Transcript No Slide Title

“Rose of Sharon”
...is the autumn-flowering pale-lilac meadowsaffron, i. e. Colchicum autumnale … in the
park-like tract (about 8-12 miles wide and 44
long) of the Palestinian Maritime Plain
extending along the Mediterranean from
Joppa to Mt. Carmel.
Paul Haupt. Journal of Biblical Literature, 36:1/2, 147. 1917
Colchicum autumnale is
most commonly known
as autumn crocus, but
in various regions it is
known as naked-ladies,
colchicum, and
meadow saffron…
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/acrohst.html
“Rose of Sharon”
It's a perennial herb in
the lily family…
which grows from a
corm (a solid bulb)...
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/acrohst.htm
“Rose of Sharon”
...each stalk produces a
single white-to-purplishpink flower that resembles
a crocus.
The extreme toxicity of
this plant has been known
since the times of ancient
Greece, but in the fifth
century, herbalists in the
Byzantine Empire
discovered it could be used
to treat rheumatism and
arthritis, and the Arabs
began to use it for gout.
The useful active
ingredient in the plant is an
alkaloid called colchicine...
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/acrohst.html
“Rose of Sharon”
Poisoning from this plant
resembles arsenic
poisoning; the symptoms
(which occur 2 to 5 hours
after the plant has been
eaten) include burning in
the mouth and throat,
diarrhea, stomach pain,
vomiting, and kidney
failure. Death from
respiratory failure often
follows. Less than than two
grams of the seeds is
enough to kill a child…
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/acrohst.html
“Rose of Sharon”
...is the autumn-flowering pale-lilac meadowsaffron, i. e. Colchicum autumnale … in the
park-like tract (about 8-12 miles wide and 44
long) of the Palestinian Maritime Plain
extending along the Mediterranean from
Joppa to Mt. Carmel.
Paul Haupt. Journal of Biblical Literature, 36:1/2, 147. 1917
Colchicum autumnale is
most commonly known
as autumn crocus, but
in various regions it is
known as naked-ladies,
colchicum, and
meadow saffron…
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/acrohst.html
“Rose of Sharon”
It's a perennial herb in
the lily family…
which grows from a
corm (a solid bulb)...
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/acrohst.htm
“Rose of Sharon”
...each stalk produces a
single white-to-purplishpink flower that resembles
a crocus.
The extreme toxicity of
this plant has been known
since the times of ancient
Greece, but in the fifth
century, herbalists in the
Byzantine Empire
discovered it could be used
to treat rheumatism and
arthritis, and the Arabs
began to use it for gout.
The useful active
ingredient in the plant is an
alkaloid called colchicine...
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/acrohst.html
“Rose of Sharon”
Poisoning from this plant
resembles arsenic
poisoning; the symptoms
(which occur 2 to 5 hours
after the plant has been
eaten) include burning in
the mouth and throat,
diarrhea, stomach pain,
vomiting, and kidney
failure. Death from
respiratory failure often
follows. Less than than two
grams of the seeds is
enough to kill a child…
http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/acrohst.html
Christ and His Bride
• KJV headings
• Some of our hymns
Christ and His Bride
identity of the bride…
• the individual believer
• the church corporate
• the Virgin Mary
Among the known advocates...
Hippolytus (died sometime after 235)
• earliest known advocate
• breasts (4:5) = the Old & New Covenants
Among the known advocates...
Origen (185 - c. 254)
• his “rash act”
• his commentary
Beams/rafters,
• examples of his interpretation...
Little
• “describing
foxes, thethe
"opposing
Church which
forcesisand
thethe
The
kisses
of hisofmouth
- “the
words
of
wicked
spiritual
powers
house”
demons
who
by
means
of
Ointments
The
Being
Our
bed
daughters
dark
(NAS,
the
due
ESV:
of
anointing
to
Jerusalem
"the
“couch”)
sun
of
of
the
is
"the
Justice"
the
Holy
place
Spirit.
we
faith
and
love
peace”
that
came
The
lily
of
theand
valley
is
Christ
The
bride
"represents
the
church
base
•
beams
thoughts
“those
and
who
perverted
protect
notions
the
church”
destroy
LXX
reads,
"and
the
fragrance
of
your
ointments
is
daughters
having
share
with
"looked
of
Christ.
this
askance"
earthly
Jerusalem
because
of
who,
the
from
the
mouth
of
Christ
himself,
gathered
from
the
Gentiles"
the
• “stronger
bloom
of ones…are
the
virtues
called
of the
rafters”
soul
and to
ruin
above
all
the
spices."
