These poems come from the world of entertainment. They may have been sung, accompanied, enacted, or danced to. They are the earliest examples of simple love poetry that have survived from the ancient Near East, and some scholars have argued from this that love poetry originated in Egypt. In any case, they are likely to be the first to have been written down. So when Lady Gaga sings about Bad Romance, she is just working out a theme from ancient Egypt.

Here is an example (from a Cairo vase, poem A, #5):

My sister is coming to me

my heart dances

and I open my arms to her.

My heart is at home

like a fish in its holding tank

O night, be mine forever,

now that my queen has come!

Those familiar with the Song of Songs will recognize immediately that the boy refers to his love interest as his ‘sister’ (as in SoS 4.9ff). This is not a reference to Egyptian incest (which was only practiced by some of the Pharaohs); it is a term of endearment. He also refers to her as his ‘queen,’ similar to the girl in the Song referring to her lover as ‘king’ [1.4 & 12; 7.5] (not a reference to Solomon, although he does appear in 3.9 & 11, but not as her lover).

So, did this genre of entertainment make its way into the Bible? There are other cases of Egyptian literature influencing their Hebrew counterparts (particularly in ‘wisdom’ literature). The Hebrews did not live in a vacuum. They not only drew ideas from the world around them, but in all likelihood, contributed some of their own to other cultures. It should not be surprising, or offensive, that the Hebrew author of this poem draws imagery from what would probably have been well known and popular in his (or her[1]) day.

As noted in the previous article, it was not being seen as a simple love song when the Song made its way into the canon of scripture. The feelings we have for our loved ones, including our children, parents, and others, show up as metaphors elsewhere in the Bible for the feelings we have, or could have, for God (e.g. God is our father). So it is easy to see how this little book could be read the same way.

Those interested in seeing more Egyptian love poems should visit Love, Marriage, and Hieros Gamos. Note that most of these come from the general period (the 13th–9th centuries, BC(E)) just preceding the writing of the Song of Songs (around the 9th c., BC(E)). Egyptian love and marriage are discussed in Marriage in Ancient Egypt.

The next installment in this series will be looking at Mesopotamian love stories between the gods (also as background to the Song).

[1] It has been suggested that the Song of Songs was written by a woman. It is certainly possible. We know that many of the previously mentioned Egyptian entertainers were women, and although literacy was low among women, there were some exceptions. But in any case, it is not necessary for the author to be the same as the scribe.

from www.examiner.com

Thanks for letting me share my TRUTH.

Love swirling Geeta