In particular, it is easy to find things parallel to the wisdom literature of ancient Near East in the biblical wisdom literature. These wisdom literatures have developed into unique wisdom ideas through sharing or borrowing. Ecclesiastes, which can b...
In particular, it is easy to find things parallel to the wisdom literature of ancient Near East in the biblical wisdom literature. These wisdom literatures have developed into unique wisdom ideas through sharing or borrowing. Ecclesiastes, which can be described as Biblical Wisdom Literature, can also find that many of the ideas of Qohellet are easily found among the Ancient Near Eastern Wisdom Literatures. What we have discovered through this study is that the ideas of Qohellet are in many ways in common with the wisdom literature of the Ancient Near East. But Ecclesiastes has a place of life and theology that is unique. It can be said that it is the unique theology of Qohellet. Ecclesiastes share similar content and style similar to those of Ancient Near Eastern literature, but we can find that the faith of Yahweh is deeply rooted in Qohellet's thought.
The work of the Ancient Near East, whether or Qohellet, says that the human being living under the sun has a finite life. Humans living in a finite life in the world are active and order to be faithful to their given life. The reason is that human beings soon die. Qohellet also commands that life under the sun is a gift God has given to human beings, so that they will do their best with joy. Both of them demand the pursuit of life, which is joy and pleasure, for the life given to man, but Qohellet encourages to live by thinking God's judgment always in his life. This can also be said to be his theology of what Qohellet is trying to say.