
Erotica... In the Bible?
From Biblical Time Machine by Helen Bond & Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
May 4, 2026 · 39 min
About this episode
The episode explores the Song of Songs, its classification as erotica, and its association with Solomon, featuring insights from Professor Adele Berlin.
The Song of Songs might be considered the Bible's steamiest book. But where would it sit on an ancient book shelf? Should we call it 'erotica'? And how did the book come to be associated with Solomon? To get to the bottom of this peculiar book, Helen and Lloyd are joined in the Biblical Time Machine by Professor Adele Berlin. Adele Berlin is the Robin H. Smith Professor of Biblical Studies (Emerita) at the University of Maryland. She is the author of Poetics and Interpretation of Biblic...
People in this episode
Hosts: Helen Bond, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
Guest: Adele Berlin
Topics covered
- Biblical studies
- erotica
- Song of Songs
- Solomon
- ancient literature
Keywords
- Song of Songs
- erotica
- Bible
- Solomon
- ancient literature
- Adele Berlin
- Biblical studies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Maryland
Books & works: Song of Songs
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