Royal Autobiography in the Book of Qoheleth

Royal Autobiography in the Book of Qoheleth......Page 4
Table of Contents......Page 8
Abbreviations......Page 12
Sigla......Page 18
Introduction......Page 20
1. Early Jewish Interpretations......Page 21
2. Early Church Interpretations......Page 25
3. The Reformation......Page 28
B. Modern Critical Scholarship on Qoheleth......Page 29
C. Current Sceptical Interpretations of Qoheleth......Page 33
II. Purpose of This Study......Page 36
III. Outline of This Study......Page 37
IV. Scope of This Study......Page 38
Loretz and the Argument of Qoheleth\'s Royal Introduction......Page 40
I. Examination of the Main Evidence of the Royal Voice in 1:12-2:26......Page 44
A. Qoheleth\'s Self-Introduction (1:12)......Page 47
B. A Solomonic Experiment (1:13-18)......Page 48
C. A Test of Pleasure (2:1-11)......Page 50
D. An Experiment with Wisdom and the Issue of Royal Legacy (2:12-23)......Page 53
E. Qoheleth\'s Practical Advice for Living (2:24-26)......Page 55
F. Summary......Page 56
II. Does the Royal Voice Speak Beyond 2:26?......Page 57
III. Arguments for the Pervasiveness of Qoheleth\'s Royal Voice......Page 59
A. Perdue - the Royal Testament of Qoheleth......Page 60
Β. Christianson - Telling the Story of Qoheleth......Page 63
C. Summary......Page 67
1. 3:16-17......Page 69
2. 4:1......Page 71
3. 5:7, 8 [ET vv.8, 9]......Page 73
4. 10:5-7......Page 75
B. The Nature of Kingship......Page 77
1. 4:13-16......Page 78
2. 8:1-5......Page 81
3. 10:16-17......Page 85
4. 10:20......Page 87
C. Summary......Page 88
V. Concluding Remarks......Page 89
Section 1: The Royal Language of Qoheleth: Qoheleth and Ancient Semitic Royal Inscriptions......Page 91
I. West Semitic Royal Inscriptions......Page 92
A. The Formulaic Self-Introduction......Page 93
Qoheleth\'s Rule: Past or Present?......Page 95
B. The Royal Boasting of Deeds......Page 97
C. Comparison with Predecessors and Contemporaries......Page 101
D. Royal Wisdom......Page 105
E. A Political and Military Background......Page 106
F. Summary......Page 108
II. Akkadian (Sargonid) Royal Inscriptions......Page 109
A. The Formulaic Self-Introduction......Page 110
B. The Royal Boasting......Page 111
1. Palaces, Canals, Gardens and Parks......Page 113
2. The Treasures of Kings......Page 115
C. Comparison with Predecessors......Page 118
D. Royal Wisdom......Page 120
E. Warring Background......Page 122
III. Concluding Remarks......Page 123
IV. Longman\'s \'Fictional Akkadian Autobiographies\'......Page 125
A. Fictional Akkadian Autobiographies with Didactic Endings......Page 126
B. Longman\'s Analysis of Qoheleth......Page 130
V. Pseudo-autobiographies of the Kings of Akkad......Page 131
A. The Cuthean Legend of Naram Sin......Page 133
B. A Text of the King of Isin......Page 136
C. A Sargon Autobiography......Page 137
D. The Sargon Legend......Page 138
E. Key Characteristics of the Corpus......Page 139
F. Summary......Page 140
VI. Egyptian Instructions......Page 142
A. Royal Testaments......Page 143
B. Royal Instructions......Page 145
1. Fictional Authorship......Page 147
2. Title......Page 148
3. Framework......Page 149
a. The Call To Enjoy Life......Page 154
b. The Reversal of Fortune......Page 155
c. Divine Determinism and the Hidden Ways of God......Page 156
A. Royal Laments......Page 159
Khakheperresonb and the Theme of Social Disorder......Page 161
VIII. Concluding Remarks......Page 162
I. Autobiography as a Wisdom Form......Page 165
II. The Autobiographical Character of Qoheleth......Page 170
A. The Prevalent \'I\'......Page 175
1. Qoheleth as Narrator and Teacher......Page 179
2. The Use of Sayings in Qoheleth......Page 182
a. Gordis\'s Theory of Quotations......Page 183
b. Johnson\'s Form-Critical Analysis......Page 187
IV. The Dynamics of Qoheleth\'s Narrative......Page 192
A. Loader\'s Theory of Polar Tensions......Page 193
B. Qoheleth\'s Zwar-Aber Dialectic Style of Narration......Page 197
1. 9:13-16: Wisdom\'s Subservience to Time and Chance......Page 198
2. 9:11-12: Fate, Time and Chance......Page 200
3. 4:4-6: Competitiveness Versus Contentment......Page 201
A. The Story of the Life of A King......Page 203
B. Qoheleth\'s Quest for the Meaning of Life......Page 206
C. Qoheleth\'s Conclusions and Advice......Page 211
VI. Qoheleth\'s Thoughts on Wisdom and Folly......Page 214
VII. Concluding Remarks......Page 217
5: Conclusion......Page 220
Bibliography......Page 228
Index of Biblical and Apocryphal References......Page 246