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Song of Solomon

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	Topics Song of Solomon Topic Home The *Song of Songs* (Hebrew title , Shir ha-Shirim), is a book of the Hebrew BibleHebrew Bible Hebrew Bible is a term that refers to the common portions of the Jewish and Christian biblical canons.... —TanakhTanakh Tanakh [????] , is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible.... or Old TestamentOld Testament The Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures constitutes the first major part of the Bible used by Christians.... —one of the five megillotThe Five Scrolls The Five Scrolls are part of the third major section of the Tanakh, which is called Ketuvim.... (scrolls). It is also known as the *Song of Solomon* or as *Canticles, the latter from the shortened and anglicized VulgateVulgate The Vulgate* Bible is an early 5th century version of the Bible in Latin partly revised and partly translated by Jerome on th... title Canticum Canticorum, "Song of Songs" in Latin. It is known as Aisma in the SeptuagintFacts About Septuagint The Septuagint is the name commonly given in the West to the ancient, Koine Greek version of the Old Testament translated i... , which is short for ???sµa ?sµ?t??, Aisma aismatôn, "Song of Songs" in GreekGreek language Greek has a documented history of 3,500 years, the longest of any single language within the Indo-European family.... . The Song of Songs is thought by some to be an allegorical representationAllegory An allegory is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal.... of the relationship of God and Israel as husband and wife. Literally, however, the main characters of the Song are simply a woman and a man, and the poem suggests movement from courtship to consummationConsummate As a verb, consummate means to bring something to its completion, such as a transaction, concept, plan or action.... . It is one of the shortest books in the Bible, consisting of only 117 verses. According to Ashkenazi tradition, it is read on the Sabbath that falls during the intermediate days of Passover. In the Sephardi Jewish community it is recited every Friday night. Title The name of the book comes from the first verse, "The Song of songs, which is Solomon's." "Song of songs" is a HebrewHebrew language Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jew... grammatical construction denoting the superlativeSuperlative In grammar the superlative of an adjective or adverb is a form of adjective or adverb which indicates that something has som... ; that is, the title attests to the greatness of the song, similar to "the lord of lords", "the king of kings" or "holy of holiesHoly of Holies The Holy of Holies is a term in the Hebrew Bible which referred to the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and later the Temple in J... " (used of the inner sanctuary of the Jerusalem temple). Rabbi AkibaRabbi Akiva Akiba ben Joseph was a famous Jewish rabbi of the latter part of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century.... declared, "Heaven forbid that any man in Israel ever disputed that the Song of Songs is holy. For the whole world is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel, for all the Writings are holy and the Song of Songs is holy of holies.". Similarly, Martin LutherMartin Luther Martin Luther was a German monk, priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer.... called it das Hohelied (the high song). This is still its name in GermanGerman language German is a West Germanic language.... and in DutchDutch language Dutch is a West Germanic language spoken by around 22 million people, mainly in the Netherlands and Belgium . ... . Some interpret the Hebrew construction differently, a song of several songs, and argue for a degree of independence between sections within the Song. Authorship Some people translate the first clause of the title as "which is of Solomon," meaning that the book is authored by SolomonSolomon Solomon or Shlomo is a figure described in Middle Eastern scriptures as a wise ruler of an empire centred on the uni... . Rabbi Hiyya the Great said Solomon first wrote Proverbs, then The Song of Songs, and afterward Ecclesiastes. Rabbi JonathanRabbi Jonathan Rabbi Jonathan was a Tanna of the 2nd century and schoolfellow of R.... said Solomon first wrote The Song of Songs, then Proverbs, then Ecclesiastes. The TalmudTalmud The Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history.... , however, states the order of the canon, listing Proverbs first, then Ecclesiastes, and then The Song of Songs. Others translate the first clause as "which is for Solomon," meaning that the book is dedicated to Solomon. It was common practice in ancient times for an anonymous writer seeking recognition for his work to write eponymouslyEponymous author The eponymous author of a literary work, often a work that is meant to be prophetic or homiletic, is not really the author.... in the name of someone more famous. Some read the book as contrasting the nobility of monogamous love with the debased nature of promiscuous love, and suggest that the book is actually a veiled criticism of Solomon, who, according to , had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. Another approach to the authorship is that offered by RashiRashi Rashi ??"? is a Hebrew acronym for ??? ???? ????? , or ??? ???? ???? , author of the first comprehensive commentaries on t... , consistent with allegorical interpretations, rendering the narrator "he to whom peace belongs", i.e: God. The Hebrew name of Solomon, Shlomo, can also be inflected to mean the constructed form of the noun shalomShalom Overview Shalom is a Hebrew word meaning peace.... , peace, which through noun declension can be possessiveHebrew grammar Hebrew grammar is partly analytical, expressing such forms as dative, ablative, and accusative using prepositional particles... . This means that the author is in fact Solomon, but he narrates the book from the perspective of God, who is conversing with the Jewish people, his allegorical bride. Characters The text, read without allegory as a celebration of sexual love, alternates between the speeches of a woman and her lover. A series of antiphonAntiphon An antiphon is a response, usually