Approximate
/ Probable Year and/or Century the Books of the Bible Were Written
This information is given because in
your study of the Holy Scriptures it will always be good to know when the
specific book was written, because it helps in understanding any prophecies
given by them. Especially, the books of Daniel and Ezekiel, and the others
prophets who spoke after Israel and Judah went into captivity.
BOOKS
OF THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK
PROBABLE (Year / Century)
Genesis*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------c.1250
- 1200 B.C.
Exodus*
c.1250 - 1200 B.C.
Leviticus*
-------------------------------------------------------------------------c.1250
- 1200 B.C.
Numbers*
c.1250 - 1200 B.C.
Deuteronomy*
--------------------------------------------------------------------c.1250
- 1200 B.C.
*NOTE: Some scholars believe the first five books
of the Bible known as the Pentateuch are the oldest
books in the Bible, written between 1446 and 1406 B.C.; however, there are many
other scholars who believe the book Job is the oldest book in the Bible written
around c.1500 B.C. The belief that the book of Job is the oldest book of the
Bible is more likely to be true than the Pentateuch, because Job is making own
sacrifices at a place not prescribed by the laws of Moses given after coming
out Egypt. If one believes that Moses wrote Genesis then the person called Job
would have lived during or before Abraham time and the other patriarchs who
made their own sacrifices to God. They themselves performed the duties of
priest for their household (see Job 1:1-5 where Job made burnt offerings to sanctify
his sons and daughters regularly at the end of the week of their feasting on
each of the seven sons appointed feast day – Saturday, the Sabbath). See also
below under Job.
Joshua
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------c.1200
B.C.
Judges
c.1200 B.C.
Ruth
c.1000 B.C.
1st Samuel
-----------------------------------------------------------------------c.700
B.C.
2nd Samuel c.700
B.C.
1st Kings
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
c.600 B.C.
2nd Kings c.600 B.C.
1st Chronicles
---------------------------------------------------------------------c.350
B.C.
2nd Chronicles
c.350 B.C.
Ezra ----------------------------------------------------------------------------c.400
B.C.
Nehemiah
c.400 B.C
Tobit*** c.200 B.C.
Judith***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------c.150
B.C.
Esther
c.300 B.C.
1st
Maccabees***-------------------------------------------------------------------c.100
B.C.
2nd Maccabees***
c.125 B.C.
Job**
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
c.1500 B.C.
**NOTE: The date above is the most likely date this
book was written, but there are some scholars who debate this date claiming it
was written around c. 500 B.C. However, the
evidence within the books themselves gives us valid proof that Job was written
around c. 1500 B.C. before the first five books of the Bible. One solid reason
supporting this is that most scholars believe Moses wrote the first five books;
and Job is picture in his book as making offerings to sanctify his sons and
daughters a practice of the patriarchs before the Law of Moses. (Also, see note
above).
BOOK PROBABLE (Year / Century)
Psalms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.500
B.C.
Proverbs
c.450 B.C.
Ecclesiastes ----------------------------------------------------------------------------c.300
B.C.
Song of Songs
c.450 B.C.
Wisdom***
---------------------------------------------------------------------------c.100
B.C.
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)***
c.180 B.C.
Isaiah
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.700
B.C.
Jeremiah c.585
B.C.
Lamentations
---------------------------------------------------------------------------c.550
B.C.
Baruch*** c.550 B.C.
Ezekiel
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.590
B.C.
Daniel
c.165 B.C.
Hosea
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.750
B.C.
Joel
c.400 B.C.
Amos
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.750
B.C.
Obadiah
c.500 B.C.
Jonah
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.450
B.C.
Micah
c.740 B.C.
Nahum
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.612
B.C.
Habakkuk
c.600 B.C.
Zephaniah
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.620
B.C.
Haggai
c.520
B.C.
Zechariah
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.520
B.C.
Malachi c.450 B.C.
***NOTE: The books
below are not included in the books of the Bible this are recognized as
authoritative by the church today. The word they use is Canonicity.
