Kush Edifying Ministries

Ron Davis, Minister of Christ

 

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.

 

 

BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT                                                                  BOOK PROBABLE (Year / Century) 

 

Matthew -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------c.40-60 A.D.

Mark                                                                                                          c.45-60 A.D.

Luke --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------57-60 A.D.

John                                                                                                        c.40-65 A.D.

Acts  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------57-62 A.D.

Romans                                                                                                          57 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.

Jude                                                                                                            61-62 A.D.

Revelation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------68-70 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.

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