The chronology of the Bible is divided into two major sections: the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), written over approximately 1,000 years, and the New Testament, written over roughly 50 years
Old Testament (Chronological Order)
The Old Testament dates are often given in ranges due to the long process of oral tradition and final compilation.
| Book | Traditional Author | Audience | Estimated Date |
| Job | Unknown (Job/Elihu) | General seekers of wisdom | ~2000–500 BC |
| Genesis | Moses | Early Israelites | ~1446–1405 BC |
| Exodus | Moses | Early Israelites | ~1445–1405 BC |
| Leviticus | Moses | Early Israelites / Priests | ~1405 BC |
| Numbers | Moses | Israelites in the wilderness | ~1444–1405 BC |
| Deuteronomy | Moses | New generation of Israelites | ~1405 BC |
| Psalms | David and others | Worshippers of Israel | ~1450–430 BC |
| Joshua | Joshua | Israelites in Canaan | ~1404–1390 BC |
| Judges | Samuel | Israelites in the land | ~1374–1050 BC |
| Ruth | Samuel | Israelites (Monarchy era) | ~1150–1050 BC |
| Song of Songs | Solomon | Lovers/Israelite youth | ~965 BC |
| Proverbs | Solomon and others | Israelites seeking wisdom | ~950–700 BC |
| Ecclesiastes | Solomon | General assembly of Israel | ~935 BC |
| Obadiah | Obadiah | Edom / People of Judah | ~845 or 586 BC |
| Joel | Joel | People of Judah | ~835–800 BC |
| Jonah | Jonah | Nineveh / Israelites | ~780–760 BC |
| Amos | Amos | Northern Kingdom (Israel) | ~760–750 BC |
| Hosea | Hosea | Northern Kingdom (Israel) | ~750–710 BC |
| Micah | Micah | Judah and Israel | ~735–700 BC |
| Isaiah | Isaiah | People of Judah | ~740–680 BC |
| Nahum | Nahum | Nineveh / People of Judah | ~663–612 BC |
| Zephaniah | Zephaniah | People of Judah | ~640–609 BC |
| Habakkuk | Habakkuk | People of Judah | ~612–607 BC |
| Jeremiah | Jeremiah | People of Judah | ~627–585 BC |
| Lamentations | Jeremiah | Survivors of Jerusalem | ~586 BC |
| Ezekiel | Ezekiel | Jewish Exiles in Babylon | ~593–560 BC |
| 1 & 2 Kings | Jeremiah? | Exiles in Babylon | ~580–560 BC |
| Daniel | Daniel | Exiles in Babylon / World | ~605–530 BC |
| Haggai | Haggai | Returned Exiles | ~520 BC |
| Zechariah | Zechariah | Returned Exiles | ~520–480 BC |
| Esther | Mordecai? | Jews in Persia | ~465–400 BC |
| Ezra | Ezra | Returned Exiles | ~538–430 BC |
| 1 & 2 Chron. | Ezra? | Post-exilic Israelites | ~450–425 BC |
| Nehemiah | Nehemiah | Returned Exiles | ~445–420 BC |
| Malachi | Malachi | Post-exilic Jews | ~470–430 BC |
New Testament (Chronological Order)
The New Testament books were written between roughly AD 45 and 95
| Book | Traditional Author | Audience | Estimated Date |
| James | James | Jewish Christians | AD 45–48 |
| Galatians | Paul | Churches in Galatia | AD 49–55 |
| 1 & 2 Thess. | Paul | Church in Thessalonica | AD 50–52 |
| 1 & 2 Cor. | Paul | Church in Corinth | AD 53–56 |
| Romans | Paul | Church in Rome | AD 56–57 |
| Mark | John Mark | Gentiles in Rome | AD 50s–70 |
| Matthew | Matthew | Jewish Christians | AD 50s–80 |
| Ephesians | Paul | Church in Ephesus | AD 60–62 |
| Colossians | Paul | Church in Colossae | AD 60–62 |
| Philemon | Paul | Philemon | AD 60–62 |
| Philippians | Paul | Church in Philippi | AD 60–62 |
| Luke | Luke | Theophilus / Gentiles | AD 60–80 |
| Acts | Luke | Theophilus / Gentiles | AD 62–90 |
| 1 Timothy | Paul | Timothy | AD 62–64 |
| Titus | Paul | Titus | AD 62–64 |
| 1 Peter | Peter | Suffering Christians | AD 63–65 |
| 2 Timothy | Paul | Timothy | AD 64–67 |
| 2 Peter | Peter | Christians facing heresy | AD 65–68 |
| Hebrews | Unknown | Jewish Christians | AD 67–69 |
| Jude | Jude | Christians facing heresy | AD 65–80 |
| John | John | General Believers | AD 80–95 |
| 1, 2, 3 John | John | Believers / Individuals | AD 90–95 |
| Revelation | John | Seven Churches in Asia | AD 94–96 |
Since these books were never part of a single "official" rejected list, they are grouped by their category. Here is the list of the most prominent books that did not make it into the Old or New Testament, in the approximate chronological order they were written, and who they were likely intended for.
