Color Me Beautiful. The Polychrome Aesthetic of the Song of Songs

Color has become a topic of interest in Classical Studies and in ancient Near Eastern Studies, and there are now many studies on ancient pigments and dyes and the methods for producing them. My paper will not focus on the science of color or its production, but on the literary use of color in the Song of Songs and how it intersects with the use of color in the Bible and in other ancient art and literature.

Adele Berlin is Professor Emerita of Biblical Studies at the University of Maryland. Her interests lie primarily in the literary nature of the Hebrew Bible and in biblical interpretation through the ages.