Books of the Bible and Their Authors: Complete List of All 66
By Shadush Sachiska· 8 min read
In this article
The Bible isn't one book written by one person. It's a library of 66 books written by many people over many centuries, in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. This guide lists every book with its traditional author and approximate date, then looks at who wrote the most, which books are anonymous, and how scholars' views differ.
How to read this list: “Traditional author” is the person Jewish and Christian tradition has long credited with the book. Where the Bible itself names the author, the notes say so. Dates follow traditional (conservative) dating; many scholars suggest later dates for some books.
Quick facts about the Bible's authors
- About 40 authors wrote the 66 books.
- They wrote over about 1,500 years, from Moses (around 1400 BC) to John's Revelation (around AD 95).
- They wrote in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic (parts of Daniel and Ezra) and Greek.
- They came from very different backgrounds: a shepherd (Amos), kings (David, Solomon), a cupbearer (Nehemiah), a doctor (Luke), fishermen (Peter, John) and a tax collector (Matthew).
- Paul wrote the most books (13), and Psalms has the most contributors.
Old Testament books and their authors
| Book | Traditional author | Approx. date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis | Moses | c. 1445–1405 BC | Jesus and the New Testament writers treat the Law as written by Moses (Mark 12:26; John 5:46). |
| Exodus | Moses | c. 1445–1405 BC | Exodus 24:4 says Moses wrote down the words of the LORD. |
| Leviticus | Moses | c. 1445–1405 BC | Most chapters open with “the LORD spake unto Moses.” |
| Numbers | Moses | c. 1445–1405 BC | Numbers 33:2 records Moses writing down Israel’s journeys. |
| Deuteronomy | Moses | c. 1405 BC | The account of Moses’ death (ch. 34) is traditionally credited to Joshua. |
| Joshua | Joshua | c. 1400–1370 BC | Joshua 24:26 says Joshua wrote in the book of the law; later notes record his death. |
| Judges | Samuel (tradition) | c. 1050–1000 BC | Jewish tradition (Talmud, Bava Batra 14b) names Samuel. |
| Ruth | Samuel (tradition) | c. 1000 BC | Unnamed in the text; ends with David’s family line. |
| 1 Samuel | Samuel, Nathan and Gad | c. 1000–900 BC | 1 Chronicles 29:29 mentions the records of Samuel, Nathan and Gad. |
| 2 Samuel | Nathan and Gad (tradition) | c. 1000–900 BC | Samuel died before these events (1 Samuel 25:1). |
| 1 Kings | Unknown (tradition: Jeremiah) | c. 560–540 BC | Draws on court records such as “the book of the acts of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:41). |
| 2 Kings | Unknown (tradition: Jeremiah) | c. 560–540 BC | Ends with the exile and the release of King Jehoiachin. |
| 1 Chronicles | Ezra (tradition) | c. 450–430 BC | Written after the exile, retelling Israel’s history with a focus on David and the temple. |
| 2 Chronicles | Ezra (tradition) | c. 450–430 BC | Its final verses repeat the opening of Ezra. |
| Ezra | Ezra | c. 440 BC | Parts are written in the first person by Ezra (Ezra 7:27–9:15). |
| Nehemiah | Nehemiah | c. 430 BC | Opens “The words of Nehemiah” (Nehemiah 1:1). |
| Esther | Unknown (tradition: Mordecai) | c. 460–400 BC | The book never names its author. |
| Job | Unknown | Unknown | The story is set in the time of the patriarchs; some Jewish tradition credits Moses. |
| Psalms | David and others | c. 1440–450 BC | Psalm titles name David (73), Asaph (12), the sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, Heman and Ethan; many are anonymous. |
