Biblica - Vol 90 (2009) Mazzinghi, Luca, The Divine Violence in the Book of Qoheleth (2009)

In the face of violence, Qoheleth’s answer: “There is no one to console them” (Qoh 4,1) seems to be a hostile allusion aimed at God (cf. Isa 40,1) who is considered responsible for that violence. Yet Qoheleth’s God is not an abstract and remote deity; Qoheleth’s criticism is directed rather at the God of retribution (cf. Qoh 9,1-3). By stressing divine transcendence, Qoheleth considers that God is beyond all human comprehension (cf. 8,16-17). In Qoheleth one cannot speak of divine violence, but there is the problem of human language about God. Man can only “fear God” and accept the joy that God grants him as a gift in his fleeting life.

Biblica - Vol 96 (2015) Samet, Nili, The Gilgamesh Epic and the Book of Qohelet: A New Look (2015)

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.