Five Biblical Scrolls: A Modern Reader's Guide to Ecclesiastes, Esther, Song of Songs, Ruth, and Lam

The biblical books known as The Five Scrolls or Megillot are major religious writings as well as masterpieces of poetry and prose that have inspired countless works of music, art, and literature. They speak to us today across the centuries with immediacy and profound relevance. This book provides the contexts for understanding all the scrolls and the ways in which they function in Jewish worship, while also closely analyzing their artistry and unfolding their spiritual richness through traditional sources along with modern interpretations. It points the reader to other works of culture that each of the texts has influenced over the centuries. With meaningful contemporary insights and a new appreciation of what these books contribute to our understanding of divine agency at work in the world, The Five Biblical Scrolls addresses these texts as profound literary and spiritual experiences.