Abstract:
Qohelet belongs to the genre of 'critique'. It aims to provoke readers to question basic assump-tions about life, and about what is desirable and worthwhile. Qohelet¿s critique operates from a canon of principles, and in this respect, the ideas of 'god', 'life under the sun', 'death', 'eternity' and 'judgment' emerge as cardinal. The concept of 'life under the sun' is related to the complementary notion of 'eternity'. This concept, associated with the eternal sun, was known in Phoenicia. In Qohelet, however, the Lord of eternity is God, not the sun. The three poems in chapters 1, 3 and 12 are central to a reading of Qohelet.
