BIBLE BOOKS: AUTHORS AND TIME OF WRITING
Genesis
Author: Traditionally Moses
Date: ca 1445 BC
Exodus
Author: Traditionally Moses
Date: ca 1445 BC
Leviticus
Author: Traditionally Moses
Date: ca 1445 BC
Numbers
Author: Traditionally Moses
Date: ca 1407 BC
Deuteronomy
Author: Traditionally Moses
Date: ca 1406 BC
Joshua
Author: Traditionally Joshua
Date: ca 1380 BC
Judges
Author: Traditionally Samuel
Date: ca 1050-1040 BC
Ruth
Author: Traditionally Samuel and the prophets Gad and Nathan
Date: ca 1050 BC
1 & 2 Samuel
Author: 1 Samuel: Traditionally Samuel, with additions by the prophets Gad and Nathan
2 Samuel: The prophets Gad and Nathan (See 1 Chronicles 29:29)
Date: ca 1021-1000 BC
1 & 2 Kings
Author: Traditionally Jeremiah
Date: ca 560-540 BC
1 & 2 Chronicles
Author: Traditionally Ezra
Date: ca 450-400 BC
Ezra
Author: Traditionally Ezra
Date: ca 450 BC
Nehemiah
Author: Traditionally Jeremiah
Date: ca 430 BC
Esther
Author: Traditionally Mordecai or an unknown Jewish author
Date: ca 465 BC
Job
Author: Traditionally Job, with possible additions by others
Date: ca 2000-1500 BC
Psalms
Author: Traditionally David and other authors, as indicated.
Date: ca 1000-400 BC. Perhaps finally compiled around AD 400.
Proverbs
Author: Traditionally Solomon, with additions by others
Date: ca 950-700 BC
Ecclesiastes
Author: Traditionally Solomon
Date: ca 935
Song of Solomon (Song of Songs)
Author: Traditionally Solomon
Date: ca 965
Isaiah
Author: Isaiah
Date: ca 740-700 BC
Jeremiah
Author: Jeremiah
Date: ca 585 BC
Lamentations
Author: Traditionally Jeremiah
Date: ca 586 BC
Ezekiel
Author: Ezekiel
Date: ca 570 BC
Daniel
Author: Daniel
Date: ca 530 BC
Hosea
Author: Traditionally Hosea
Date: 715 BC
Joel
Author: Traditionally Joel
Date: ca 500 - 400 BC
Amos
Author: Traditionally Amos
Date: 750 BC
Obadiah
Author: Traditionally Obadiah
Date: 590-586 BC
Jonah
Author: Traditionally Jonah
Date: ca 780 BC
Micah
Author: Traditionally Micah
Date: ca 700 BC
Nahum
Author: Traditionally Nahum
Date: ca 650 BC
Habakkuk
Author: Traditionally Habakkuk
Date: ca 610 BC
Zephaniah
Author: Traditionally Zephaniah
Date: ca 625 BC
Haggai
Author: Traditionally Haggai
Date: ca 520 BC
Zechariah
Author: Traditionally Zechariah
Date: ca 518 BC
Malachi
Author: Malachi
Date: ca 420 BC
Matthew
Author: Traditionally the apostle Matthew, the tax collector
Date: AD 54-55
Mark
Author: Traditionally John Mark
Date: AD 40-50
Luke
Author: Traditionally Luke, the physician and companion of Paul
Date: AD 60-62
John
Author: Traditionally John the apostle
Date: AD 80-90
Acts
Author: Traditionally Luke, the physician and companion of Paul
Date: AD 62-64
In all of these letters the author is identified as Paul, and early church tradition accepted the apostle Paul as the author. Only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries did some liberal scholars reject this view. Modern scholarship, based on latest archaeological discoveries and documents, has mostly come to agree with the traditional views. There is really no reason to doubt Paul's authorship and, as most conservative Bible scholars, we consider Paul to be the author of all the letters traditionally ascribed to him.
Romans
Author: Paul
Date: AD 57
1 Corinthians
Author: Paul
Date: AD 54/55
2 Corinthians
Author: Paul
Date: AD 56
Galatians
Author: Paul
Date: AD 48
Ephesians
Author: Paul
Date: AD 61
Philippians
Author: Paul
Date: AD 61
Colossians
Author: Paul
Date: AD 61
1 Thessalonians
Author: Paul
Date: AD 51
2 Thessalonians
Author: Paul
Date: AD 51
1 Timothy
Author: Paul
Date: AD 62-63
2 Timothy
Author: Paul
Date: AD 64-65
Titus
Author: Paul
Date: AD 62-63
Philemon
Author: Paul
Date: AD 61
Hebrews
Author: The author is unknown, and does not identify himself in the letter. Traditionally Paul and Barnabas were considered possible authors, also Apollos and others.
Date: AD 60-68
James
Author: Traditionally attributed to James, the brother of Jesus
Date: AD 45
1 Peter
Author: Traditionally the apostle Peter
Date: AD 60-62
2 Peter
Author: Traditionally the apostle Peter
Date: AD 63-64
1 John
Author: Traditionally the apostle John
Date: AD 95
2 John
Author: Traditionally the apostle John
Date: AD 95
3 John
Author: Traditionally the apostle John
Date: AD 95
Jude
Author: Traditionally Jude, the brother of Jesus
Date: AD 66
Revelation
Author: Traditionally the apostle John
Date: AD 95-96
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