WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.600 Welcome to a new deep dive. We take fascinating 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:06.120 sources, pull out the key knowledge, and hopefully 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:08.060 have a bit of fun doing it. That's the plan. 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:10.160 So today we're getting into something really 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:14.300 timeless, ancient love poetry. Specifically excerpts 00:00:14.300 --> 00:00:17.219 from the Song of Songs, Beauty, Love, and Search. 00:00:17.579 --> 00:00:20.059 Exactly. And look, this is ancient writing found 00:00:20.059 --> 00:00:23.949 within religious texts, but our focus today It's 00:00:23.949 --> 00:00:26.390 really on the human side, the desire, the connection 00:00:26.390 --> 00:00:28.969 you find in there. Right, the raw emotion, our 00:00:28.969 --> 00:00:30.989 mission, let's say, is to sort of unpack the 00:00:30.989 --> 00:00:33.810 big themes, how beauty is described, the feelings 00:00:33.810 --> 00:00:37.600 of... Love, longing. And that search for intimacy. 00:00:37.820 --> 00:00:40.659 We want to give you the listener a real glimpse 00:00:40.659 --> 00:00:43.479 into the, well, the passionate world inside these 00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:45.380 verses. And what's so great about these texts 00:00:45.380 --> 00:00:48.359 is just how personal they feel. Even now, despite 00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:50.780 the, you know, the historical distance, we're 00:00:50.780 --> 00:00:52.840 looking at the artistry, the humanity of it all. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:54.960 Okay, so let's dive in. We're better to start 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:57.859 than how the lover describes the beloved. The 00:00:57.859 --> 00:01:00.240 descriptions of beauty are Well, there's something 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:02.500 else. They really are. The comparisons are so 00:01:02.500 --> 00:01:04.939 vivid, sometimes unexpected. Like that first 00:01:04.939 --> 00:01:08.480 one, your eyes are doves behind your veil. Hmm. 00:01:09.459 --> 00:01:12.299 Straight away you get this feeling, maybe gentleness, 00:01:13.060 --> 00:01:16.180 serenity, something beautiful but partly hidden. 00:01:16.379 --> 00:01:19.819 Yeah, behind the veil, intriguing. And then your 00:01:19.819 --> 00:01:21.620 hair is like a flock of goats streaming down 00:01:21.620 --> 00:01:25.530 Mount Gilead. Which to us sounds... Odd, maybe. 00:01:25.890 --> 00:01:27.530 A little bit. But you have to picture it, right? 00:01:27.870 --> 00:01:30.430 A dark, flowing mass pouring down a hillside. 00:01:30.870 --> 00:01:33.750 Long, dark hair was a huge deal then. Vitality, 00:01:33.930 --> 00:01:37.549 beauty. Ah, okay. That clicks. It's about their 00:01:37.549 --> 00:01:39.969 context, their symbols. Exactly. And then your 00:01:39.969 --> 00:01:42.390 teeth are like a flock of youths coming up from 00:01:42.390 --> 00:01:45.650 washing. Big with twins, none barren. Huh, yeah. 00:01:45.969 --> 00:01:47.989 Not your typical chat -up line today. Definitely 00:01:47.989 --> 00:01:50.549 not. But unpack it. Coming up from washing, that 00:01:50.549 --> 00:01:54.219 suggests what? Purity maybe cleanliness and big 00:01:54.219 --> 00:01:56.980 with twins nun Baron while that screams abundance 00:01:56.980 --> 00:01:59.540 health fertility in a farming society That's 00:01:59.540 --> 00:02:02.439 like the ultimate symbol of prosperity life itself 00:02:02.439 --> 00:02:04.719 Wow, so these aren't just surface compliments. 00:02:04.819 --> 00:02:06.900 They're deep. They're rooted in their world precisely 00:02:06.900 --> 00:02:10.319 and it continues lips like a scarlet strand vivid 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:14.919 color the mouth lovely and the cheeks Like pomegranate 00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:17.719 halves behind your veil again with the veil a 00:02:17.719 --> 00:02:22.710 hint of something rich red sweet Maybe just glimpsed. 