(Dis)closure in Qohelet: Qohelet Deconstructed

Abstract

While previous scholars have noted an affinity between the persona ‘Qohelet’ and postmodern Deconstructionists, this essay will explore his blindspots, instances of closure and presence. Employing a Derridian method, this article explores Qohelet’s conservatism hidden within a façade of dissidence. Qohelet assumes the same retributive schema of his peers but in a different form. He employs the same dichotomous conceptualization of human morality. He ultimately attempts to master the chaos inherent in the cosmos, though his detection of disorder is keener than his peers. He also assumes the same typical misogyny of his time, another form of mastery. Finally, this article explores instances of différance in his text, places where the text resists mastery and reveals its own Otherness against Qohelet’s intentions.