Presentation at Society of Biblical Literature

I am preparing a presentation for the Society of Biblical Literature regional meeting in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

My title is: Moby-Dick's Allusions to Ecclesiastes.

SBL Session 2: Wisdom Literature; March 11, 2010; 10:05--11:55 am.

( SBL 2.2 ) WISDOM LITERATURE (Salon C)
Presiding: Kenton Sparks, Eastern University.
“Innocent Suffering, Shunned and Unanswered: Ignorant Suffering in the Book of Job and Its
Socio-Political Role.”
Joonho Yoon, Drew University.
“The Last Temptation of Job: Temptation Traditions in the Islamic Qisas al-Anbiya of Job.”
Christopher Hooker, Princeton Theological Seminary.
“The Depiction of Leviathan and Behemoth in the Old Greek of Job.”
Adam Oliver Stokes, Princeton Theological Seminary.
“Moby-Dick’s Allusions to Ecclesiastes.”
Stephen J. Bennett, Nyack College / Alliance Theological Seminary.
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Commentary submitted to Publisher

My commentary is finally complete. Alex Varughese has graciously and efficiently done the editing for both Ecclesiastes and Lamentations. The manuscript has been forwarded to the publisher for copy editing. Release date is planned for March 1, 2010.

Carly Simon, Anticipation

Connections with Ecclesiastes:

"chasing after some finer day."

"tomorrow we might not be together."

"These are the good old days."

Lyrics:

Anticipation

We can never know about the days to come

But we think about them anyway

And I wonder if I'm really with you now

Or just chasing after some finer day

{Refrain}

Anticipation, anticipation

Is making me late

It's keeping me waiting

And I tell you how easy it feels to be with you

And how right your arms feel around me

But I, I rehearsed those words just late last night

When I was thinking about how right tonight might be

{Refrain}

And tomorrow we might not be together

I'm no prophet, and I don't know nature's ways

So I'll try to see into your eyes right now

And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days

These are the good old days

And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days

These are the good old days

These are the good old days

These are the good old days

These are the good old days

Ziggy Marley: Good Old Days

Connections with Ecclesiastes:

"No one knows the future."

"For everything has a season; It's not a time for war, it's a time for peace."

"Let's cherish these moments that we now know."

Lyrics by David Marley:

Good Old Days

Ire days, come on play

Let the angels fly, let the devils die

Got to do what you can with the time at hand

Ali boom mah, yeah, ali boom mah, yeah.

Don't worry your mind, it's just the test of time

In five years, these be the good ol' days

No one knows what the future holds

For everything has a season

It's not a time for war, it's a time for peace

Tomorrow knows tomorrow woes

I remember when grandpa used to say

"Grandson, these be the good ol' days"

These be the good ol' days

These be the good ol' days

These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days

Now comes the moon with its starry lights

And so begins the night life

The tribal dance puts me in a trance

As she pulls me in with her magic swing

I asked of her what do we celebrate

She said to me, "These be the good ol' days"

These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days

These be the good ol' days

There is no future, there is only now, now

Let's cherish these moments that we now know, know, know

These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days
These be the good ol' days

...

Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ

A few references to Ecclesiastes in the spiritual formation classic Imitation of Christ.

Kipling--Gods of the Copybook Headings

In days gone by handwriting was learned by copying out lines in "copybooks." What to copy was supplied in the book with headings on each page, often consisting of a helpful proverb. When Kipling reacted against the social trends of his day, he spoke about this copybook wisdom as something that had been abandoned, but which would in the end prove valuable.

That reminds me of Ecclesiastes. There is a serious challenge to the received wisdom, but in the end an unwillingness to let go of the doctrine of retribution. "but know thou, that for all these [things] God will bring thee into judgment" (Ecclesiastes 11:9).

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

AS I PASS through my incarnations in every age and race, I make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market Place. Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all. We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn: But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind, So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind. We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace, Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market Place, But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome. With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch, They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch; They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings; So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things. When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace. They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease. But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know." On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life (Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife) Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death." In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all, By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy, And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die." Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more. As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man There are only four things certain since Social Progress began. That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire, And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire; And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins, As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn, The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!

I Surrender All

Someone asked me to translate "I Surrender All" into Hebrew, so here it is. Please post a comment if you have corrections or a better translation for this hymn.