The Pleasures of Life and the Praise of Wisdom in the Book of Qohelet in the Light of Medieval Jewish Interpreters

The article analyzes how the most important medieval Jewish exegetes interpreted the book of Qohelet. It is focused on some of the most controversial ideas of the text, namely, the meaning of pleasures of life and the kind of wisdom praised in the book. The question of authorship, although not controversial, is also analyzed. The interpretations of medieval Jewish exegetes on these topics were the basis for their understanding of the purpose of the book as a whole. Different explanations were given by Jewish exegetes on whether the book of Qohelet encourages asceticism or promotes the knowledge of foreign sciences.