Reflecting on archaeology and the understanding of Song of Songs

HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Reflecting on archaeology and the understanding of Song of Songs
 
Creator Scheffler, Eben H.
 
Subject — archaeology; historical geography; Song of Songs; biblical interpretation; iconography; ancient sexuality; present-day sexuality
Description The question of archaeology corroborating any ‘historical information’ is excluded from the outset by the poetic genre of Song of Songs. This contribution therefore focusses on archaeology’s more modest purpose as far as its relationship with texts is concerned, namely whether it can facilitate the understanding of the text by investigating the material culture that features in Song of Songs. Archaeology is therefore understood in terms of its more extended definition, including artefacts, (cultural) objects functioning as metaphors, and historical geography. Attention amongst others will be paid to cities mentioned (Heshbon, Jerusalem, Tirzah), the (not founded) David’s Tower, Pharaoh’s palanquin, fauna and flora, as well as pottery.Contribution: Although archaeology cannot inform everything in the text, the continuous archaeological endeavour has the hermeneutical function to transpose the reader into the ancient life (love) world (pun intended), preventing him or her of anachronistic projection of the present-day readers own world into the text, but also appreciating the (possible) common human condition which the present-day reader shares with the world of the text.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor
Date 2022-03-16
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/hts.v78i1.6934
 
Source HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 78, No 1 (2022); 9 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6934/21683 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6934/21684 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6934/21685 https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6934/21686
 
Coverage — — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2022 Eben H. Scheffler https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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