1. Name

The Hebrew name of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Qoheleth, derives from qhl (call, assemble). The feminine ending suggests an office, according to which the author would have been responsible for an assembly of persons or a collection of sayings. The Greek form Ekklēsiastēs (assembly leader) led to “the preacher.” The name “Qoheleth” was influenced by the Solomonic legend, according to which the king assembled the people for the dedication of the temple. The author adopted the literary fiction of Solomonic authorship, al…