Ecclesiastes contains the writings of a wealthy Jew who suffered from the sorrows and disappointments of life and now tries to discover the true value and meaning of life through God. The author of this book calls himself "The Preacher," "The son of David," and "king in Jerusalem." But whether this was Solomon or a later "son of David" is uncertain.

Ecclesiastes 3

3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?