Symbol and Rhetoric in Ecclesiastes: The Place of Hebel in Qohelet's Work (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781589830295)

Interpreters of Ecclesiastes have struggled with the word hebel (traditionally "vanity" but literally "vapor"). The positions they have adopted regarding the term have influenced their interpretation of the book as a whole. This work defends a new thesis for hebel. It presents a methodology for metaphor and symbol, then demonstrates how Qohelet employs hebel in the book with referents related to "insubstantiality," "transience," and "foulness." These referents are incorporated into a single, multivalent vapor-symbol by which Qohelet represents human experience. The study provides significant substantiation for the "realist" position on Ecclesiastes: Qohelet does not declare life to be entirely meaningless or absurd, but rather says that life is filled with limitations and complications and counsels his readers how to make the most of that life. The study concludes with a proposal for the rhetoric of Ecclesiastes in light of the symbol thesis. Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)

Author: Douglas B. Miller
ISBN-10: 1589830296
ISBN-13: 9781589830295
Publisher: Society of Biblical Literature
Language: English
Published: 01/01/2002
Pages: 258
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.77lbs
Size: 9.08h x 6.30w x 0.55d