First Glance

The shortest book in the Old Testament, the Song of Songs is also one of the most fascinating, controversial, and closely studied. In “Unlocking the Poetry of Love in the Song of Songs,” Jack M. Sasson compares translations of this small book by a literalist and by a poet. As he weighs the value of various translations, Sasson gives credence to Rabbi Akiva’s assertion that “all the Writings are holy, but the Song of Songs is the holiest.”