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: [email protected]