The setting for the book of Joel also helps describe its unity. By this we mean that the lament ritual which forms the book’s background is another unifying factor, for the various parts of the book all reflect elements in a lament liturgy. Thus the setting enables us to speak of a unity of function in Joel. Joel’s present form is that of a well-constructed literary work. We may assume that originally each part was even more closely related to the liturgy of lament, but now each has become