sung in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or some other part of a religious service, such as at... al remarks are provided by the "daughters of Jerusalem." The woman's brothers have a few lines near the conclusion of the Song. Most scholars also see some verses as the voice of a narrator. Views vary regarding authorship and composition of the Song. Some have suggested the Song is composed from a collection of originally more independent poetry. Interpretation and use Although it is commonly held that an allegorical interpretationAllegory An allegory is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal.... justified its inclusion in the Biblical canonBiblical canon The biblical canon is an exclusive list of books written during the formative period of the Jewish or Christian faiths; the ... , scholarly discussion hasn't reached any consensus yet on the Song of Songs and leaves other possibilities open. Jewish tradition According to Jewish tradition in the MidrashMidrash Midrash is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text.... and the TargumTargum A targum is an Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible written or compiled in the Land of Israel or in Babylonia from the ... , the book is an allegoryAllegory An allegory is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal.... of God's love for the Children of Israel. In keeping with this understanding, it is read by Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews on Sabbath eve, to symbolize the love between the Jewish People and God that is also represented by Sabbath. Most traditional Jews also read the Song on the Sabbath of Chol HaMoedChol HaMoed Chol HaMoed, a Hebrew phrase which means "weekdays of the festival", refers to the intermediate days of Passover, or Sukkot.... of PassoverPassover Summary Passover , also called ?? ????? is a Jewish holiday which is celebrated in the spring.... , or on the seventh day of the holiday, when the Song of the seaSong of the sea The Song of the Sea is a poem which appears in Exodus at Exodus 15:1b-18.... is also read. Christian tradition The Song of Songs is not directly quoted by New TestamentNew Testament The New Testament , sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures, and sometimes also New Covenant... writers, but is possibly alluded to on a number of occasions. In a Christian tradition that began with OrigenOrigen Origen was an Early Christian scholar, theologian, and one of the most distinguished of the early Fathers of the Christian ... , the Song is regarded as an allegory of the relationship of Christ and the Church, or else Christ and the individual believer (see the SermonSermon Overview A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy.... s on the Song of Songs by Bernard of ClairvauxBernard of Clairvaux Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian monastic order.... ). This type of allegorical interpretation was applied later to even passing details in parableParable A parable is a story in prose or verse that is told to illustrate a religious or ethical idea.... s of JesusJesus Summary Jesus,Some of the historians and Biblical scholars who place the birth and death of Jesus within this range include D.... . Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI is the 265th and reigning Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, and as such, Monarch of the Vatican City Sta... 's encyclical Deus Caritas EstDeus Caritas Est *Deus Caritas Est* is the first encyclical written by Pope Benedict XVI.... (God is Love) of 2006 refers to the Song of Songs in both its literal and allegorical meaning, stating that erotic love (eros) and self-donating love (agape) is shown there as the two halves of true love, which is both giving and receiving. Other interpretations Historians have noted that the Song of Songs closely resembles the Egyptian love poetry of its time. Feminist theologians have interpreted the Song of Songs as a positive representation of sexuality and egalitarian gender relations within the Bible. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movementLatter Day Saint movement The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement which began in the early 19th century and is generally considered to b... , does not recognize the book as authoritative, although it is included in the Church's canon and printed in Church-published copies of the Bible. See also 4Q1064Q106 4Q106 is one large and three small fragments from three columns of a scroll containing portions of the Song of Songs in Heb... , 4Q1074Q107 4Q107 is a fragment of the Song of Songs in Hebrew found in Cave 4 at Qumran in Israel and which comprises part of the Dead... , 4Q1084Q108 4Q108 is a fragment containing a portion of the Song of Songs in Hebrew.... , 6Q66Q6 6Q6 is a small portion of a scroll from Cave 6 at Qumran, containing Song of Songs 1:1-7 in Hebrew.... (portions of Song in Dead Sea ScrollsDead Sea scrolls The Dead Sea scrolls comprise roughly 825-870 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and ... ) Hortus conclususHortus conclusus 'Hortus Conclusus is a Latin term, meaning literally "enclosed garden".... External links JewishJudaism Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people.... translations and commentary: translation with RashiRashi Summary Rashi ??"? is a Hebrew acronym for ??? ???? ????? , or ??? ???? ???? , author of the first comprehensive commentaries on t... 's commentary at Chabad.org Song of Songs ChristianChristian A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as Christ.... translations and commentary: (various versions) at Literature Garrett, Duane A. Song of Songs. Word Biblical Commentary 23B. Nashville: Nelson, 2004. Pope, Marvin H. Song of Songs: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor BibleFacts About Anchor Bible Series The Anchor Bible Project, consisting of the Anchor Bible Commentary Series, Anchor Bible Dictionary and Anchor Bib... 7C. 2 volumes. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1977. Recording Canticum Canticorum. Eloge De L'amour. La Cantique Des Cantiques à la Renaissance, Capilla FlamencaCapilla Flamenca Capilla Flamenca is a prominent vocal and instrumental early music consort based in Leuven, Belgium.... , 2004 (Eufoda 1359).