• The first of the “Megilot” (collection of five scrolls, in the
Jewish sequence of the biblical books).
• A beloved collection of songs/poems in ancient Israel.
• Ratified by the rabbis of Yavneh as part of the Bible.
• Promoted by Rabbi Akiva as the prototype for the love and
relationship between God and Israel.
• A source of numerous other interpretations and insights on love,
theology, and relationships – over the midrashic era, the middle
ages (Jewish and other traditions) and modern times.