WHEN WERE THE TORAH, THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS WRITTEN?
The Book of Genesis was probably composed around the 5th century BCE;[2] although some scholars believe that primeval history (chapters 1–11), including the flood narrative, may have been composed and added as late as the 3rd century BCE.
Initial Development: Different sources (often identified as J, E, D, and P) are believed to have been written between the 9th and 6th centuries BCE.
Final Compilation: Most scholars agree that the Torah reached its final, redacted form during the 5th or 4th century BCE (roughly 450–350 BCE), following the Babylonian Exile.
Evidence: This dating is based on linguistic analysis (classical Hebrew), the mention of places and peoples from later periods, and the historical development of the Hebrew alphabet.J
ewish scholars affirm the modern scholarly consensus that the Written Torah has multiple authors and was written over centuries. Historically, both Jewish and Christian traditions attributed many of the early books to single figures like Moses (the Torah) or King David. However, modern historical and biblical scholarship paints a different picture, categorizing authorship by era rather than a single writer.One of the questions of why the Torah was written has two primary answers: a traditional religious perspective and a modern academic one.
According to Jewish tradition, the Torah was dictated by God to Moses at Mount Sinai and during the 40 years the Israelites spent in the desert.Approximately 1312 BCE to 1272 BCE (roughly 3,300 years ago).
Authorship: Tradition maintains that Moses wrote all five books, though some sages believe the final eight verses describing his death were completed by his successor.
Initial Development: Different sources (often identified as J, E, D, and P) are believed to have been written between the 9th and 6th centuries BCE.
Final Compilation: Most scholars agree that the Torah reached its final, redacted form during the 5th or 4th century BCE (roughly 450–350 BCE), following the Babylonian Exile.
Basically both agree that the whole 5 books must have been written before the “split” between Judah’s Torah and Samaritan Torah.
The Torah was composed and compiled over several centuries. Modern scholars generally agree that the first five books of the Hebrew Bible were woven together from older oral and written traditions between 550 and 400 BCE. Traditionally, it is believed to have been dictated directly to Moses around 1300–1400 BCE.
The timeline of the Torah’s composition is largely divided between traditional religious accounts and modern academic consensus: [
: Dated to approximately 1400–1200 BCE.
Belief: Judaism traditionally teaches that the entire Torah was written down by Moses. The text was given directly by God during the Israelites’ 40-year sojourn in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt
Woven together between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE (550–400 BCE).
Theories: Most biblical scholars utilize the Documentary Hypothesis, which posits that the Torah is a composite text. It was compiled from multiple distinct, originally independent sources written over hundreds of years, which were edited and redacted into a single, cohesive narrative. These sources typically include:
J (the Yahwist): Written around 900 BCE.
E (the Elohist): Written around 800 BCE.
D (the Deuteronomist): Written around 600 BCE.
P (the Priestly source): Written during or shortly after the Babylonian Exile (around 500 BCE).
Torah / Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy): Traditionally credited to Moses. Critical scholars suggest the first five books were compiled and edited from multiple earlier oral and written sources (the Yahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, and Priestly sources) by scribal elites during the Babylonian Exile and Persian period (6th to 4th centuries BC)
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The Old Testament was written by dozens of anonymous scribes, prophets, and leaders over a roughly 1,000-year span. Scholars attribute the texts to various historical eras, primarily between the 8th and 2nd centuries BC.
Key Details on Authorship and Timeline
Historically, both Jewish and Christian traditions attributed many of the early books to single figures like Moses (the Torah) or King David. However, modern historical and biblical scholarship paints a different picture, categorizing authorship by era rather than a single writer. Of the 24 books that make up the Hebrew Bible, the oldest are the five core books of the Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
The Torah / Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy): Traditionally credited to Moses. Critical scholars suggest the first five books were compiled and edited from multiple earlier oral and written sources (the Yahwist, Elohist, Deuteronomist, and Priestly sources) by scribal elites during the Babylonian Exile and Persian period (6th to 4th centuries BC)
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prophets, and historians during and after the Babylonian Exile (6th to 3rd centuries BC).
Wisdom & Poetry (Job – Song of Solomon): Traditionally associated with figures like King David and Solomon. These were likely compiled and written down over several centuries, spanning from the 10th to the 4th centuries BC.
The Prophets (Isaiah – Malachi): Authored by the specific prophets they are named after or by their immediate scribes and followers, mostly between the 8th and 5th centuries BC.
The Canon: The complete collection of these writings was generally accepted as the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) by the 1st century BC.Well, according to most skeptics and academics, no one knows who wrote the books of the New Testament… But they are sure that they were not written by apostles or anyone else associated with its stories—like the Catholic Church claims.
We know this because Christians are all liars, and because there were many forgeries written in the names of the Apostles, so obviously they’re all forgeries, and the Apostles were all made up anyhow, so you can forget about the Bible and Christianity and keep on doing what’s right in your own eyes or whatever feels good at the moment.
When was the Bible written and who wrote it?
The authors all present different perspectives, but they all proclaim the same one true God and the same one way of salvation.
What did Jesus say about Torah?
The Old Testament is based on the Tanakh (the complete Hebrew Bible), of which the Torah is just the first part. While the two collections contain almost identical source material, they differ significantly in structure, scope, and religious purpose.
The question of when the Torah was written has two primary answers: a traditional
Timeframe: Approximately 1312 BCE to 1272 BCE (roughly 3,300 years ago).
Authorship: Tradition maintains that Moses wrote all five books, though some sages believe the final eight verses describing his death were completed by his successor, Joshua.Initial Development: Different sources (often identified as J, E, D, and P) are believed to have been written between the 9th and 6th centuries BCE.
Final Compilation: Most scholars agree that the Torah reached its final, redacted form during the 5th or 4th century BCE (roughly 450–350 BCE), following the Babylonian Exile.
Evidence: This dating is based on linguistic analysis (classical Hebrew), the mention of places and peoples from later periods, and the historical development of the Hebrew language.
Feature
Jewish Torah
Jewish Tanakh
Christian Old Testament
Content
First 5 books only
All 24 books of the Hebrew Bible
39+ books (depending on the denomination)
Name
Torah (“Instruction”)
Tanakh (Torah, Prophets, Writings)
Old Testament
Ordering
Genesis through Deuteronomy
Ends with Chronicles (focus on return to Israel)
Ends with Malachi (focus on the arrival of a Messiah)
J
When was the Bible written and who wrote it?