Egypt
Depiction of Amenhotep IV (who later changed his name to Akhenaten) who ruled during 1290-1078 BCE.
He was responsible for initiating the movement toward love poems and self reflection.
Built along the Nile River. Upper and lower unified in 3100 BCE.
Egyptian Writing • Hieroglyphics (sacred carvings)• Attributed to a god (Thoth)• Rosetta Stone (1799) • Early writing: tax records, epithets
and dynastic texts.• 2400 BCE began to create largest
body of text in Near East/Mediterranean region.
Egyptian Love Poems • Revolution• Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten)• Vernacular (New Egyptian)• Personal feelings revealed • Sacred and Secular• Female authors
The Ancient Hebrews
The Ancient Hebrews • Searching for god’s
blessings and transforming from nomadic tribe to settled kingdom in Palestine.
• Egypt and Mesopotamia fought over Palestine.
• Eventually exiled, Israel’s poets and priests assembled Hebrew Scriptures - Old Testament.
The Ancient Hebrews • Enslaved by Egyptians C. 1500-1300
BCE• Moses, Ten Commandments and Mt.
Sinai 1250 BCE • Traveled to Canaan (Palestine) • Struggles between Canaanite &
Israelite community (500 years)
The Ancient Hebrews• King David (C. 1000-960 B.C.E.) – United kingdom– Established Jerusalem
• King Solomon (960-922 B.C.E.)– Golden Age of Israel – Temple constructed in Jerusalem
Song of Songs • Also known as “Song of Solomon”• Oral tradition• Written down 350-250 B.C.E.• Wedding idyll • What is the nature of the relationship
between the bride and bridegroom?
Song of Songs
Edward Burne-Jones depiction of bride and bridegroom
Edward Burne-Jones Moses, Samuel, David and Solomon
Song of Songs
The Beloved Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Song of Songs