1. Excluded Old Testament Era Books (Apocrypha & Pseudepigrapha)
These were written between the end of the Old Testament and the start of the New Testament (roughly 300 BC – AD 1).
| Book | Estimated Date | Written To... | Why it was Excluded |
| 1 Enoch | 300 – 100 BC | Jewish groups interested in angels and judgment. | Considered too mystical; authorship by the historical Enoch was doubted. |
| Tobit | 200 BC | Jews in the Diaspora (living outside Israel). | Seen as a religious "short story" rather than inspired scripture. |
| Judith | 150 BC | Jews resisting foreign oppression. | Contains significant historical and geographical inaccuracies. |
| Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) | 180 BC | Students of wisdom in Jerusalem. | Written after the "prophetic window" of the Hebrew Bible had closed. |
| 1 & 2 Maccabees | 100 BC | Jewish revolutionaries and historians. | Viewed as valuable history, but not divinely inspired prophecy. |
| Wisdom of Solomon | 50 BC | Greek-speaking Jews in Alexandria. | Written in Greek, not Hebrew; authorship by Solomon was rejected. |
| Psalms of Solomon | 50 – 10 BC | Pharisees or specific Jewish sects. | Attributed to Solomon but clearly written centuries after his death. |
2. Excluded New Testament Era Books (Apocryphal Gospels & Letters)
These were written between AD 70 and AD 250. Most were rejected because they were "Gnostic" (teaching secret knowledge) or were written too late to be authentic.
| Book | Estimated Date | Written To... | Why it was Excluded |
| Didache | AD 70 – 100 | Early Gentile Christian converts. | Highly respected, but lacked apostolic authorship. |
| 1 Clement | AD 96 | The Church in Corinth. | A letter from a Bishop, not an Apostle; viewed as "church leadership" material. |
| Shepherd of Hermas | AD 100 – 140 | The general early Church. | Extremely popular, but eventually deemed a later work of "personal vision." |
| Gospel of Thomas | AD 140 | Gnostic sects seeking "secret sayings." | Rejected for teaching that salvation comes through secret knowledge, not faith/grace. |
| Infancy Gospel of Thomas | AD 150 | People curious about Jesus' childhood. | Contains stories of a "troublemaking" child Jesus that contradicted his character. |
| Gospel of Mary (Magdalene) | AD 150 – 180 | Gnostic groups. | Promoted a version of Christianity that contradicted the four established Gospels. |
| Acts of Paul & Thecla | AD 160 | Women in the early church. | Identified as a fictional story written by a priest who later confessed to making it up. |
| Gospel of Judas | AD 180 | Cainite Gnostics. | Portrayed Judas as the "hero," which contradicted all historical and apostolic testimony. |
| Gospel of Philip | AD 200 – 250 | Gnostic believers. | Written too late and contained radical ideas about Jesus' relationship with Mary. |
Key Reasons for Rejection Summary
Lateness: If a book was written in AD 150, it couldn't have been written by an Apostle (who would be over 120 years old).
Theological Conflict: If a book taught that the physical world was "evil" (Gnosticism), it was rejected as it contradicted the Old and New Testament view of creation.
Pseudonymity: Many were "fake" books using a famous name (like the Gospel of Peter) to gain authority. The early church was very good at spotting style differences in Greek writing.
Lack of Universal Use: The books that made it were read in almost every church in the world. The "rejected" books were usually only popular in one small town or sect
Here is the complete list of the 27 books of the New Testament, categorized by their literary type.
As we discussed, while many of these have traditional authors (like the Apostles), several were originally anonymous or are debated by historians who look at the specific writing styles used.
