The Riddle of Qohelet and Qohelet the Riddler

This article builds on the author's contention, expressed elsewhere, that Ecclesiastes is fundamentally ambiguous by design. This is done by examining the seven occurrences of the name ‘Qohelet’ or the title ‘the qohelet’ in the book. The article argues that ambiguity is a ‘deliberate didactic device’, employed by Qohelet, the teacher, to provoke his students to grapple with the meaning of his words, and to apply the strategies developed in relation to the ambiguities (including the riddles) of his words to the ambiguities of life in the world beyond the text. However, Qohelet is a character in the book and the author not only portrays him as a teacher who uses riddle and ambiguity, but also presents Qohelet himself as a riddle to be solved.