Lamentations
INTRODUCTION
Five somber “dirge” or “funeral” poems express grief over the loss of the Jewish homeland and the destruction of Jerusalem. These poems, meditating on the tragedy and its causes, reflect a long literary tradition in the Middle East. They were clearly written by an eyewitness to Jerusalem’s fall. Tradition identifies Jeremiah as the author. The number of verses in each poem is divisible by 22 because these are acrostic poems; each verse or set of verses begins with a different letter of the 22-consonant Hebrew alphabet.
OUTLINE OF CONTENTS
| I. | The Deserted City | Lam. 1 |
| II. | The Rejected City | Lam. 2 |
| III. | Call for Self-examination | Lam. 3 |
| IV. | Past Glory Remembered | Lam. 4 |
| V. | Prayer for Restoration | Lam. 5 |
Milo 