| Proverbs | Solomon and others | c. 950–700 BC | Also includes sayings of “the wise,” Agur (ch. 30) and King Lemuel (ch. 31); Hezekiah’s men copied chapters 25–29. |
| Ecclesiastes | Solomon (traditional) | c. 935 BC | Written by “the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem” (1:1). |
| Song of Solomon | Solomon | c. 965 BC | Titled “The song of songs, which is Solomon’s” (1:1). |
| Isaiah | Isaiah | c. 740–680 BC | Many modern scholars divide the book between several authors; the New Testament quotes both halves under Isaiah’s name (John 12:38–41). |
| Jeremiah | Jeremiah | c. 627–580 BC | His scribe Baruch wrote down his words (Jeremiah 36:4). |
| Lamentations | Jeremiah (tradition) | c. 586 BC | The text is anonymous; tradition links it to Jeremiah (compare 2 Chronicles 35:25). |
| Ezekiel | Ezekiel | c. 593–570 BC | Written largely in the first person by the priest-prophet. |
| Daniel | Daniel | c. 605–530 BC | Jesus refers to “Daniel the prophet” (Matthew 24:15). |
| Hosea | Hosea | c. 755–715 BC | — |
| Joel | Joel | Uncertain | — |
| Amos | Amos | c. 760 BC | A shepherd from Tekoa (Amos 1:1). |
| Obadiah | Obadiah | c. 585 BC (uncertain) | The shortest book of the Old Testament. |
| Jonah | Jonah (traditional) | c. 760 BC | Written about Jonah in the third person. |
| Micah | Micah | c. 735–700 BC | — |
| Nahum | Nahum | c. 650 BC | — |
| Habakkuk | Habakkuk | c. 607 BC | — |
| Zephaniah | Zephaniah | c. 630 BC | — |
| Haggai | Haggai | 520 BC | — |
| Zechariah | Zechariah | c. 520–480 BC | — |
| Malachi | Malachi | c. 430 BC | — |
New Testament books and their authors
| Book | Traditional author | Approx. date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew | Matthew (Levi) | c. AD 50–65 | A tax collector who became an apostle (Matthew 9:9). |
| Mark | John Mark | c. AD 55–65 | Early church writer Papias said Mark recorded Peter’s preaching. |
| Luke | Luke | c. AD 60 | A physician and Paul’s companion (Colossians 4:14). |
| John | John the apostle | c. AD 85–95 | “The disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20–24). |
| Acts | Luke | c. AD 62 | Addressed to Theophilus, like Luke’s Gospel (Acts 1:1). |
| Romans | Paul | c. AD 57 | Written down by Tertius (Romans 16:22). |
| 1 Corinthians | Paul | c. AD 55 | — |
| 2 Corinthians | Paul | c. AD 56 | — |
| Galatians | Paul | c. AD 49–55 | — |
| Ephesians | Paul | c. AD 60–62 | Written from prison. |
| Philippians | Paul | c. AD 61 | Written from prison. |
| Colossians | Paul | c. AD 60–62 | Written from prison. |
| 1 Thessalonians | Paul | c. AD 51 | Likely Paul’s earliest letter, after Galatians. |
| 2 Thessalonians | Paul | c. AD 51–52 | — |
| 1 Timothy | Paul | c. AD 62–64 | — |
| 2 Timothy | Paul | c. AD 64–67 | Likely Paul’s last letter (2 Timothy 4:6–7). |
| Titus | Paul | c. AD 63 | — |
| Philemon | Paul | c. AD 60–62 | — |
| Hebrews | Unknown | c. AD 64–69 | Suggestions include Paul, Barnabas, Apollos and Luke; the author is not named. |
| James | James, brother of Jesus | c. AD 45–49 | Leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13; Galatians 1:19). |
| 1 Peter | Peter | c. AD 62–64 | Written with help from Silvanus (1 Peter 5:12). |
| 2 Peter | Peter | c. AD 64–67 | — |
| 1 John | John the apostle | c. AD 85–95 | The letter is anonymous; its style closely matches John’s Gospel. |
| 2 John | John the apostle | c. AD 85–95 | From “the elder.” |
| 3 John | John the apostle | c. AD 85–95 | The shortest book in the Bible by word count in Greek. |
| Jude | Jude, brother of James | c. AD 65–80 | — |
| Revelation | John the apostle | c. AD 95 | Written on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). |
Who wrote the most books of the Bible?