00:02:22.870 --> 00:02:25.969 It's quite tantalizing. It really is. Then it 00:02:25.969 --> 00:02:31.270 moves to imagery of strength, adornment. Your 00:02:31.270 --> 00:02:33.469 neck is like the Tower of David. Guilt in courses, 00:02:33.830 --> 00:02:36.169 a thousand shields hanging upon it. All the armor 00:02:36.169 --> 00:02:38.590 of warriors. That's such a powerful image, isn't 00:02:38.590 --> 00:02:41.270 it? It really is. The neck is the strong central 00:02:41.270 --> 00:02:44.409 thing. Adorned, yes, but also protected. Regal 00:02:44.409 --> 00:02:46.770 almost. Strong. It makes you think about what 00:02:46.770 --> 00:02:49.729 that society valued in beauty. Strength alongside 00:02:49.729 --> 00:02:52.969 grace. Yes, it blends those ideas. But then almost 00:02:52.969 --> 00:02:55.210 immediately the tone shifts again. Your breasts 00:02:55.210 --> 00:02:57.610 are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle feeding 00:02:57.610 --> 00:02:59.729 among the lilies. Oh, that's completely different. 00:02:59.870 --> 00:03:03.129 So tender, natural, delicate, peaceful. Right. 00:03:03.409 --> 00:03:05.949 It shows the range of admiration. And then cutting 00:03:05.949 --> 00:03:07.509 through all the comparisons, this incredibly 00:03:07.509 --> 00:03:09.889 direct line, you are beautiful in every way, 00:03:09.949 --> 00:03:11.830 my friend. There is no flaw in you. It's just 00:03:11.830 --> 00:03:15.110 total admiration. No holding back. Total. And 00:03:15.110 --> 00:03:17.969 it leads right into this urgent plea, this invitation. 00:03:18.509 --> 00:03:22.430 With me from Lebanon, my bride. Descend from 00:03:22.430 --> 00:03:25.210 the peak of Ammanah, from the peak of Sinir and 00:03:25.210 --> 00:03:28.370 Hermon. These places sound quite grand, exotic, 00:03:28.770 --> 00:03:30.969 maybe even a bit dangerous. Lebanon, Hermon. 00:03:31.189 --> 00:03:34.129 They could be. Mentioning specific, possibly 00:03:34.129 --> 00:03:36.870 remote or challenging locations really ramps 00:03:36.870 --> 00:03:39.530 up the intensity. It says, I want you with me 00:03:39.530 --> 00:03:42.129 no matter where. It speaks volumes about the 00:03:42.129 --> 00:03:44.969 depth of that desire. A longing that crosses 00:03:44.969 --> 00:03:47.310 boundaries. Absolutely. And then the impact she 00:03:47.310 --> 00:03:50.250 has. You have ravished my heart with one glance 00:03:50.250 --> 00:03:52.210 of your eyes, with one bead of your necklace. 00:03:52.530 --> 00:03:55.870 Wow. Just one glance, one tiny detail. It shows 00:03:55.870 --> 00:03:58.930 how completely captivated the speaker is, overwhelmed, 00:03:59.169 --> 00:04:01.250 you know, that feeling when someone just floors 00:04:01.250 --> 00:04:03.710 you. Yeah. And love itself is valued above everything. 00:04:03.949 --> 00:04:06.349 How much better is your love than wine? And the 00:04:06.349 --> 00:04:09.289 fragrance of your perfumes than any spice. Love 00:04:09.289 --> 00:04:11.909 is the peak sensory experience. Better than the 00:04:11.909 --> 00:04:14.110 best wine, the most exotic spices. It really 00:04:14.110 --> 00:04:16.589 elevates it. And notice how sensory it all is. 00:04:16.730 --> 00:04:19.410 It keeps coming back to sight, smell, taste, 00:04:19.730 --> 00:04:22.410 like the end of that section. Your lips drip, 00:04:22.569 --> 00:04:24.730 honey. Honey and milk are under your tongue. 00:04:24.850 --> 00:04:26.610 And the fragrance of your garments is like the 00:04:26.610 --> 00:04:29.660 fragrance of Lebanon. It's immersive, a full 00:04:29.660 --> 00:04:32.420 body appreciation. Total sensory immersion in 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:34.500 the beloved's presence. Okay, so from that very 00:04:34.500 --> 00:04:37.680 direct outward admiration, the palm shifts, it 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:40.600 moves to this powerful metaphor, the enclosed 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:44.019 garden. Yes, a garden enclosed, my sister my 00:04:44.019 --> 00:04:46.319 bride, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed, 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:49.519 very evocative language. It sounds private protected. 