Feel free to comment and correct, I take all criticism as a blessing.
Pray for me, and God bless.
Traditional-Conservative
Biblical Authorship
The following will be a short study done
on Traditional Authorship of the entire Holy Bible. I will include all 73 books of the Catholic
Canon of Sacred Scripture, both Proto-canonical and Deutero-canonical books. The dates and names of authors have been
inferred from Traditional sources – writings of Saints and Doctors and Fathers
of the Church, and Traditional Catholic-Christian Bibles. I believe the following represents the closest
we have of who actually authored the Scriptures and when. Some of it is conjecture, but much of it has
solid evidence – both internal from Scripture itself, and external from Sacred
Tradition. I pray more Catholics,
especially our clergy, will hold to Traditional views of Scripture, as it is my
belief that traditional views lead to a deeper reverence of the
Scriptures. I am well familiar with the
documentary hypotheses, the “solutions” to the synoptic “problem”, and other
Biblical dilemmas (“three authors of Isaiah, late authorship of Daniel, etc.”)
but I do not subscribe to any of these theories. They are all just as much conjecture as
traditional views, except these modern views lack any external evidence
whatsoever aside from the “scholarship” of the past 5 centuries, at the most. Some of the dates I use are very approximate,
my goal is not to try and pin down an exact date, as I believe that’s
impossible, but with the Old Testament I believe we can know the date to within
100 years, and with the New Testament I believe we can know the dates to within
a decade.
The
Old Testament – 46 books
The Pentateuch – Torah/Law of Moses:
1)
Genesis – the Book of Genesis
likely has its origins in both oral and written tradition, possibly dating as
far back as 3,000 B.C. The Book of
Genesis, in its current form, was compiled by Moses and Aaron, using
traditional material, approximately 1,300 – 1,200 B.C. Later, from 1,200 to 800 B.C., Joshua and
unnamed Priests and Scribes probably compiled the writings, polished things,
and set the Book in stone in its current form.
2)
Exodus – same as Genesis,
written by Moses and Aaron around 1,200 B.C., finished by Scribes by 800 B.C.
3)
Leviticus – Moses and Aaron,
~1,200 B.C.
4)
Numbers – Moses and Aaron,
~1,200 B.C.
5)
Deuteronomy – Moses and Aaron,
~1,200 B.C. Last chapter finished by
Joshua, final form fixed by Scribes by ~700 B.C.
The
Historical Books – Joshua through Ezra-Nehemiah:
6)
Joshua – 1,200 to 1,100
B.C. Written by Joshua, final form fixed
by Scribes by ~700 B.C.
7)
Judges – 1,150 to 1,000
B.C. Written by Samuel and various
Judges (possibly Gideon, Jephtah, Deborah, etc.). Final form fixed by Scribes by ~700 B.C.
8)
Ruth – 1,050 to 800 B.C. By Samuel, possibly also Boaz and Ruth. Final form fixed by Scribes by ~700 B.C.
9)
1 Samuel – 1,000 to 800
B.C. Earlier parts by Samuel, later
finished by Nathan, Gad and Abiathar.
10)
2 Samuel – 1,000 to 775
B.C. Same authors as 1 Samuel, finished
in same century (9th century B.C.)
11)
1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2
Chronicles (In the Greek / Latin, 1st through 4th Books
of Kings) - Numbers 11 through 14 are one long series of histories, started
around 1,000 B.C. By Samuel, David and Solomon, written over the next 4
centuries by various Kings, Prophets, and Scribes, such as Nathan, Ahijah, Iddo
the Seer, Iddo the Prophet, Jehu and Isaiah.
Possibly compiled by Ezra around the 5th century B.C.
15)
Ezra – 550 B.C. – 450 B.C. Authored
mainly by Ezra, his work finished by his Scribes and disciples.
16)
Nehemiah – 450 – 400 B.C. Authored
mainly by Nehemiah, work finished by Scribes and disciples. This ends the
section of the Historical Books. I
believe these traditional views, held by Jews and Christians for thousands of
years, are much more accurate to truth than the modern theories of “J, E, D, P,
the “Deuteronomist”, and other whacky theories, which are mostly by products of
18th and 19th century liberal German Protestantism, which
has, sadly, been adopted by all of Christendom, aside from the Eastern
Catholic/Orthodox brothers and sisters, who uphold Tradition against all odds,
much to their credit and blessing.
