The Divine Feminine in the Song of Songs: A Comparative Mythological Analysis
The elusive identity of the beloved in the Song of Songs has long intrigued interpreters. While the allegorical interpretation of the beloved as the people of Israel in the Judaic tradition or the bride of Christ in the Christian tradition is widely recognized, recent scholarship has increasingly ex...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Advances in ancient Biblical and Near Eastern research
Year: 2025, Volume: 5, Issue: 1, Pages: 21-36 |
| Further subjects: | B
ancient goddesses
B hyleme analysis B Mythology B female archetypes B Ishtar / Inanna B the beloved B Song of Songs |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The elusive identity of the beloved in the Song of Songs has long intrigued interpreters. While the allegorical interpretation of the beloved as the people of Israel in the Judaic tradition or the bride of Christ in the Christian tradition is widely recognized, recent scholarship has increasingly explored her role as a representative of diverse female archetypes. Yet, an intriguing avenue remains only partially explored: the possibility of perceiving her as an embodiment of an ancient Near Eastern deity. This article investigates the presence of mythological elements within the character and actions of the beloved. Employing comparative hyleme analysis, it endeavours to illuminate the parallels between the beloved’s qualities and deeds and those of Inanna/Ishtar as chronicled in ancient Near Eastern literature. Die schwer fassbare Identität der Geliebten im Hohelied hat die Forschung seit jeher beschäftigt. Während die allegorische Deutung – sei es als das Volk Israel in der jüdischen oder als Braut Christi in der christlichen Tradition – weithin anerkannt ist, richtet sich das Interesse neuerer Forschungen zunehmend auf ihreRolle als Repräsentantin verschiedener weiblicher Archetypen. Eine besonders aufschlussreiche Perspektive blieb dabei bislang weitgehend unbeachtet: die Deutung der Geliebten als Verkörperung einer altorientalischen Göttin. Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht mythologische Elemente in der Figur und imHandeln der Geliebten. Mithilfe einer vergleichenden Hylemanalyse werden strukturelle Parallelen zu Inanna/Ischtar, wie sie in der altorientalischen Literatur überliefert ist, herausgearbeitet. |
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| Item Description: | Volltext/PDF-Datei nicht vorhanden (Gesehen am 18.06.2025) |
| ISSN: | 2748-6419 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Advances in ancient Biblical and Near Eastern research
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.35068/aabner.v5i1.1229 |
