investigation of causes and laws underlying reality Stated simply, philosophy is man’s search for truth Are you acquainted with people who are sincerely and seriously looking for truthful answers to their painful questions about life? Generally speaking, there are two main schools of thought in philosophy: empiricism and rationalism Empiricism says that human experience, especially of the senses, is the only source of knowledge That is, man can know only what he experiences Rationalism says that human reason is the prime source of knowledge and of spiritual truth That is, man can know only what he can mentally grasp A study of Ecclesiastes shows truth vainly being sought for in both ways: “I made”; “I got”; and so forth (2:4,7, KJV) —empiricism “I set my mind to know” (1:17)—rationalism The conclusion in both quests is stated over and over again: “All is vanity.” Such a frustration serves to show that if truth is to be known, it must come by revelation from God (See Chart 74.) The God-centered life view which Solomon teaches in the book came from divine revelation Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon presents the position of one who is searching for truth and reality and meaning From this standpoint, then, it would be correct to say that Ecclesiastes is a book of philosophy The student about to read the book should keep this in mind, to avoid misinterpretation and to reap maximum instruction II BACKGROUND Not many details are known about the immediate setting of Ecclesiastes This lack only serves to let the book shine forth in its essential quality, as a timeless and contemporary message to all generations since its writing The things that are known about the book’s setting are both interesting and important A TITLE The title for this book comes from the opening phrase, “The words of the Preacher” (1:1) The word “Preacher” is traced back to the original Hebrew text as follows: Hebrew—qoholeth1— f r o m qahal, “to assemble” Greek version—ecclesiastes— f r o m ek, “out of, and klesis, “a calling” English—Preacher (1:1)—one who speaks to an assembly of people Ecclesiastes (title)—one who speaks to an assembly of people In Old Testament days a qoholeth was an o cial speaker to an assembly of people Other appearances of the word “Preacher” in Ecclesiastes are at 1:1, 2, 12: 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10 The word is not found in any other Old Testament book B AUTHOR The author is not named in the Bible text In 1:1 he is identi ed as “the son of David, king of Jerusalem.” Internal evidences favor the traditional view that Solomon is meant by this phrase.2 The following descriptions in the text coincide with what is known about Solomon from the historical record (e.g., Kings) the author’s unrivaled wisdom (1:16) ... an assembly of people Other appearances of the word “Preacher” in Ecclesiastes are at 1:1, 2, 12: 7:27; 12:8, 9, 10 The word is not found in any other Old Testament book B AUTHOR The author is... about the book’s setting are both interesting and important A TITLE The title for this book comes from the opening phrase, ? ?The words of the Preacher” (1:1) The word “Preacher” is traced back to the. .. God (See Chart 74.) The God-centered life view which Solomon teaches in the book came from divine revelation Throughout the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon presents the position of one who is searching