Qohelet in the Context of Wisdom

The book of Qohelet (Ecclesiastes) has been the subject of steadily increasing attention over the last two decades. This volume contains the text of the main papers, the seminar papers and almost all short papers read at the Colloquium Biblicum Lovaniense 1997, in total 30 contributions written in English (18), German (8), and French (4) by authors from 13 different countries, partly aknowledged authorities on Qohelet, partly promising young scholars who have demonstrated their competence in Qohelet studies. They deal with the literary structure of Qohelet, with its central theme, its theological and philosophical teachings, its connections with Greek philosophy and its Ancient Near Eastern background, its position in the biblical canon. Also an analysis of Qohelet in terms of current linguistic and philosophical tendencies, such as deconstruction, receives attention. A number of key pericopes are put to a more thorough analysis.