ABSTRACT
Solomon's role as a normative figure in authoritative texts shaped how Ecclesiastes, as the words of Qohelet, were read. This chapter examines readings that see multiple voices at work in Ecclesiastes. The connection between Solomon and Ecclesiastes, and its severing, has been problematic for both proponents and opponents of Solomonic authorship. The issue is both a meeting place for believers and scholars and a crossroads between theology and exegesis. The doctrinal authority of Ecclesiastes was related in part to Solomon as its author, and the normative view of Solomon gave Ecclesiastes greater heft among readers. The issue of Solomonic authorship of Ecclesiastes took a different route from that of the Pentateuch, and not many theologically conservative scholars were willing to dig in their heels on this issue. Qohelet is assumed to have constructed his own Solomonic biography and used that in his self-portrayal in Ecclesiastes.
