03_Samet_375_375_390 30/10/15 13:05 Pagina 378 378 NILI SAMET 378 is obvious that there can be no question of borrowing in so univer- sally human a context, unless there were some unusual feature in common, or at least the same sequence of details” 11. This remark is quite surprising in light of the fact that the sequence of details is, in fact, identical in the two texts 12. Consider the following chart: Alewife’s Counsel Qohelet Common Theme or Phrase You, Gilgamesh, let Go, eat your bread Dining your belly be full; with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, For God has already approved what you do. Keep enjoying your- Always Temporal Indicator self day and night. Every day make merry, Dance and play day and night! Let your cloth be clean, Let your garments be Clean Clothes white. Let your head be Let not oil be lacking Washed Head washed, may you be on your head. bathed in water! Gaze on the little one Enjoy life with the Family Life who holds your hand! wife whom you love, Let a wife enjoy your all the days of your vain repeated embrace! life that he has given you under the sun, Such is the destiny Because that is your Conclusion: This is [of mortal men]. portion in life and in Human Destiny. your toil at which you toil under the sun. 11 GORDIS, Koheleth, 304. 12 See: H.L. GINSBERG, “The Quintessence of Koheleth”, Biblical and Other Studies (ed. A. ALTMANN) (Cambridge, MA 1963) 47-59; DAY, “Foreign Semitic Influence”, 60; B.W. JONES, “From Gilgamesh to Qoheleth”, The Bible in Light of Cuneiform Literature, Scripture in Context III (eds. W.W. HALLO et al.) (New York 1990) 349-379, here 372.