Origen
took
the
spices
seeing
Gentiles'
the
"unbelief
Church
of
and
the
disobedience";
Gentiles,
contrasted
with
the
kisses delivered
bybeams
•
Ergo,
bishops
=
rafters
&
priests
=
the
fruit
of
faith"
be
despise
"by
reason
"words
andand
of
vilify
her
of
the
former
her"
Law sins"
and the Prophets."
thethe
angels
the
prophets.
Accounting for the historical
dominance of the allegorical
interpretation
• Jewish interpretations
• Metaphors in Scripture
• Greek philosophy
• Ascetic Gnosticism
• Origen's bent
Evaluating the Allegorical
Interpretation
• Inconceivably Ignored by NT writers
Evaluating the Allegorical
Interpretation
Garrett: "Fairly unambiguous allusions
to love play appear in the text...Such
language
inappropriate as a
• Inconceivably
Ignoredisbysimply
NT writers
description of the love between God
and his people, other biblical
metaphors notwithstanding.”
But why??
Evaluating the Allegorical
Interpretation
• Inconceivably Ignored by NT writers
• Ineffective
• Can we criticize Origen without indicting ourselves?
THE ARGUMENT FOR THE ANTHOLOGY VIEW:
(no doubt this is too simplistic)
• drama didn't exist among Jews
• Seems similar to some (Syrian, Egyptian) love
poems of the time
AGAINST THE ANTHOLOGY VIEW:
THE EVIDENCE THAT THE SONG IS A
LITERARY UNIT
• Difficulty of making this argument...
• Nonetheless...
AGAINST THE ANTHOLOGY VIEW:
THE EVIDENCE THAT THE SONG IS A
LITERARY UNIT
Seven distinct units that seem to be
related and arranged symmetrically
Identified by...
• theme of Separation/Union
• by distinctive content (e.g., dialogue,
event, etc.)
AGAINST THE ANTHOLOGY VIEW:
THE EVIDENCE THAT THE SONG IS A
LITERARY UNIT
Seven distinct units that seem to be
related and arranged symmetrically
• Arranged symmetrically
opening words of mutual love and desire
young man's invitation to the young woman
young woman's nighttime search
their wedding day
young woman's nighttime search
young woman's invitation to the young man
closing words of mutual love and desire
AGAINST THE ANTHOLOGY VIEW:
THE EVIDENCE THAT THE SONG IS A
LITERARY UNIT
Seven distinct units that seem to be
related and arranged symmetrically
• Arranged symmetrically
• Related by imagery, phrases, themes
• imagery, e.g. “gazelle”
• phrases: adjuring the daughters of Jerusalem
• theme of city vs. country
AGAINST THE ANTHOLOGY VIEW:
THE EVIDENCE THAT THE SONG IS A
LITERARY UNIT
Seven distinct units that seem to be
related and arranged symmetrically
• Arranged symmetrically
opening words of mutual love and desire
• Related
by imagery,
phrases,
young man's
invitation to
the youngthemes
woman
young woman's nighttime search
their wedding day
young woman's nighttime search
young woman's invitation to the young man
closing words of mutual love and desire
AGAINST THE ANTHOLOGY VIEW:
THE EVIDENCE THAT THE SONG IS A
LITERARY UNIT
Seven distinct units that seem to be
related and arranged symmetrically
Arranged symmetrically
Related by imagery, phrases, themes
CONCLUSION: The Song…
...celebrates romantic, sexual love.
...is a unit, composed of several parts
designed to fit together as a whole.
...the case for unity seems to point to a
climactic point at the center of the Song
which raises questions I cannot yet
answer.