015
In Hebrew they say Ein chadash tachat hashemesh; in Greek, Ouk esti pan prosfaton upo ton hlion; and in Latin, Nihil sub sole novum.
No matter how you say it, it comes down to pretty much the same thing: “There’s nothing new under the sun.” And if we pay attention to contemporary reports in the press, that adage—attributed to a son of David in Ecclesiastes 1:9—remains as true today as it ever was.
Sometimes, as is the case in sports, a rather long memory is required. An example from soccer can be cited to demonstrate this point (from The Observer in March 2009): “St. Mirren’s victory may have a seismic shock in some quarters, but it merely confirmed there is nothing new under the sun,” as the writer proves by citing a Scottish Cup match 47 years earlier. Not to be outdone, a columnist for the same publication casts an even longer look backward, in this instance to tennis: “As the Good Book (nearly) says: ‘There ain’t nothing new under the sun’—and it might have added, ‘particularly newspapers’ obsession with what female competitors wear at Wimbledon.’” The earliest citation here goes back 80 years.
I can imagine that Solomon (traditionally identified as the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes) might well have had an eye for sports and women’s wear (on and off the court).
I don’t have any insider knowledge on Solomon’s date of birth. However, given his reputation, Biblical and extra-Biblical, he would certainly have preferred to hear “happy birthday” on July 27—with this horoscope (compliments of The Globe and Mail of Canada): “It may be true that there is nothing new under the sun but you are determined to find ways to express yourself and make your mark on the world. Don’t settle for average or second best: you want your brilliance to be remembered for generations to come”—than on February 19—whose birthday celebrants must settle for a decidedly more prosaic future (again, as recorded in The Globe and Mail): “You are determined to change your life for the better. You are more likely to succeed in that aim if you learn from those who have followed the same or similar paths to the one you are about to take. Remember: there is nothing new under the sun.”
Nowhere is the quotidian lack of newness more commonly noted than in the world of entertainment. Solomon himself would have been entranced by this description (under “Fashion and Beauty” in the magazine section of The Irish Times): “The original beauty queen, Cleopatra, not only bathed in milk but wore a gold face mask to bed. They say there’s nothing new under the sun and you can have your own Queen of the Nile moment during a Golden Light facial … This luxurious treatment is based on the principle that when pure gold leaf—yes, you heard me—is applied to the skin, the reaction prompts a regeneration and plumping action, resulting in cell renewal and the diminishing of fine lines. It’s a terrific gift for the girl who has everything”—including, I suppose, any one of Solomon’s many concubines and even more numerous wives.
Surely, he would also have appreciated the combined classical and contemporary touch in this review of a London production of Racine’s “Phedre” (as found in The Press of Christchurch, New Zealand): “Proving there’s nothing new under the sun, Phedre is a Minoan Mrs. Robinson or the ancient version of a modern ‘cougar’ attracted to younger men.” Or what about this? “Crazy Bones [brightly colored plastic figurines very popular among the young British, as reported in The Express of October 2008], which arrived in Britain at the beginning of the year, were supposedly inspired by a throwing game played with sheep bones in ancient Greece more than 2,000 years ago, which goes to show there’s nothing new under the sun.” Come to think of it, this might have appealed more to the shepherd David than to his pampered son.
About the only place where Solomon’s wisdom has been decisively challenged is in the seemingly unlikely context of fishing tournaments (as reported in National Post’s Financial Post & FP Investing of Canada). This account starts off like all of the others: “They say there’s nothing new under the sun, and fishing tournaments have been under the sun for a long, long time.” But “two years ago, Montreal-based property developer-cum-entrepreneur Richard Shafter had an epiphany,” namely, to “hold a fishing tournament where an infinite number of anglers competed simultaneously on bodies of water all over the world.” Alas, Richard Shafter, I think Solomon himself may have anticipated this idea, with his advice (from Ecclesiastes 11:1, appropriately expanded): “Cast your [lines, with baits of worms and] bread upon the water …”
In Hebrew they say Ein chadash tachat hashemesh; in Greek, Ouk esti pan prosfaton upo ton hlion; and in Latin, Nihil sub sole novum.
You have already read your free article for this month. Please join the BAS Library or become an All Access member of BAS to gain full access to this article and so much more.