Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries"A rich tour down many significant streams of Western interpretation of this fascinating biblical book... Heartily recommended, without reservation."Bible and Critical Theory"A fundamental resource on biblical interpretation, especially in the modern world, this book is a winner."International Review of Biblical Studies"The introduction and commentary proper cover many topics, from patristic and rabbinic exegesis through to modern science-fiction, with numerous stops on the way... Very well written and accessible...an excellent book."Society for Old Testament Study Book ListOver the centuries, Ecclesiastes has influenced numerous aspects of life and thought. Ecclesiastes Through the Centuries assesses the diverse effects of the book on culture in religion, art, and social contexts.Ecclesiastes shaped the life of European abbeys of the middle ages. For Renaissance thinkers, it provided a sceptical line of inquiry weighted with the disquieting authority of Scripture. It has inspired the imaginations of artists, musicians, and poets from the Renaissance to the present day. The influence of Ecclesiastes on literature has engaged authors as diverse as Bacon, Donne, Eliot, Hardy, Melville, and numerous Elizabethan poets. This commentary traces these influences as well as the fascinating range of Jewish and Christian readings. The result is an informative and broad-ranging approach to the impact of this book through the centuries that will engage all those studying the Bible.For further information about the Blackwell Bible Commentaries please visit bbibcomm.net.

Series Editors' Preface xiPreface xiiiPreface to the Paperback Edition xviiTestimonia 1The Vagaries of Interpreting Ecclesiastes 1Charting a Harsh Terrain 4Qoheleth the Philosopher 5Wrought by Melancholy 7Preacher of Joy 9True to Life 10Qoheleth and Christianity 14Qoheleth and Justice 15Introduction 171 A History of Reception Histories 192 Reading Strategies and Lines of Influence 22Pre-Modern Reading: -1500 23Early Modern Reading: 1500-1800 40A. Renaissance and Reform 40B. Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century Verse 51C. On the Way to Modernity 57Modern Reading: 1800- 65A. Literature 65B. Visual Art, Music and Film 75C. Comparative Studies 84Ecclesiastes 1 87The Life and Death of Solomon the Author: 1:1 et passim89A. Alive and Well in Pre-Modernity (-1500) 89B. Embattled in Early Modernity (1500-1800) 95C. Dead in Modernity - Solomon's Ghost (1800-)96Vanitas Vanitatum: 1:2 et passim 98A. Despising the World through Vanitas (-1500)100B. Renaissance Vanitas: Despising Jerome and Suspectingthe Sciences (1500-1800) 106C. Literary Vanitas: New Points of Reference(1800-) 125D. The Breadth of Vanitas 140The Overture Played Out: 1:3-18 142Ecclesiastes 2 156Wrestling with the Test of Pleasure: 2:1-10 157Understanding Wisdom, Folly and God's Gifts: 2:11-24161Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 164The Totality of Times 165Ecclesiastes 3:9-6:12 174On Fate, Knowledge and Anthropology: 3:9-22 175On Oppression and the Value of Companionship: 4:1-12180On Conducting Oneself in the House of God: 5:1-8 183On the Possibility of Profi t and Relief from hebel:5:10-6:12 184Ecclesiastes 7-8 188The Curious Values of Wisdom: 7:1-12 189The Incongruity of Experience and the Inaccessibility of Wisdom:7:13-29 192About Wisdom, Power and Authority: 8:1-17 201Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 206The Wisdom of Death and Life 207Ecclesiastes 9:13-11:10 216Wise Conduct in the Light of Uncertainty: 9:13-11:6217The Final Call to Joy: 11:7-10 221Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 225The Rule of Allegory 227Beyond Allegory 232Ecclesiastes 12:8-14 247The Final Word 249A Hermeneutical Postscript 256Understanding the Pervasive Appeal of Qoheleth 256The Exegetical 'Fidelity' of Ecclesiastes'Reception History 259How Might This Reception History Inform the Discipline? 261Bibliography 264Primary Sources 2651. Pre-1500 2652. 1500-1800 2673. Post-1800 271Reception Histories of Ecclesiastes 2751. Jewish and Christian 2752. Surveys of Academic Approaches 2803. Literature 281Specialist Comparative Studies 283Ecclesiastes General Secondary Sources 285Other Secondary Sources 291Appendix - The Quotable Qoheleth: Ecclesiastes in PopularDiscourse 296List of Illustrations 300Acknowledgements 302Name Index 303Subject Index 312