BOOK PROBABLE (Year / Century)
Tobit
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.200
B.C.
Judith
c.150 B.C.
1st Maccabees
------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.100
B.C.
2nd Maccabees
c.125 B.C.
Wisdom
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.100
B.C.
Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) c.180
B.C.
Baruch
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.550
B.C.
Matthew
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.40-60
A.D.
Luke
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------57-60
A.D.
John
c.40-65 A.D.
Acts
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------57-62
A.D.
1 Corinthians ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------55
A.D.
2 Corinthians
56 A.D.
Galatians ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------56
A.D.
Ephesians
58 A.D.
Philippians
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------58
A.D.
Colossians
58 A.D.
1 Thessalonians
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------50
A.D.
2 Thessalonians
50-51 A.D.
1 Timothy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------55
A.D.
2 Timothy 58
A.D.
Titus
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------57
A.D.
Philemon 58 A.D.
Hebrews
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.67
A.D.
James
40's
A.D.
1 Peter
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------65
A.D.
2 Peter
61-62 A.D.
1 John
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------57-62
A.D.
2 John
57-62 A.D.
3 John -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------57-62
A.D.
Source for
dates of New Testament: John A. T. Robinson, "Redating The New
Testament" 1976.
Some
Interesting Things about the Bible:
The books of the
Bible were written over a period of some 1,500 years. They were written in various places
and times. The Bible is a collection
of books (or scrolls), with the earliest book or writing being recorded over
3500-3700 years ago. Moses in Exodus is said to have received the Ten
Commandments (the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant) written on stone tablets by
the finger of God. These early writings of the Bible were written in the
Aramaic and Hebrew languages.
The period of
time (nearly 500 years) between the Old Covenant (commonly called Old Testament which has the same
meaning as a covenant), and the New Covenant (commonly called the New
Testament) where the Spirit of God provided no visions or sayings for the men
of God to write down. The prophet who wrote the book of Malachi, some claims it
was the prophet Isaiah records the last book of the Old Testament. Then the
writer of Matthew pens the first book of the New Testament under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
By the time of
New Testament times the Greek language
had become the prefer language of the educated world. However, during the time
of Christ the Aramaic was the language of Jews (the tribes of Levi, Judah and
Benjamin see 1 Kings 12), and the Greek was used when the writings of the New
Testament were penned.
The apostle Paul
wrote the majority of the books in the New Testament. The book of Hebrews is still in debate today as to
who wrote it. However, many today love to attribute it to the apostle for
various reasons mostly tradition than anything else. The book of Hebrews is
more than likely to have been written by another person besides the apostle for
at least two main reasons, there are more but I will let these two suffice for
now. First, the apostle Paul in his books other books (which is 12 in all)
always identifies himself as the writer or as the one who dictated them.
Secondly, the book of Hebrews speaks more of the priesthood being changed and
the law giving the impression that the writer may have been a member of the
Aaronic priesthood or Levite, Paul was a Benjaminite, not a Levite.
Other
interesting things and who wrote some of the books in the Holy Bible:
1)
The oldest book in the Bible is the book of Job written over 1500 years ago by an unknown
man of God, most likely it was one of Job’s friends who witnessed the things in
it, if not Job himself.
2) The last or youngest book in the Bible
is the book of Malachi written between 400 and 450 B.C.
3) The oldest book in the New Testament
most likely is the book of James written between years 40 to 46 A.D.
4) The last book of the New Testament is
most likely the youngest book, the book of Revelation written probably
between the years 68 to 95 A.D. I give it this span because of the various
dates that are debated.
5) The books of the Bible were written in
three languages: the Hebrew, the Aramaic, and Koine Greek. The Old Testament
written in the Hebrew and Aramaic; and the New Testament in the Koine
Greek.
6) The first five books (known as
the Pentateuch) are said by most that Moses wrote them. However, the
vast amount of the books most likely were written by Moses with him dictating
some to Joshua, the son of Nun, his assistant, who may have completed it during
and after recording Moses death.
