The Meaning of "The Shulammite"

Abstract

In 1934 E. J. Goodspeed contributed to this Journal' a short note on The Shulammite, in which he criticized view, common in present-day commentaries, that word is equivalent of the Shunammite, or native of Shunem, and proposed to understand word as feminine of Solomon, just as Judith is feminine of Judah and Jeanne of Jean. He noted that Erbt had recognized that Shulammith is feminine of Shelomo, and referred to efforts of more recent Tammuz theorists to bring name into connection with a deity whose name is feminine counterpart of that which lies behind Solomon. But Goodspeed desired rather to use connection in service of Wetzstein-Budde wedding theory of Song, and claimed that it provided a striking confirmation of that theory, remarking that the simplicity and obviousness of this suggestion make one wonder that it has not been dealt with before. Finally, he suggested that it may not be an accident that the Shulammite occurs in connection with sword dance, and in New Testament lady who entranced Herod Antipas by her dancing was named Salome, which is feminine of Solomon.