[22] Prudent religious leaders chose to read The Song of Songs of Solomon as an allegory on the relationship between God and Israel as husband and wife, while Christians later ruled it to be all about Christ.
Go figure.
On a personal note: I never thought this text could have such an arousing effect, as Mary reports.
Yet, it was quite a controversial book, and was almost left out of the Bible altogether, had it not been for one Sage, Rabbi Akiva, (50-135 AD) who learned to read and write at the rather late age of forty. Being an analphabet for so many years, might have shielded Rabbi Akiva from the brainwash of his time. Apparently, he also had a keen sense of humor and knew how to have fun. He liked the Song of Songs, and that was that!