Includes bibliographical references (p. [199]-217) and index.

Machine generated contents note: NegativityintheBible 3 -- Negativity and the Comments of Various Authors 5 -- History of Interpretation 7 -- The Original Meaningof theSong 7 -- Rabbinic Interpretation 9 -- Church Interpretation 12 -- Modem Exegesisof theSong19 -- Summary of the History of Interpretation26 -- Date, Source, Text 27 -- SourceCritical Considerations 27 -- Text Critical Considerations 27 -- Dating the Song 28 -- Notes 29 -- THE SONG OF SONGS AND NEGATIVE MATERIAL 41 -- Do Not Stir Up Love 41 -- Circumlocutions for God 42 -- Symbols of the Sex Drive 43 -- Do Not Stir It Up 43 -- Love 45 -- Do Not Stir Up Love in Cant 3:1-5 48 -- Synopsis49 -- Loveisas Strongas Death 50 -- The Seal51 -- As Strong as Death52 -- Analysis 58 -- Loveas Diseaseor Subjugation 65 --Love as Disease65 -- Love as Subjugation70 -- Summary 75 -- Study of the Use of n2ux in the Song of Songs75 -- The Inner Agitation that Love Conceives81 -- Solomon's Dark Side 92 -- Clim ax ?9 8 -- Summary of the Argument from the Song of Songs 105 -- Notes108 -- COMPARISON WITH OTHER BIBLICAL TEXTS 129 -- Virginity 129 -- Nakedness 132 -- Sexual Activity and Ritual Defilement 134 -- General Considerations of Purity 134 -- Purity and Sex137 -- Circumcision 141 -- Love and Sex in Genesis 142 -- Children144 -- The Metaphor of Sex in the Prophets145 -- Ezekiel 14 5 -- Hosea148 -- Synopsis 149 -- Wisdom 150 -- General Discussion of Sapiential Literature 150 -- The Song and Wisdom Literature 153 -- The Song and the Book of Proverbs 159 -- Summation of the Analysis of the Hebrew Bible 168 -- Early Non-Canonical Jewish Material 169 -- Tobit169 -- Esdras 169 -- Judith17 0 -- Sirach17 0 -- Susann a17 1 -- Joseph and Aseneth 171 -- Enoch 173 -- Synopsis of Early Non-Canonical Jewish Material 173 -- The New Testament 174 -- Paul174 -- James 17 7 -- Matthew and Mark 178 -- Jude17179 -- The Apocalypse180 -- Conclusion of the Comparative Study -- of the Hebrew Bible, Early Non-canonical Jewish -- Literature, and the New Testament 181 -- Notes182.