ABSTRACT
The civilised world of the ancient Near East generally had an optimistic view of life. The principal literary form which Qoheleth selected to express his observations has no real parallel in the Old Testament. Qoheleth's attitude has been characterized by some modern writers as fundamentally non-religious. The contrast between the passion of Job and the detachment of Qoheleth must be admitted. The books of Job and Ecclesiastes are very different in style and in mood. Neither writer has any expectation that God will appear and reveal himself to him. Neither has any belief in a life beyond the grave. Neither has any concept of divine grace, or at least as that is understood in Christian theology. Qoheleth strongly urges his readers to fear God and to worship and praise him. As a work of literature, Job is by far the greater of the two works: as poetry, as drama, and, in a sense, as tragedy.
