The Rose of Sharon is a flower of unknown etymology that appears in the English translation of the Bible, first appearing in the King James version in 1611 in the Song of Solomon 2.1. The exact phrase reads: 'I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.' While some theological scholars have claimed that the 'Rose' is simply a mistranslation of the Hebrew word for 'crocus,' others have supplied different arguments. Some claim that it refers to a red, tulip-like flower that grows on the hills of Sharon, or even a particular plant species called the Tulipa Agenensis (Sharon Tulip). It has also been claimed to be a type of Madonna lily. It has also been suggested that the Rose of Sharon could be a metaphor. One reading interprets it as a reference to a Shulamite woman married to Solomon, while others see it as a symbol for Jesus Christ as an ideal of natural design.
