Interpreters of Ecclesiastes have struggled with the word hebel (traditionally "vanity" but literally "vapor"). The positions they have adopted regarding the term have influenced their interpretation of the book as a whole.
This work defends a new thesis for the word hebel in Ecclesiastes, demonstrating how Qohelet employs a single, multivalent vapor-symbol to represent human experience in a life filled with limitations and complications. Paperback edition is available from the Society of Biblical Literature (www.sbl-site.org)