The Story of Israel in the Book of Qohelet

Qohelet’s Echoes: Unearthing Israel’s Story in Ecclesiastes

This book delves into the formation of collective memory within early Judaism, as revealed in the influential text of Ecclesiastes. While Qohelet, the speaker, famously declares “there is nothing new under the sun,” often interpreted as a universal sentiment detached from specific historical contexts, Jennie Barbour proposes a compelling alternative reading.

Barbour argues that “nothing new under the sun” is not a s…