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10 representations of Psalm 137 throughout history [slideshow]

Psalm 137 is the only one out of the 150 biblical psalms set in a particular time and place. The vivid tableau sketched by the opening lines has lent itself to visual representations over the millennia.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept,

when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the Lord‘s song in a strange land?

From bas-reliefs in Assyria to brush strokes in Germany, these vivid lines have been envisioned by artists and musicians across millennia. Each interpretation brings something different to the story and shows the cultures which this psalm has touched.

 

Featured image credit: Your Word, by Rachel Titiriga. CC BY-2.0 via Flickr.

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