The 4 Gospels
These accounts record the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Matthew: Written by Matthew the tax collector/apostle (Estimated AD 35–60s).
Mark: Written by John Mark, an associate of Peter (Estimated AD 42–60s).
Luke: Written by Luke the physician and companion of Paul (Estimated AD 50s–62).
John: Written by the apostle John (Estimated AD 42–90s).
The History of the Early Church
Acts (Acts of the Apostles): Written by Luke as a sequel to his Gospel (Estimated AD 62–63).
The 13 Paul’s Epistles (Letters)
These letters were written by Paul to specific churches or individuals to provide theological instruction and correction.
| Category | Books |
| Major Letters | Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians |
| Prison Letters | Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon |
| Early Letters | 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians |
| Pastoral Letters | 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus |
The 8 General Epistles (Non-Pauline)
These were written by various leaders to a broader audience of Christians.
Hebrews: Author unknown (Estimated AD 61–68).
James: Written by James, the brother of Jesus (Estimated AD 40s–60s).
1 Peter: Written by the apostle Peter (Estimated AD 63–64).
2 Peter: Traditionally Peter, though debated by scholars (Estimated AD 65–66).
1 John, 2 John, & 3 John: Written by the apostle John (Estimated AD 63–90s).
Jude: Written by Jude, the brother of Jesus (Estimated AD 60s–70s).
The Book of Prophecy
Revelation: Written by John the Apostle/Prophet while in exile on the island of Patmos (Estimated AD 90–95)
Chronological timeline of the New Testament
The Books in the Bible are not arranged in Chronological Order
Especially for Paul's Letters, they are arranged in the Longest Letter to the Shortest Letter.
Because exact dates are debated by historians, this list follows a commonly accepted scholarly timeline of when the "ink actually hit the parchment".
The Early Years (AD 45–55)
These are the very first written records, mostly letters addressing specific problems in the early churches.
| Book | Estimated Date | Written To... |
| James | AD 45–50 | "The twelve tribes scattered among the nations" (Jewish Christians) |
| Galatians | AD 48–55 | The churches in Galatia (Central Turkey) |
| 1 Thessalonians | AD 51 | The church at Thessalonica |
| 2 Thessalonians | AD 51 | The church at Thessalonica |
The Missionary Peak (AD 55–62)
During this time, Paul wrote his longest and most famous letters while the first "Gospel" (Mark) was likely being drafted.
| Book | Estimated Date | Written To... |
| 1 Corinthians | AD 55 | The church at Corinth |
| 2 Corinthians | AD 56 | The church at Corinth |
| Romans | AD 57 | The church at Rome |
| Mark | AD 50s–60s | Primarily a Gentile (non-Jewish) audience in Rome |
| Matthew | AD 50s–60s | A primarily Jewish-Christian audience |
The Prison & Pastoral Years (AD 62–68)
These were written while Paul and Peter were facing imprisonment or the end of their lives.
| Book | Estimated Date | Written To... |
| Colossians | AD 61–62 | The church at Colossae |
| Ephesians | AD 61–62 | The church at Ephesus |
| Philemon | AD 61–62 | Philemon (a slave owner in Colossae) |
| Philippians | AD 62 | The church at Philippi |
| Luke & Acts | AD 62–64 | Theophilus (a high-ranking official or patron) |
| 1 Timothy | AD 63–64 | Timothy (Paul's young protege) |
| Titus | AD 63–64 | Titus (A leader on the island of Crete) |
| 1 Peter | AD 64 | Christians in Northern Turkey (Asia Minor) |
| 2 Timothy | AD 65–66 | Timothy (Paul’s final "goodbye" letter) |
| 2 Peter | AD 65–67 | A general audience of believers |
| Hebrews | AD 67–69 | Jewish Christians (likely in Rome) considering returning to Judaism |
The Final Records (AD 70–95)
Written long after the others, these books focus on deep theology and the future of the world.
| Book | Estimated Date | Written To... |
| Jude | AD 65–80 | Christians facing false teachers |
| John | AD 85–90 | A general audience to prove Jesus is the Son of God |
| 1, 2, & 3 John | AD 90–95 | Various churches and an individual named Gaius (3 John) |
| Revelation | AD 90–95 | The "Seven Churches" in Asia Minor |
