Chronology of the Old Testament scriptures
Would anyone here feel equipped to offer me a brief chronology of the order in which scholars today believe the books of the Old Testament were written?
I mean, we all know the order of the books in most bibles, but I assume that order does not follow strict chronology in terms of when they were composed and then written down.
At what rough date do scholars think the first five books reached written, completed form? And was that date within reach, or overlapping any other books?
Are the psalms all believed to be written within a lifetime? And do they overlap with any of the prophetic writings later in the bible?
Am I right in believing that scholars think Isaiah was probably written in different stages and probably by more than one author?
To understand the contexts of individual books, and the evolution and development of the historic religious communities, it must be valuable to try to get some idea of just which books were accessible at the time another one was written...
Because then we would know better which ideas were already expressed to be drawn upon, and what events might influence the insights and encounters of authors.
I'm assuming that this pursuit of chronology may be complicated by possible redactions and editing that successive religious communities may have carried out.
But is there a 'mainstream' view among scholars about the most likely chronological order of the books of the Old Testament?
I mean, we all know the order of the books in most bibles, but I assume that order does not follow strict chronology in terms of when they were composed and then written down.
At what rough date do scholars think the first five books reached written, completed form? And was that date within reach, or overlapping any other books?
Are the psalms all believed to be written within a lifetime? And do they overlap with any of the prophetic writings later in the bible?
Am I right in believing that scholars think Isaiah was probably written in different stages and probably by more than one author?
To understand the contexts of individual books, and the evolution and development of the historic religious communities, it must be valuable to try to get some idea of just which books were accessible at the time another one was written...
Because then we would know better which ideas were already expressed to be drawn upon, and what events might influence the insights and encounters of authors.
I'm assuming that this pursuit of chronology may be complicated by possible redactions and editing that successive religious communities may have carried out.
But is there a 'mainstream' view among scholars about the most likely chronological order of the books of the Old Testament?