This plural noun appears in Song of Songs 1:17, where the lovers describe their rustic bower: 'the beams of our house are cedars, our rafters are cypresses' (berotim). The word is an Aramaic or northern Palestinian form of the Hebrew word for cypress, fir, or juniper—evergreen trees used in construction. The parallel with cedars suggests noble, fragrant wood. The lovers imagine their outdoor meeting place as a palace with cedar beams and cypress rafters, elevating rustic nature to royal architecture through the language of love.