Footnote 1 – Did Ecclesiastes Copy Gilgamesh?

The ancient Near Eastern texts commonly referred to as Wisdom literature by modern scholars are concerned with formulating rules for a good life on the basis of experience. The literary genre runs from counsels and proverbs to speculations on the problem of undeserved suffering and the meaning of life. Although the intellectual outlook of the ancient Near Eastern sages is religious throughout, Wisdom literature transcends the cultural differences in cult and belief.