Strata: The Bible in the News: The Bible’s Book of Love

In a recent column I reported the happy news that our older daughter was pregnant with twins—of at least equal importance, with our first grandchildren. The babies were born, and they are doing well, as is also the case with their mother, father and grandparents.

In keeping with custom, the babies’ names were not announced until the bris (circumcision) and baby-naming. The boy’s first name is Gefen, meaning “vine”; the girl’s, Shoshana, which refers to the “rose” or “lily.” Prior to these events, they were known simply as Baby A and Baby B. We were given a clue, however: Both of their names come from the Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) and relate to nature.

Their names appeared in a birth announcement in local media. Outside of these references, the popular press locates the Song of Songs in a variety of other contexts.