| Author | Books (traditional) | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Paul | Romans, 1–2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1–2 Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon | 13 |
| Moses | Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (and Psalm 90) | 5 |
| John | John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation | 5 |
| Solomon | Proverbs (most), Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (and Psalms 72, 127) | 3 |
| Jeremiah | Jeremiah, Lamentations (and 1–2 Kings by Jewish tradition) | 2–4 |
| Luke | Luke, Acts | 2 |
| Peter | 1 Peter, 2 Peter | 2 |
Although Paul wrote the most books, Luke wrote the most words in the New Testament. His Gospel and Acts together make up roughly a quarter of it, a little more than all of Paul's letters combined.
Books of the Bible with unknown authors
Several books never name their author. Tradition offers suggestions, but the Bible itself is silent:
- Judges, Ruth — traditionally Samuel
- 1–2 Kings — traditionally Jeremiah
- 1–2 Chronicles — traditionally Ezra
- Esther — possibly Mordecai
- Job — unknown; some tradition credits Moses
- Hebrews — unknown; Paul, Barnabas, Apollos and Luke have all been suggested
- Many psalms — about a third of the psalms have no author named in their title
An unknown author doesn't make a book less trustworthy. The early church accepted Hebrews, for example, because its teaching matched the rest of Scripture and it was widely used by the churches.
Traditional authors and modern scholarship
Many academic scholars question some traditional authors. The main debates are about:
- The first five books: some scholars see them as compiled from several sources over centuries rather than written mainly by Moses.
- Isaiah: many divide the book between Isaiah of Jerusalem (chapters 1–39) and later writers (chapters 40–66). Read more in our Isaiah chapter summaries.
- Daniel: often dated to around 165 BC rather than the 500s BC.
- Some New Testament letters: such as 1–2 Timothy, Titus, Ephesians and 2 Peter.
Many Christian scholars defend the traditional authors, pointing to how Jesus and the apostles spoke of Moses, Isaiah and Daniel as authors, and to early church testimony. This guide lists the traditional authors so you can see what the church has historically held.
Many writers, one message
Christians believe that behind the many human writers stands one divine Author:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.2 Peter 1:21 (KJV)
For a one-line summary of every book, see the 66 books of the Bible in order with summaries. To start reading book by book, see our Genesis chapter summaries.
That's why the Bible, written by dozens of people over fifteen centuries, tells one connected story — from creation, through Israel and the coming of Jesus, to the new creation in Revelation.
Want to see how long each book is? See the number of chapters and verses in each book of the Bible, or read the Bible in historical order with our chronological Bible reading plan.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the Bible?
About 40 human authors wrote the Bible over roughly 1,500 years, including kings, prophets, priests, a doctor, fishermen and a tax collector. Christians believe God inspired what they wrote (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).
Who wrote the most books of the Bible?
The apostle Paul wrote 13 New Testament letters, from Romans to Philemon. Moses is traditionally credited with five books and John with five.
Who wrote the most of the New Testament?
By number of books, Paul. By length, Luke: his Gospel and the book of Acts together make up roughly a quarter of the New Testament.
Who wrote the book of Hebrews?
No one knows for sure. The letter doesn't name its author. Suggestions since the early church include Paul, Barnabas, Apollos and Luke.
Did Moses write about his own death?
Deuteronomy 34 describes Moses' death and burial. Jewish and Christian tradition holds that Joshua added this final chapter.
Which books of the Bible have unknown authors?
Books that never name their author include Judges, Ruth, 1–2 Kings, 1–2 Chronicles, Esther, Job, Hebrews and parts of Psalms. Traditional authors are suggested for several of these, but the texts themselves don't say.
