BiblePlaces Newsletter
Vol 24, #1 - May 19, 2025
We are marking our 25th anniversary this year, and there’s some pleasant symmetry in that we are releasing our 75th volume. We began with photo collections of biblical sites, then developed collections of historic views, and for the last decade we’ve been focused on collections for biblical books.
It is the last of these that has been the most time-consuming and challenging, but also, we believe, the most useful. Because everything is pulled together in one place—sites, artifacts, and cultural scenes—the Photo Companion to the Bible saves you time and provides images you didn’t know existed or recognized were relevant.
Today we are releasing two collections for books that abound in visual imagery, and yet no one has ever made a photo collection for them—Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. As the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon knew creation very well, and he incorporated so much of his world into his teachings. Some of this imagery is still familiar to us today, but too much has been lost. Our photo collections help to bridge that gap.
To our newsletter readers who have faithfully supported us these many years, we are offering the best price—the two volumes for the price of one. For only $39, you can purchase Ecclesiastes or you can purchase Song of Songs. But for the same price, you can purchase both together (DVD+download or download-only).
Thank you for reading and for your support. I trust you’ll enjoy these at least partly to the degree that we enjoyed creating them.
Todd Bolen
Photographer, BiblePlaces.com
Professor of Biblical Studies, The Master’s University
Ecclesiastes
Wisdom literature in the Bible is rife with metaphors drawn from everyday life, and it’s no surprise that the wisest man would saturate his teaching with images of the world that he had so studiously examined (1 Kgs 4:33). The new Ecclesiastes volume includes more than 1,200 slides to illustrate nearly every verse in the book, including:
- Discussion and illustrations of the various senses of the word hebel (“vanity”)
- Ancient artifacts and cultural scenes related to labor and profit
- Archaeological finds and models illustrating Solomon’s projects in Jerusalem
- Examples of vineyards, gardens, parks, and orchards
- Ancient art and artifacts connected to drinking and banquets
- Scenes of birth, death, planting, harvesting, and the other dichotomies of Ecclesiastes 3
- Examples of gold, silver, and other illustrations of wealth
- Excavated graves and ancient scenes of mourning
- Cultural images and artifacts illustrating youth and old age
- Free download: Ecclesiastes 2 (135 slides)
Everything is organized by chapter and book, so you can find what you’re looking for in seconds. The PowerPoint format makes it easy to view on your computer, to copy to your own presentations, and to share with others.
Purchase Ecclesiastes today for $39, or take advantage of our launch special and get Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs together for $39: DVD+download or download-only.
Song of Songs
Solomon’s Song of Songs is laden with imagery that comes to life with photographs from Israel and the biblical world. This new volume in the Photo Companion to the Bible provides more than 900 slides illustrating the book by chapter and verse, including:
- Examples of ancient love poetry and romantic scenes
- Historic and modern illustrations of wine, perfume, and oil
- Scenes of winemaking, shepherding, banquets, and weddings
- Ancient jewelry with examples of work in gold, silver, and precious stones
- Discussion and illustrations of plants, flowers, trees, and fragrances referenced in the song
- Images of native gazelles, does, ibexes, doves, and foxes
- Historic city scenes and illustrations of watchmen
- Examples of litters and chariots
- Free download: Song of Songs 2 (110 slides)
Purchase both new volumes today to get our best price of $39 (reg. $79): DVD+download or download-only.
What Others Say...
“As someone who has been studying and writing about the book of Ecclesiastes for over forty years, I welcome the Photo Companion to Ecclesiastes produced by Todd Bolen and his team. Drawn from archaeological digs, ancient artifacts, and more, this visual resource really makes the book come alive. I enthusiastically recommend this resource to all readers, but especially to those who teach the text.”
—Tremper Longman III, Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies, Westmont College, and author of Ecclesiastes in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament
“Song of Songs is not set in some idyllic, imaginary Neverland, and its poetry was not created in isolation from the world around it. Its lyrics contain the literary tropes and metaphors of the late Bronze and early Iron Ages, and its scenery and metaphors are drawn from the very real world of ancient Israel. It heavily draws upon the landscape, vegetation, culture, and work life of the Israelite peasants, scribes, and aristocrats. This Photo Companion to Song of Songs vividly demonstrates to modern readers that the poetry of the Song sprouted and flourished in a specific time and place. It is a reminder that we need to consider what it meant to the first audiences before drawing conclusions about what it means to us. This is more than a collection of beautiful photographs. It is also an interpretive tool.”
—Duane A. Garrett, Professor of Old Testament, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and author of Song of Songs in the Word Biblical Commentary
“I heartily recommend the excellent photographs in this collection on the Song of Songs! It does an excellent job of visualizing much about the Song’s content that is difficult to express in words. My only regret is that I did not have access to this collection years ago, to be able to utilize it when I was writing on the Song!”
