Description
Book SynopsisHow to live a life of wisdom and fulfilment in a far-from-perfect world? Menachem Fisch and Debra Band probe Qohelet’s inquiry into the value of life ‘under the sun’ in this work - the first illuminated manuscript of the entire biblical text, the first philosophical analysis tracing the coherent path of this biblical thinker’s full argument.
Trade ReviewIlluminated manuscripts have a rich tradition to which this gem adds creatively. Not only does Debra Band's exquisite micrography, calligraphy, and artwork invite us to marinate in and meditate on Qohelet's suggestive composition, Menachem Fisch adds a unique and penetrating philosophical analysis. This work takes us from the ancient world of the Bible through medieval traditions of illumination and into a reading of Qohelet as a harbinger of post-modern thinking." - Peter A. Pettit, Teaching Pastor, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport, Iowa
"'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity,' wrote the mysterious author of the biblical Qohelet—Ecclesiastes, in English, from the Greek. 'There is nothing new under the sun.' For generations, the meaning of this haunting outlier text seemed clear and even merciless: in its endless cycling, nothing in the cosmos lasts, so nothing matters. Even if God is real, human life is in the end unreal and can have no real purpose. Resignation is the only valid response: at best, 'living for the moment;' at worst, existential despair. But what if there were something new under the sun? In this fresh approach to Qohelet, philosopher Menachem Fisch and scholar-artist Debra Band radically re-vision a text whose interpretation was 'settled.' Through exciting exposition that ranges from the history of rabbinical thought to analytical philosophy to the pain of personal loss, and illumined by Band's glowing paintings, the authors return us to the original Hebrew word on which Qohelet pivots: hevel. When hevel is not read 'figuratively' but is restored to its literal meaning as 'vapor' or 'mist,' an unexpected theology is revealed. What if the text were never a meditation on absurdity after all, but instead 'a vivid portrayal of the limits of human knowledge?' These limits can inspire us to return to our deepest human challenge: how should we live? Fisch and Band show how we can take up the question again in fascination—and even more, in hope. An unforgettable book." - Kimberley C. Patton, Professor of the Comparative and Historical Study of Religion, Harvard Divinity School
Table of Contents
- Foreword by Ellen F. Davis
- Preface by Moshe Halbertal
- Introduction by Menachem Fisch: Making Sense of Qohelet
- Introduction by Debra Band: Approaching the Book of Qohelet
- The Illuminations
Frontispiece
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Commentary Materials
- 1
Introduction: Setting the Stage
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 2
Introduction: Dashed Dreams of a Lasting Achievement
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 3
Introduction: Qohelet's Great Turning Point
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 4
Introduction: The Politics of Cooperation
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 5
Introduction: Foolishness Multiplied: The Religious Dimension
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 6
Introduction: The Futility of Hindsight
Commentary on the Illuminations
- 7
Introduction: Breaching the Limits of Self-Critique
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 8
Introduction: Knowing the Limits of One's Strength
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 9
Introduction: The Case against Hedonism
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 10
Introduction: A Fool's Dystopia
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- 11
Introduction: The Beginning of an Optimistic End
Commentary on the Illuminations
- 12
Introduction: When All Is Said and Done
Commentaries on the Illuminations
- Afterword by Menachem Fisch
Mysteries Dispelled: Qohelet in Biblical and Liturgical Context
- Key to Bible Translation Abbreviations
