Nili Samet, «The Gilgamesh Epic and the Book of Qohelet: A New Look», Vol. 96 (2015) 375-390
This paper re-examines the relation between the Gilgamesh tradition and Qohelet. It presents formerly recognized analogies between the two texts, along with a newly identified parallel. Analysis of the data indicates that Gilgamesh is the only currently known ancient text that can be considered a direct literary source of Qohelet. The paper then discusses the nature of the Gilgamesh epic used by Qohelet's author. It shows that this version is not identical with any Gilgamesh recension known to us. Consequently, an attempt is made to describe this unique Gilgamesh version, and to locate it within Qohelet's historical and intellectual context.
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377 THE GILGAMESH EPIC AND THE BOOK OF QOHELET: A NEW LOOK 377
eternal life, Gilgamesh meets the mysterious alewife Šiduri, who lives
on the shore of the cosmic ocean, and informs her of the aim of his
journey. The alewife responds with the following famous speech 9:
“You, Gilgamesh, let your belly be full;
Keep enjoying yourself day and night. Every day make merry,
Dance and play day and night!
Let your cloth be clean,
Let your head be washed, may you be bathed in water!
Gaze on the little one who holds your hand!
Let a wife enjoy your repeated embrace! Such is the destiny [of mortal
men]”.
Grimme identified a striking parallel between the alewife’s
speech and a passage in Qohelet 9,7-9:
Go, eat your bread with joy,
and drink your wine with a merry heart,
for God has already approved what you do.
Always let your garments be white;
let not oil be lacking on your head.
Enjoy life with the wife whom you love,
all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun,
because that is your portion in life
and in your toil at which you toil under the sun.
Grimme’s discovery soon became a standard feature of com-
mentaries and studies of Qohelet. Nevertheless, some scholars were
quick to dismiss the similarities between Qohelet and the alewife’s
advice as reflecting a common theme in world literature 10. For
them, the parallel under consideration stands in the same line with
other, much vaguer parallels, such as the Egyptian Harp Song or
similar sources from the classical world. Robert Gordis writes: “It
9
E. GEORGE, The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic (New York 2003) 278-279.
10
See: K. GALLING, Die Fünf Megilloth. Der Prediger (HAT 1/18; Tübin-
gen 1969) 113-114; LORETZ, Qohelet, 118-119; M. JASTROW, A Gentle Cynic
(Philadelphia, PA 1919) 175; R. GORDIS, Koheleth. The Man and His World
(New York 31968) 303-304; R.N. WHYBRAY, Ecclesiastes (OT Guides;
Sheffield 1989) 55; A. SCHOORS, Ecclesiastes (HCOT; Leuven 2013) 676-
678; T. KRÜGER, Qoheleth. A Commentary (Hermeneia; Minneapolis, MN
2004) 172-173; J.R. KELLY, “Sources of Contention and the Emerging Reality
Concerning Qohelet’s Carpe Diem Advice”, Antiguo Oriente 8 (2010) 117-134.
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