00:04:50.250 --> 00:04:51.949 What are the potential meanings there? Well, 00:04:51.970 --> 00:04:54.610 enclosed definitely suggests privacy, intimacy, 00:04:55.189 --> 00:04:57.069 something precious, maybe untouched, reserved. 00:04:57.709 --> 00:05:00.290 The sealed fountain reinforces that. So maybe 00:05:00.290 --> 00:05:02.870 her virtue, or the specialness of their bond. 00:05:02.990 --> 00:05:05.449 Could be. Purity, intimacy, the sacredness of 00:05:05.449 --> 00:05:07.430 their love. Plus, you know, in that part of the 00:05:07.430 --> 00:05:09.370 world, gardens were often seen as little pockets 00:05:09.370 --> 00:05:12.370 of paradise. Sacred spaces almost adds another 00:05:12.370 --> 00:05:14.750 layer. That's fascinating. This garden isn't 00:05:14.750 --> 00:05:16.910 empty, is it? It's filled with, wow, listen to 00:05:16.910 --> 00:05:20.980 this list. Pomegranates, henna. Spikenard, Saffron, 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:25.040 Sweet Cane, Cinnamon, Frankincense, Murr, Allows. 00:05:25.180 --> 00:05:27.180 It's an explosion of fragrance all contained 00:05:27.180 --> 00:05:29.540 in this private space. Right. Each one with its 00:05:29.540 --> 00:05:33.139 own scent, its own possible symbolism. It creates 00:05:33.139 --> 00:05:36.500 this incredibly rich alluring atmosphere within 00:05:36.500 --> 00:05:39.540 the garden. It represents her, the beloved, desirable, 00:05:40.180 --> 00:05:42.720 beautiful. And then there's this call to the 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:46.420 winds. Awake, North Wind, come South Wind, blow 00:05:46.420 --> 00:05:49.259 upon my garden. Why? Why release the fragrance? 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:53.220 That its perfumes may spread abroad. It's an 00:05:53.220 --> 00:05:55.740 interesting moment. It seems like a desire for 00:05:55.740 --> 00:05:58.920 this inner beauty to be experienced, maybe just 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.300 by the lover. Like an invitation? Perhaps. The 00:06:01.300 --> 00:06:03.680 winds carry the garden's essence outward, and 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:06.089 it links directly to the lover's own wish. Let 00:06:06.089 --> 00:06:08.129 my lover come to his garden and eat its fruits 00:06:08.129 --> 00:06:10.649 of choices yield. A clear invitation to share, 00:06:10.769 --> 00:06:12.629 to be intimate. Definitely. And the response 00:06:12.629 --> 00:06:14.589 is just as lovely. I have come to my garden, 00:06:14.730 --> 00:06:17.209 my sister, my bride. I gather my myrrh with my 00:06:17.209 --> 00:06:19.930 spices. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink 00:06:19.930 --> 00:06:22.449 my wine with my milk. It's acceptance, union, 00:06:22.810 --> 00:06:25.350 neutral enjoyment. A beautiful image of shared 00:06:25.350 --> 00:06:28.470 intimacy the lover is welcomed in. And then that 00:06:28.470 --> 00:06:32.350 line, eat friends, drink, drink deeply lovers. 00:06:33.149 --> 00:06:35.810 What's that about? A communal thing. It's debated, 00:06:36.029 --> 00:06:38.209 but yeah, it could suggest a wider celebration, 00:06:38.430 --> 00:06:40.370 like the community acknowledges and rejoices 00:06:40.370 --> 00:06:42.649 in their love, or maybe it's just an expression 00:06:42.649 --> 00:06:45.370 of overflowing joy. But just as we get this image 00:06:45.370 --> 00:06:48.949 of blissful union, the mood shifts again, doesn't 00:06:48.949 --> 00:06:51.790 it? It does. Suddenly. I was sleeping, but my 00:06:51.790 --> 00:06:53.730 heart was awake, the sound of my lover knocking. 00:06:54.110 --> 00:06:57.290 Ah, so trouble and paradise? Yeah. Or at least 00:06:57.290 --> 00:06:59.990 disruption? Longing enters the picture. Exactly. 00:07:00.470 --> 00:07:03.050 Even asleep, she's attuned to him. The knocking 00:07:03.050 --> 00:07:05.970 breaks that idyllic feeling it forces a choice. 