Starting
at number 17 running through number 22, we have the Biblical Novellas, 4 out of
5 of which fall under the Deutero-canonical category. One book, Esther, is proto-canon; however,
parts of it are Greek Deutero-canon.
17)
Tobit – This book is very hard to date, but I believe it dates back to 750 –
600 B.C., with written and oral traditions handed down both by the elder and
junior Tobias. We have found fragments
of Aramaic originals, which lend credence to such a view. Current book was set in its final form by
Scribes by 200 B.C.
18)
Judith – Similar to Tobit, I believe there is written and oral tradition dating
back to 700 – 600 B.C., which comes from possibly Judith herself, and Eliakim,
later set in its current form by the 4th or 3rd century
B.C.
19)
Esther – dates back to between the 6th to 5th centuries
B.C., written by Mordecai with the help of Esther herself. Fixed in final form by Hellenistic Jewish
Scribes circa 4th to 2nd century B.C.
20)
1 Maccabees – 200 to 100 B.C. Possibly
has its origins in works by Jason of Cyrene and Judas Maccabees himself, fixed
by Scribes within a century of the original work, no later than 50 B.C.
21)
2 Maccabees – Same as first Maccabees, 200 to 75 B.C.
Next
after the five Biblical Novellas, we have the seven Sapiential Books, or the
Wisdom Books. We’ll start at Job number
22.
22)
Job – the Book of Job may have some of the oldest oral and/or written
traditions of the entire Bible. Some
scholars have dated parts of it as far back as the 18th century
B.C. I believe kernels of it do date
back that far, but the book in its current form was fixed by 500 B.C., having
been worked on by Job, and possibly by his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and
Elihu, and later worked on possibly by Moses, possibly finished by Ezra or
Nehemiah.
23)
Psalms – the Book of Psalms has at least ten original inspired authors. Obviously, first and foremost is the King,
Prophet, Psalmist and Saint, the Mighty David.
Other Authors include Asaph, the Sons of Korah, Moses, Solomon, and
unnamed Scribes and Sages. Some Psalms
date back as far as the 13th century B.C., the majority date from
the 11th to 9th century B.C., and the Psalms were
finished and fixed by the 5th or 6th century B.C.
24)
Proverbs – like the Book of Psalms, this Wisdom writing has several human authors
besides God. First and foremost are King
Solomon, the Wise King, Prophet and Saint of Israel. Other possible authors include one Lemuel and
one Agur, though it’s not known if these are pseudonyms of King Solomon. The book started being authored around 950
B.C., and was fixed in the form we have it between 500 and 300 B.C.
25)
Ecclesiastes – another work of King Solomon, who in the Book uses the title “the
Preacher”, or in Hebrew, Koheleth. Like Proverbs,
began to be written around 950 B.C., finished between 500 and 300 B.C.
26)
Song of Songs – another work of King Solomon, began around 950 B.C., finished
between 500 and 300 B.C.
27)
The Book of Wisdom – the first of two Deutero-canonical Wisdom books. Roots dating back to Solomon in the 10th
century B.C., finished by post-exilic Sages between 400 and 75 B.C.
28)
The Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach, aka Ecclesiasticus – Written by Jesus, son of
Sirach, around 200 B.C., translated into Greek by his grandson around 100 B.C.,
fixed in its final form and passed down by 75 B.C.
We
have now covered four out of the five major divisions of the Catholic Bible Old
Testament. The last, and largest,
division is known as the Prophets. We
have 18 Prophetical Books, being split into two categories and two time
periods. The two categories are the
Major and Minor Prophets, the difference mainly being in the length and impact
of the Prophecies. The two time periods
being the Prophets of the Kingdoms, starting between 850 and 800 B.C., and
ending between 600 and 550 B.C. Next we
have the Prophets of the Exile and the post-Exilic Prophets, numbering 6 or 7
of the 18 Prophets, and Prophesying between 600 and 300 B.C., and their books
being fixed in their current forms between 400 and 200 B.C. Let us continue:
29)
Isaiah – the Great Prophet and Saint Isaiah, prophesied between approximately
750 and 675 B.C. His 66 chapter book was
compiled and written entirely by himself, although it’s possible Scribes or
Disciples of his compiled his prophecies into their final form sometime in the
7th century B.C. Regardless,
Isaiah wrote the great majority of his book, and it was completed by the close
of the 7th century (600 B.C.)
