Bible Question: Job is said to be the oldest known Biblical document. Does anyone know the approximate date when it was first written and by whom? |
Bible Answer: There are some internal hints to the age. Various social patterns the kesitah the piece of silver, living past 100, measuring wealth in cattle, and being the family priest could mean it is as old as Abraham (1800 BC). Mentions of the people that attack (Sabean and Chaldean), the use of camels, and the use of iron mean a date as late as 1200 BC.You might be able to find more. A safe guess would be 1500 BC (Before Moses) Of course the writing could be later, but too much later would eliminate proper cultural clues. Remember, Hebrew writing was not invented till much later, so the "author" might just be the person who wrote the oral story passed down for generations. The real author would be the one who composed the oral story. Greentwiga |