Objection · Case 03 · Reliability of Scripture
An early copy of Ecclesiastes from about 175 BC is important for dating the book, not for proving faithful copying. There’s no earlier text to compare it to.
One objection from the free evidence repository at apologetics.pro.
Response
Both are true. The early date of 4QQoh-a refutes the older scholarly view that Ecclesiastes was written in the second century BC, which is a separate point worth having. For stability, the fragment is compared forward to the medieval text and agrees closely, and that thousand-year comparison is what this claim is about.
About this exhibit
This objection is to Ecclesiastes.
About 2 to 3 copies of Ecclesiastes were found. One of them, 4QQoheleth-a, is among the earliest scrolls, dated to about 175 to 150 BC.