Unit 8
The Writings III (Ruth, Esther and Song of Songs)

Learning Objectives

After completing Unit 8 you should be able to

1. analyze the portrayal of gender roles in Ruth and Esther.
2. describe theological themes in Ruth.
3. discuss the intertextuality of Esther and Song of Songs.
4. discuss the interpretation of the Song of Songs as sacred literature.
5. identify the purposes of the book of Esther.
6. understand the requirements of exegetical and thematic research essays.
7. choose, in consultation with your tutor, a research essay topic.

Introduction

The texts that we examine in this unit are an assortment of short, distinctive compositions. Esther and Ruth tell stories that are tied to the sacred stories of Israel or Judaism, but each presents its own story as a coherent unit. In previous units we have observed how the books of the Torah tell a coherent story and how each book in the Former Prophets contributes part of a longer, interdependent narrative. By contrast, Esther and Ruth are “stand alone” compositions. They assume that the reader is an Israelite who knows something of the history and culture of Israel, but they are not directly dependent on any other books of the Hebrew Bible. Song of Songs is a poetic exploration of the nature of erotic love.

You will find that this unit and Units 9 and 10 are more thematic in orientation and thus depart from the survey style of the previous units. This approach will allow you to use what you have learned in the first part of the course to investigate themes and ideas. In this unit, we explore the theme of gender roles.

Some modern scholars have devoted particular attention to Ruth and Esther because the central characters are women whose actions have great redemptive significance for other characters in the story. The roles played by Ruth and Esther and other female characters in the Hebrew Bible have generated a wide-ranging discussion of gender roles in modern Judaism and Christianity. Song of Songs is also the subject of investigations and discussions centred on gender issues. The erotic orientation of Song of Songs is unique in the Hebrew Scriptures. The apparent freedom of the lovers in the book startles many readers who have imagined (perhaps rightly) that such relationships were orchestrated and tightly controlled by parents and families in ancient Israel. These aspects of the book have provoked many discussions aimed at understanding sexuality and gender roles in ancient Israel.