Genesis
Author: Traditionally attributed to Moses
Date of Writing: Moses lived around the 1400s
Time Period: Beginning of Time
Exodus
Author: Traditionally attributed to Moses. Ref. Exodus 34:27 & Mark 12:26
Date: ~mid-1400s BC
Leviticus
Author: Traditionally attributed to Moses.
Date: ~mid-1400s BC
Numbers
Author: Traditionally attributed to Moses.
Date: ~mid-1400s BC
Deuteronomy
Author: Traditionally attributed to Moses. Ref. Deuteronomy 31:9.
Date: ~mid-1400s BC
Joshua
Author: attributed to Joshua except for the final five verses describing his death (Joshua 24:29-33)
Date: ~1375 BC
Judges
Author: unknown, possibly the prophet Samuel
Date: Written ~1050 BC but cover events back to 1375 BC
Ruth
Author: unknown, possibly the prophet Samuel
Date: Most likely ~1100 BC as Ruth is the great grandmother of King David (who reigned ~1010-970 BC)
1 Samuel
Author: unknown, Samuel was likely involved
Date: ~1100-1000 BC
2 Samuel
Author: unknown, maybe Abiathar the priest (2 Samuel 15:35)
Date: ~1100-1000 BC
1 Kings
Author: unknown, maybe Jeremiah
Date: Probably written sometime after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem ~586. Covers events from 970-850 BC.
2 Kings
Author: unknown, maybe Jeremiah
Date: Probably written sometime after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem ~586. Covers events from ~800 – 500BC.
1 Chronicles
Author: attributed to Ezra the priest
Date: Covers ~ 1010 BC (death of King Saul) – 970 BC (death of King David)
2 Chronicles
Author: attributed to Ezra the priest
Date: Covers ~ 970 BC (accession of King Solomon) – 500 BC (Jewish return to Jerusalem from exile)
Ezra
Author: attributed to Ezra the priest (Ref. Ezra 7:11)
Date: ~530 – mid 400s BC
Nehemiah
Author: Nehemiah 1:1 states these are “the words of Nehemiah”, though Jewish tradition states Ezra wrote them.
Date: ~445 BC
Esther
Author: unknown, maybe Ezra or Nehemiah
Date: ~486 – 465 BC (reign of King Ahasuerus of Persia. Ezra became queen ~479 BC)
Job
Author: unknown
Date: unknown, though it is believed to be one of the oldest books of the Bible, maybe even ~2000 BC
Psalms
Author: mostly King David. Also Solomon, Moses, Asaph, Ethan, sons of Korah, and others unauthored
Date: ~1400 (Moses’ time) BC – 500 BC (time of the Babylonian Exile)
Proverbs
Author: mostly Solomon (reference Proverbs 1:1, Proverbs 22:17). Also Agur (Proverbs 30:1) & King Lemuel (31:1).
Date: ~970 – 930 BC (reign of Solomon)
Ecclesiastes
Author: Likely Solomon (Reference Ecc 1:1, 1:12, 1:16)
Date: ~900s BC
Song of Solomon
Author: Solomon (Ref. 1:1)
Date: 970-930 BC
Isaiah
Author: Isaiah, son of Amoz (1:1)
Date: ~740-700 BC (the year King Uzziah died) Ref 6:1
Reference
- Know Your Bible All 66 Books Explained and Applied