The Song of Solomon : and the Lamentations of Jeremiah

THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK
which the old capital is mentioned here implies that it
is still to the north what Jerusalem is to the south.
Thus we are brought to the half century after the death
of the king whose name the book bears.
The mention of Tirzah as the equal of Jerusalem is
also an evidence of the northern origin of the poem ;
it is not at all probable that a subject of the mutilated
nation of the south would describe the beauty of the
rebel headquarters by the side of that of his own idolised
city, as something typical and perfect. But the poem
throughout gives indications of its origin in the country
parts of the north. Shunem, famous as the scene of
Elisha's great miracle, seems to be the home of the
heroine.^ The poet turns to all points of the com-
pass for images with which to enrich his pictures
Sharon on the western coast/ Gilead across the Jordan
to the east,^ Engedi by the wilderness of the Dead
Sea/ as well as the northern districts. But the north
is most frequently mentioned. Lebanon is named over
and over again/ and Hermon is referred to as in the
neighbourhood of the shepherd's home." In fact the
poem is saturated with the fragrant atmosphere of the
northern mountains.
Now this has suggested a striking inference. Here
we have a picture of Solomon and his court from the
not too friendly hand of a citizen of the revolted pro-
vinces. The history in the Books of Kings is written
from the standpoint of Judah ; it is curious to learn
how the people of the north thought of Solomon in
all his glory. Thus considered the book acquires a
secondary and political meaning. It appears as a
VI. 13. " IV. I. ^ 111. 9; IV. », 15 ; vn. 4.
ii. I.
*
i. 14. " iv. 8.
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for