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the Shulammite

SHULAMMITE, THE (Heb. הַשּׁוִּלַמִּית), a feminine name or title occurring only in Song of *Songs 7:1 [6:13]. The phonetic similarity of Shulammite to Shunammite led to the identification of the dancer of Song of Songs with *Abishag, "the maiden from *Shunem," who was brought to King David in his old age (I Kings 1:1–4). The word is most plausibly explained as being indeed equivalent to הַשּׁוּנַמִּית," the Shunammite woman" (I Kings 1:3; II Kings 4:25), used (on account of the aforementioned Abishag) as synonymous with "beautiful woman."


Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.