7) The book of Joshua is said
traditionally that Joshua wrote it; however, it is more probable that Joshua
wrote some as well as one of his assistants.
8) The historical books such as Judges,
Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd
Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles and Esther (Mordecai probably penned this book), and the others
most likely were penned by the judges of the time.
9) Book of Lamentations most
say the prophet Jeremiah wrote it. The man of God who wrote it was an
eyewitness to the fall of Jerusalem around the 6th century by the
Babylonians.
10)
The book of Psalms written by various individual men of God, such as king David
(the man of God after God’s heart),
Asaph, Solomon the son of David (who received great wisdom above all on earth
from God), the sons of Korah, Heman the Ezrahite, Ethan the Ezrahite, even one (Psalm
90) was written by Moses (the prophet who was a type of Christ), and
there still some Psalms that are debated as unknown writers, wrote them.
11)This
book of wisdom is another collection of sayings and writings of the time by
various writers, to include Solomon who had much wisdom (Luke 11:31), a
few verses of the proverbs and wisdom of this writings were penned by the men
in the household of king Hezekiah. Men named Agur and Lemuel are mentioned in
these proverbs as writers also.
12)The
other book of wisdom Ecclesiastes commonly said to have been written by
Solomon, which seems to be the most likely writer.
13)Then
we have the writings or shall we say history books of Ezra and Nehemiah. These
books were originally one book as the Talmud (as the old Testament is referred
to by the Jews), and also in the traditional Hebrew bible of the Jews. These books
were most likely written by the men Ezra and Nehemiah themselves, and also that
some of the writings others penned, possibly by the scribes or Levites of the
time.
14)The
book Song of Songs traditionally and commonly attributed to Solomon.
15)Book
of Isaiah is the writing of this prophet himself. The book of Jeremiah is the
writing of this prophet also.
16)The
book of Ezekiel is the writing of this prophet, and the book of Daniel is the
writing this prophet.
17)And
the books of the “so-called” minor prophets (whatever that mean – I am still
trying to figure out what’s a major prophet), Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah,
Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai who gave us the exact dates of
his writings (August, September, and December of 520 B.C.) written by the
prophets whose names the books are called by, and Zechariah (though the last
few chapters 9-14 are said to be written by someone else possible Jeremiah) its
also said to be dated in October 520 B.C., February 519 B.C., and December 518
B.C.
18)The
prophet Isaiah wrote the book called Malachi; this is because of the book of
Mark quote in chapter one verses 2-3. Also, the Hebrew for the word “Malachi”
means “my messenger”.
19)The
books Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were by the apostles and men of God whose
names the books were given. Also, Luke wrote the book of Acts.
20)The
apostle Paul wrote all the twelve books or epistles called Romans, 1st
Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
1st Thessalonians, 2nd Thessalonians, 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, and Philemon.
21)The
book of Hebrews was written by a priest or Levite who became a follower of
Christ, most likely the apostle Barnabas translated in the Hebrew as “son of
Encouragement” see Acts 4:36…”And Joses, [NU-Text reads Joseph] who was
also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement),
a Levite of the country of Cyprus”. There are a great many in the
mainstream religious community who love to claim Paul wrote it even though most
of them no better; yet they still say Paul wrote it out of their own
traditions. Here again we see these leaders in the churches of this world using
their tradition to override fact and truth. It is beyond belief that this book
would even be considered Paul’s in view of the style of all the others books he
wrote. See my not above where I make comments about this book.
22)The
books referred to by the names of the apostles and written by are James, 1st
Peter, 2nd Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude, all written by
them. As said before the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation, and it was
the last book written for the current Scripture recordings.
The above information were gathered from many known
public sources such as NKJV and NIV study bibles, and available Bible
commentaries: the dates for the books of the Holy Bible were gathered from
various sources and general web searches all in the public domain, as to to this ministry
best knowledge. All comments are those of Evangelist Ron Davis, Minister of
Christ, of the Kush Edifying Ministries.
To contact this ministry
please email: yourcomments@kemonline.411-cashflow.com