Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes (Heb., Qoheleth). A book in the Hebrew scriptures. Written by ha-Qoheleth (often tr. as ‘the preacher’, but more accurately ‘the convoker’), ‘Son of David, king in Jerusalem’, the book is traditionally ascribed to Solomon and is one of a group, collectively described as the five scrolls. The writer argues that everything is ordained by God and that ultimately the life of humanity is transient: ‘vanity of vanities! All is vanity!’ (1. 2). The impression of scepticism is enhanced in the English by the translation of ḥebel as ‘vanity’: it is a word for ‘mist’ or ‘steam in a bathroom’, hence transience.
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Ecclesiastes
