Pointless! Pointless! says Kohelet. Utterly meaningless! Nothing matters!  

(Ecclesiastes 1:2; Complete Jewish Bible)

Ecclesiastes stands with Job as wisdom literature within the sacred Hebrew Scripture which aims is to examine the human condition; however, they differ in that while Job remains committed to his faith in God, the author of Ecclesiastes ‘Kohelet’ is almost atheistic in his scepticism, beginning with the famous nihilistic declaration that all is pointless.

‘Pointless’ translates הֶבֶל hebel, which is ‘vapour’, literally the breath that condenses in cold air; figuratively it stands for something ephemeral, insubstantial and meaningless.