—Boyd Luter, Professor Emeritus of Research and Bible, The King’s University; author of Song of Songs in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
The Photo Companion to the Bible
Old Testament (16 volumes): Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Psalm 23, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Daniel
Old Testament Special: $299
(with coupon MAY25OT)
New Testament (19 volumes): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, Jude, 1, 2, & 3 John, and Revelation
New Testament Special: $349
(with coupon MAY25NT)
Old and New Testament Special (35 volumes): $599
(with coupon MAY25PCB)
ULTIMATE TEACHING SET (All 75 volumes): $699
(with coupon MAY25ULTIMATE)
A Photo Every Day
A Roundup Every Weekend
Every weekend I write about the latest discoveries and stories in archaeology, geography, and tourism related to the biblical world. Visit www.bibleplaces.com/blog to catch up or subscribe by email.
Featured BiblePlaces Photos:
The Song of Songs
The featured photos this month come from the new Song of Songs volume of the Photo Companion to the Bible. For more free photos, download the Ecclesiastes 2 PowerPoint (135 slides) and the Song of Songs 2 PowerPoint (110 slides). These and more than 2,100 photos are included in the new Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs volumes in the Photo Companion to the Bible.
"I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley..."
Song of Songs is filled with floral imagery and metaphors. In 2:1, the maiden compares herself with a beautiful flower from the coastal plain. The “lily” (Heb. shushan) may derive its name from the number “six” (Heb. shesh), indicating a flower with six petals. A likely candidate is the Madonna lily (Lilium candidum), shown here. This photograph was taken in Maoz Zion, a western suburb of Jerusalem.
"Turn my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag..."
Fauna imagery also abounds in the Song of Songs, with references to goats, sheep, mares, doves, lions, and leopards. In 2:17, the maiden encourages her lover to enjoy the freedom of a gazelle or young stag. The gazelle, also known as the Palestine mountain gazelle, is most abundant in Israel, including Judea, Samaria, and the Golan Heights, but it is also found in parts of Jordan and Turkey. Mountain gazelles can reach running speeds up to 50 miles per hour (80 kph). This gazelle was photographed near the Jordan River, north of the Sea of Galilee.
"I held on to him and would not let him go..."
While the book’s superscription in 1:1 identifies this as the greatest song, it is not the first. The clay tablet shown here preserves the oldest known love poem. Although this copy was made around the 8th century BC, the poem originated in the Sumerian period, probably in the late 21st century BC. The poem describes the relationship between a woman and the king she is about to marry: “Bridegroom, dear to my heart; goodly is your beauty, honeysweet; lion, dear to my heart.” This text continued to be used for a ceremonial recreation of the sacred marriage and was likely sung each year at the New Year festival. This tablet was discovered at Nippur and was photographed at the Istanbul Museum of the Ancient Orient.
"Who is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke?"
In chapter 3, the woman is searching for her lover when she looks out toward the wilderness. What is kicking up dust in the desert like columns of smoke will soon be revealed to be the traveling litter of Solomon. Israelites were quite familiar with the sight of dust being kicked up by various traveling groups, whether a caravan, a herd or flock, or even individual travelers. The dust would sometimes be visible long before one could make out who was traveling. This American Colony photograph was taken in 1918 on the Mount of Olives. Generative AI was used to colorize this photo.
"Your temples are like the halves of a pomegranate behind your veil..."
Most of the fourth chapter consists of the lover describing his beautiful beloved, beginning with her eyes, hair, teeth, and lips. When he gets to her temples, he compares them to the halves of a pomegranate. Ripe pomegranates typically have a reddish-orange hue, although they can vary from quite light to a very deep dark red. When ripe, their skin is smooth and semi-faceted (not completely round), which could also be a point of comparison. This pomegranate tree was photographed near Lachish.
"How much better is your love than wine!"
Wine is well-known in the Bible for gladdening man’s heart (Ps 104:15), and by this comparison the lover declares that his bride’s love brings him even greater pleasure (4:10). This wine jar dates to about two centuries after the time of Solomon, and the Hebrew inscription on its shoulder reads, “belonging to Yahazyahu, wine of khl.” The term “khl” likely refers to the type of wine, although its specific meaning is now lost. The inscription is followed by a sign of measurement that may indicate 1/3 of a hin. (A hin roughly equals one gallon or four liters.) This decanter was photographed at the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa.
"Drink your fill, O lovers!"
In 5:1, the chorus joins in to urge the newlyweds to indulge their love as they would feast at a banquet. This tomb painting illustrates a lavish banquet in ancient Egypt. Food is served to women who are richly adorned with festive clothes and jewelry, and each woman wears a perfume cone on her head. This wall painting comes from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun in Thebes and dates to circa 1350 BC. It was photographed at the British Museum.
This week we are offering Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs together for only $39, including immediate download and free shipping (reg. $79). This collection includes more than 2,100 PowerPoint slides illustrating each book by chapter and verse. Purchase the pair today as a DVD+download or as download-only.
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All contents © 2025 Todd Bolen. Text and photographs may be used for personal and educational use with attribution. Commercial use requires written permission.