Interpreting the Song of Songs : Reception History from Qumran to the Modern Era

Why is the Song of Songs part of the Bible? This question has been answered in various ways throughout the ages, resulting in a greater diversity of interpretations than for perhaps any other biblical book. Interpreting the Song of Songs provides soundings from different eras and key interpreters: early Judaism, Origen, Augustine, the medieval era, Martin Luther, and modern and postmodern approaches. The interpretive history of the Song is a captivating study in itself. By listening to the past, we can discern how the Song sings today.