II. Author

Both in Jewish and Christian traditions, this book has been attributed to Solomon, but his name never appears in the book. Further, the style of Hebrew suggests a date after Solomon’s time. If he is not the author, what is his relationship to this book? The writer does not claim to be the wise king but uses his experiences as the backdrop for this book. He assumes that role, wanting us to think of Solomon, since Solomon is the example par excellence of the futility of life.