Qohelet’s Experiment: Qohelet, using the implied persona of Solomon, undertakes to explore “all that is done” (1:13). “All” includes gaining wisdom, amassing possessions, building monuments, and engaging in celebrations. Solomon is an effective choice as speaker: he is the one character in Israelite tradition who can take wisdom, wealth, and extravagance to their extremes.

This section records an experiment: a project that involves engaging in particular behaviors, recording the results, and analyzing them. Results include both the physical outcomes (for example, ownership of possessions) and emotional responses (such as joy and hatred). The analysis consists of reflection on the meaning, value, and permanence of those results. The project, then, has a philosophical purpose, although it inv…