This week’s posts examine attitudes towards death in ancient and Medieval cultures. This engraving of “King Solomon in Old Age,” reflects the most famous Jewish monarch of Israel as wizened but not cheerful. The portrait is entirely in line with the musings of the author of the Biblical book _Ecclesiastes_, who, unlike any other Biblical author, has a pessimistic view of the value of seeking wisdom. He proclaims it a futile endeavor, because death comes to everyone — the good, the evil, the stupid, or the somber — regardless .
Written between 450-200 BCE, _Ecclesiastes_ was for centuries thought to have been composed by Solomon, although scholars no longer think this is the case. The author does assert that he is a “Kohelet,” or “Teacher,” who is a son of David. You would recognize many sayings from this text — for instance, the Pete Seeger song “Turn! Turn! Turn!”.
One of the quotations that gets at the main themes comes from 3.18-3.20: “the fate of humans and the fate of animals is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and humans have no advantage over the animals; for all is vanity. All go to one place; all are from the dust, and turn to dust again. Who knows whether the human spirit goes upwards and the spirit of animals goes downwards to the earth?”
The acknowledgement of ignorance is in fact a statement of wisdom here, as is the implication that there is no simple set of corollaries to direct our passions or behaviors.