30)
Jeremiah – the Prophet and Saint Jeremiah, together with his close personal
friend, Scribe, Prophet and Saint Baruch, wrote this and the next two works
over a period from about 660 B.C. to 575 B.C.
31)
Lamentations – Part of the three books of Jeremiah and Baruch.
32)
Baruch – the final Deutero-canonical book and the only Deutero-canonical
Prophetical book, aside from sections of Daniel. Written by Baruch, the last chapter being an
Epistle written by Jeremiah. Finished
and fixed in its final form by 300 B.C.
33)
Ezekiel – written by the Prophet Ezekiel between 600 and 550 B.C.
34)
Daniel – written by the Prophet Daniel mostly in the 6th century
B.C., possibly with input from Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, and compiled by
Scribes and fixed by the close of the 4th century B.C.
With
Daniel, we finish the first category of the Prophets, and we come into the final
division of the Old Testament, the so-called Minor Prophets, twelve of them,
just as there are twelve tribes of Israel and the Twelve Apostles of Christ,
the Twelve Prophets prefigure the Twelve Apostles. The Twelve prophets are split approximately
evenly, half coming before the Exile, half prophesying after the exile,
finishing with Zechariah and Malachi closing out the age of Prophesy at the end
of the 5th century B.C. (about 400 B.C.)
35)
Hosea – Hosea and the next 5 Prophets were near contemporaries of each other,
some working in the southern Kingdom of Judah, some in the Northern Kingdom of
Israel. Some were contemporaries with
the Major Prophets. Hosea wrote his book
between 760 and 700 B.C.
36)
Joel – Joel authored his book between 800 and 700 B.C.
37)
Amos – the Prophet and Saint Amos authored his book between 790 and 700 B.C.
38)
Obadiah – the Saint and Prophet Obadiah authored his book between 750 and 675
B.C., and was fixed in its final form by Scribes between 600 and 550 B.C.
39)
Jonah – Jonah wrote his book between 750 and 700 B.C., it was fixed by Scribes
within a century of that.
40)
Micah – authored by Micah between 780 and 690 B.C.
41)
Nahum – authored by the Prophet Nahum between 730 and 675 B.C., fixed in its
final form by the beginning of the 6th century B.C. by Scribes.
42)
Habakkuk – authored by the Prophet between 650 and 550 B.C., fixed by Scribes
by 500 B.C.
43)
Zephaniah – authored by the Prophet Zephaniah between 645 and 575 B.C., fixed
by Scribes by the close of the 6th century B.C.
44)
Haggai – authored by the Prophet Haggai between 525 and 475 B.C.
45)
Zechariah – the Great Messianic Prophet, seeing 500 years into the future,
wrote His Prophecies between 525 and 475 B.C., the same as the Prophet Haggai.
46)
Malachi – the 46th Book of the Catholic Old Testament, the 39th
Book of the Protestant Old Testament, and the 24th and final book of
the Hebrew TaNaKh. The Great Prophet
Malachi who foresaw the end of days began his prophecy between 500 and 475 B.C.
and finished by 400 B.C., closing out the age the Prophets and ushering in the
age of the Sages which led up the Messianic Kingdom of Christ Jesus our Lord,
God and Saviour, who is blessed forever, Amen.
In
summary, the Old Testament is a compilation of books which has its origins in
events dating back to the beginning of the Universe 13.8 billion years ago, the
Creation of Earth 4.54 billion years ago, the Dawn of Adam between 2 million
and 200 thousand years ago, and the beginning of civilization 10,000 years
ago. The beginning of the Written Word some
4,000 years ago, and the compilation of the first books by Moses and Aaron some
3,200 years ago. The Old Testament took
2,000 years to write and compile, was written in a geographical span of 3 continents,
using various archaic, ancient, and prototypical forms of language, beginning
with Ancient Hebrew and Aramaic and ending with Greek, the authors being men of
various statuses and walks of life, from poor shepherds, to Egyptian Princes,
to Prophets, Priests and Kings, down through Scribes, Sages, Wisemen and Saints. The Word of God certainly endures forever.
God
bless, and I will begin my second part of this work on the New Testament and
post it as soon as it’s done, hopefully within the next few hours.
Pray
for me brothers and sisters,
+Yours
in Christ,
Jason
Michael Prewara
IC
XC NIKA+
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