Hills of Spices: Poetry from the Bible

Hills of Spices: Poetry from the Bible

Beautiful verse from the world’s greatest book In the concluding lines of The Song of Songs , one lover beckons the other to hurry to the “hills of spices,” a place rich in fragrances and flavors, a feast for the senses. This lovely new collection invites us all to feast our senses on poetry from The Song of Songs and from many other passages of the Bible. Some of these, like The Song of the Sea and David’s Lament , are well-known classics; others, such as surprising poetic moments in Isaiah and Ezekiel , will, for many, be delightful new discoveries. Verses from the pages of Genesis, Exodus, Ecclesiastes, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Proverbs, Psalms, and many other biblical books are here, with the JPS English translation sitting across the page from the original biblical Hebrew. The poems are organized thematically—Blessings and Curses, Laments, Love Songs, Prayers and Songs of Praise, among others—making it easy to find the right verse to fit the mood or need. There is an appendix listing the poems by biblical book, chapter, and verse. " Hills of Spices singularly conveys biblical poetry's beauty, which not only engages the mind and heart but also touches the soul or spirit . . . [a] grand collection."— Jewish Book World In her Introduction, Andrea L. Weiss offers readers an overview of the collection, and a "way-in" to reading biblical poems, their literary quality, imagery, rhythms and themes, and their evocative power of response. Hills of Spices Poetry from the Bible Awaken your senses with this lovely new collection. The Bible contains a vast array of poetic expression, from the sensual love songs of the Song of Songs to the sorrowful mourning for Jerusalem found in Lamentations. Hills of Spices: Poetry from the Bible invites readers to explore the myriad flavors and fragrances of the Bible s diverse poetic legacy. Included in the collection are classics like "The Song of the Sea" and "David s Lament," as well as some surprising new discoveries. Each poem appears in the acclaimed JPS English translation, with the original Hebrew on the facing page. The poems are organized thematically, making it easy to find the right verse to fit any mood or need. An introduction by Andrea L. Weiss explores the distinguishing features of biblical poetry, focusing on literary elements such as parallelism, meter and rhythm, imagery, metaphor, and simile. Rena Potok, the editor of this collection, is senior acquisitions editor at The Jewish Publication Society. She received a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory and an M.A. in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a writer and poet, and a translator of Israeli fiction and poetry. Used Book in Good Condition