00:07:06.350 --> 00:07:08.449 Pulls her out of that peaceful state. And she 00:07:08.449 --> 00:07:10.889 hesitates. We hear her thoughts. I have taken 00:07:10.889 --> 00:07:13.769 off my robe. Am I then to put it on? I have bathed 00:07:13.769 --> 00:07:15.970 my feet. Am I then to soil them? It's such a 00:07:15.970 --> 00:07:17.970 human moment, isn't it? Relatable. That inertia. 00:07:18.550 --> 00:07:20.810 Comfort versus desire. Maybe vulnerability too. 00:07:20.970 --> 00:07:22.910 Not wanting to be caught unprepared. Right. That 00:07:22.910 --> 00:07:26.790 pause. It costs her. It does. The very next lines 00:07:26.790 --> 00:07:29.029 are heartbreaking. My lover put his hand in through 00:07:29.029 --> 00:07:31.230 the opening. My innermost being trembled because 00:07:31.230 --> 00:07:33.759 of him. That physical closeness, even just a 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:36.800 hand. It affects her deeply. Deeply. I rose to 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:39.040 open for my lover, but my lover had turned and 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:42.199 gone. At his leaving, my soul sank. Oh, that 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:45.060 immediate regret. Missed connection. It's crushing. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:48.160 That sharp pain, yeah. And her reaction is instant, 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:51.629 intense. I saw him, but I did not find him. I 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:53.569 called out after him, but he did not answer me. 00:07:53.709 --> 00:07:56.509 Just pure panic and desperation, the agony of 00:07:56.509 --> 00:07:58.689 him being gone. Do you feel her frantic energy? 00:07:59.170 --> 00:08:02.009 And then things get worse. She encounters the 00:08:02.009 --> 00:08:05.029 Watchmen. Right. The Watchmen found me. They 00:08:05.029 --> 00:08:07.629 beat me. They wounded me. They tore off my mantle. 00:08:08.050 --> 00:08:10.689 That's quite shocking. It is. It's harsh. Why? 00:08:10.990 --> 00:08:13.709 Well, maybe searching alone at night was scandalous, 00:08:13.769 --> 00:08:16.170 or perhaps it symbolizes the dangers, the vulnerability 00:08:16.170 --> 00:08:18.509 you face when you're desperately seeking love 00:08:18.509 --> 00:08:20.370 out in the world. It's open to interpretation. 00:08:20.629 --> 00:08:22.790 A painful consequence, either way. And it leads 00:08:22.790 --> 00:08:25.009 her to make this plea. To the daughters of Jerusalem, 00:08:25.029 --> 00:08:28.509 yeah. I adjure you. If you find my lover, what 00:08:28.509 --> 00:08:31.589 shall you tell him that I am sick with love? 00:08:31.889 --> 00:08:33.970 Just laying a bear. The physical toll of his 00:08:33.970 --> 00:08:38.149 absence. Love sickness. It's raw. And this intense 00:08:38.149 --> 00:08:40.730 plea makes the daughters ask, basically, what's 00:08:40.730 --> 00:08:43.129 so special about him? How does your lover differ 00:08:43.129 --> 00:08:45.409 from any other lover most beautiful among women? 00:08:46.070 --> 00:08:48.370 How does your lover differ that you would juror 00:08:48.370 --> 00:08:51.149 us so? Fair question. It is. And her answer, 00:08:51.789 --> 00:08:54.649 it's this incredible detail, almost idealized 00:08:54.649 --> 00:08:57.230 portrait of him. She starts right off. My lover 00:08:57.230 --> 00:08:59.929 is radiant and ready. Outstanding among thousands 00:08:59.929 --> 00:09:02.960 sets him apart immediately. Exceptional. Not 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:05.820 just handsome, but outstanding. Then, his head 00:09:05.820 --> 00:09:09.240 is gold. Pure gold. His hair like palm fronds. 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:13.840 As black as a raven. Richness, preciousness, 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.799 contrasted with that dark, vibrant hair. It's 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:20.559 striking imagery. And his eyes. Like doves beside 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:22.820 streams of water, bathing in milk, sitting by 00:09:22.820 --> 00:09:25.360 brimming pools. That sounds so peaceful. Pure. 