaying, with  respect  to the
Certificates, any of  the following: yield; average  life, duration; expected
maturity;   interest   rate   sensitivity;  loss   sensitivity;   cash   flow
characteristics; background  information regarding  the  Loans; the  proposed
structure; decrement tables; or similar information (tabular or otherwise) of
a statistical,  mathematical, tabular  or computational  nature.   The Lehman
Derived Materials are attached hereto as Exhibit 99.  

Item 7.   Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial
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          Information and Exhibits.
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(a)  Not applicable.

(b)  Not applicable.

(c)  Exhibits:

     99        Lehman Derived Materials

                                  SIGNATURES

Pursuant to  the requirements  of the  Securities Exchange  Act of  1934, the
registrant  duly  caused  this report  to  be  signed on  its  behalf  by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                              THE PROVIDENT BANK



                              By:    /s/ Kevin M. Shea                   
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                                  Name:  Kevin M. Shea
                                  Title: Vice President


Dated:  September 29, 1997

                                Exhibit Index
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Exhibit                                                Page
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     99        Lehman Derived Materials


                                  EXHIBIT 99


     In accordance  with Rule  311(i) of Regulation  S-T, the  Lehman Derived
Materials are being filed on paper pursuant to Form SE.