The author presents his life experience as the ultimate proof for his philosophical conclusions. By highlighting his royal position, the unique nation he governed, and his capital city, he establishes that his search for meaning took place under perfect, limitless conditions. He introduces himself as "Kohelet," a title reflecting his method of gathering opposing views to distill the truth [מצודת דוד], or his history of gathering congregations from many nations under his rule [אלשיך]. Although these personal details seem like an introduction, they appear here because the text follows the author's emotional turmoil rather than a strict chronological timeline [תורה תמימה]. Written at the end of his life, the book serves as a final testament to future generations, summarizing his vast life experience [אבן עזרא].
His royal status was crucial to his journey. Being a king provided him with the unlimited resources, free time, and power to deeply investigate and experience every wisdom and pleasure available under heaven [תעלומות חכמה, אבן עזרא, רלב״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, describing his reign as a past event sparks significant discussion. While some suggest that biblical language can use the past tense to describe a continuous present state [מצודת ציון], the primary approach among commentators views this phrasing as evidence of a massive fracture and tragic fall. King Solomon relied too heavily on his own wisdom and took pride in his wealth, eventually violating the Torah's restrictions for a king by acquiring too many horses, excessive money, and foreign wives who ultimately led him to sin.
As a punishment for his transgressions, he was violently deposed by Ashmedai, the prince of demons, who stole his royal ring and cast him into exile [תורה תמימה, צאינה וראינה]. Following his expulsion, his dominion shrank in devastating stages. Initially a ruler over the entire world, his reign was reduced to just Israel, then to Jerusalem alone, until he was finally left with nothing but a wanderer's walking stick. He roamed as a commoner among synagogues and study halls, crying out that he was the king, yet no one believed him [רש״י, תורה תמימה, צאינה וראינה, אלשיך]. In this light, his claim of having been a king means exactly that: he ruled in the past but was reduced to nothing [רש״י, תורה תמימה]. Alternatively, another perspective suggests he made this statement after eventually regaining his throne. In this view, he is reflecting on the fact that he now ruled only over Israel and Jerusalem, a sharp decline from his former global empire [תורה תמימה, אלשיך].
The specific details of his rule further validate his philosophical journey. He emphasizes his reign over the Israelites to clarify that he did not govern simple nomads, but rather a wise and understanding nation filled with prophets and people of high moral character [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא]. Furthermore, the location of his capital is highly deliberate. Jerusalem is known as the city of wisdom [מצודת דוד]. Geographically and climatically, it rests at the exact center of the inhabited world, making it the most perfectly balanced environment for absorbing complete and pure wisdom [אבן עזרא].