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:27.399 Yeah. Abundant. Like a perfect little scene in 00:09:27.399 --> 00:09:30.009 his gaze. It's layered, isn't it? Doves for gentleness, 00:09:30.210 --> 00:09:32.909 water, milk, pools, all suggesting purity, life, 00:09:33.009 --> 00:09:35.549 nourishment. Then his cheeks, like beds of spices 00:09:35.549 --> 00:09:38.149 yielding aromatic scents. His lips are lilies 00:09:38.149 --> 00:09:40.370 that drip flowing myrrh. Again, the scents is 00:09:40.370 --> 00:09:42.710 fragrant, beautiful, sensuous. It's not just 00:09:42.710 --> 00:09:45.710 how he looks, but how he smells, tastes almost. 00:09:46.149 --> 00:09:48.409 Exactly. And then his body, his arms are rods 00:09:48.409 --> 00:09:51.090 of gold adorned with gems, his loins, a work 00:09:51.090 --> 00:09:54.190 of ivory covered with sapphires. Wow, gold, gems, 00:09:54.509 --> 00:09:57.490 ivory, sapphires. It's like she's describing 00:09:57.490 --> 00:10:00.379 treasure. A priceless artwork. The value she 00:10:00.379 --> 00:10:03.820 places on him is immense than his legs. Pillars 00:10:03.820 --> 00:10:07.039 of alabaster resting on golden pedestals. Stable. 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:09.919 His appearance like the Lebanon imposing as the 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:13.500 cedars. Majestic solid almost awe -inspiring 00:10:13.500 --> 00:10:16.200 like nature's grandeur. It's such a powerful 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:18.740 build up as she finishes with his mouth his sweetness 00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:21.759 itself. He's delightful in every way. A complete 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:25.009 picture total adoration and seals it with Such 00:10:25.009 --> 00:10:27.769 is my lover and such my friend daughters of Jerusalem. 00:10:27.769 --> 00:10:30.070 It's like, this is why this is who I'm searching 00:10:30.070 --> 00:10:32.889 for. It really justifies her desperate search, 00:10:32.889 --> 00:10:35.070 doesn't it? It's this perfect image she holds, 00:10:35.149 --> 00:10:37.190 maybe especially potent because he's absent. 00:10:37.590 --> 00:10:40.350 It shows how deeply cherished he is. So wrapping 00:10:40.350 --> 00:10:43.110 up this deep dive, we've journeyed through some 00:10:43.110 --> 00:10:45.590 really intense territory, vivid descriptions 00:10:45.590 --> 00:10:48.169 of beauty. Passionate expressions of love, that 00:10:48.169 --> 00:10:50.649 ache of desire. The pain when they're separated. 00:10:50.940 --> 00:10:53.700 And then this incredible, idealized picture of 00:10:53.700 --> 00:10:55.820 the lost lover. It's amazing how these ancient 00:10:55.820 --> 00:10:59.440 words still feel. Well. Relevant they capture 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:01.980 so much about human connection. It's complexities. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:04.600 It really is fascinating how these core emotions 00:11:04.600 --> 00:11:07.779 Admiring someone longing for them needing that 00:11:07.779 --> 00:11:10.100 connection how they just resonate across thousands 00:11:10.100 --> 00:11:13.039 of years different culture different time, but 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:16.720 the feelings So recognizable absolutely it really 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:18.559 makes you think doesn't yeah as you listen to 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:21.960 this what parts of the beauty the love the longing 00:11:22.490 --> 00:11:25.190 in these old verses strike a chord with you today. 00:11:25.330 --> 00:11:27.190 Yeah, how do these timeless feelings still play 00:11:27.190 --> 00:11:29.090 out in our own lives and how we connect with 00:11:29.090 --> 00:11:31.470 people? Something to reflect on. That enduring 00:11:31.470 --> 00:11:33.990 power of expressing our deepest human feelings.