What period of time did Job live in?

Answer 1

From the contents of Job's book we can work out an approximation, to within about 150 years, of the period of time in which he lived.

Job (Heb. אִיּוֹב, Iyov) lived in Uz, in Arabia. God said that there was no man alive like him, a truly righteous man of integrity (Job 1:8+). So it appears that he lived after the death of the godly man Joseph (about 1650 BCE) but before Moses had appeared on the scene as a prophet of God to lead the Israelites out of their captivity in Egypt. (See Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7)

The exodus, led by Moses, took place about 1500 BCE. So it seems that Job may have lived somewhere within that time slot, i.e. 1650 BCE to 1500 BCE.

The Bible confirms the existence and measure of Job as one of the most righteous persons that ever lived, his lawful and charitable life comparable to that of Noah and Daniel. (See Ezekiel 14:14)

NOTE

Job/Iob/Jashub (Heb. ישיב, Yov, ya-shuv ) the son of Issachar (Genesis 46:13, Numbers 26:24, 1 Chronicles 7:1) is unlikely to be the same man referred to in the book of Job. Even though this son of Issachar occupied a similar time frame, somewhere from about 1750 BCE and dying around 1500 BCE, the Hebrew names are different.

Answer 2

Job is believed to have lived during the patriarchal period, which is estimated to be around the second millennium BCE. The exact timeframe of Job's existence is uncertain as the Book of Job does not provide specific historical details or dates. Job is considered a figure from the Hebrew Bible and is often associated with the wisdom literature of the Old Testament.

Answer 3

It is entirely unknown who wrote the Book of Job. Some scholars suggest that it is in fact the oldest book in Old Testament (and thus in the Bible itself). It is probably based on a poem Ludlul bel nemeqi from Akkadia about 1000 years earlier.

A:R. N. Whybray (The World of Ancient Israel: Sociological, Anthropological and Political Perspectives, The social world of the wisdom writers) says that there is uncertainty about even the nationality of the author of the Book of Job, as well as about the date it was written. A date in the Persian period (fifth or fourth century BCE) is at present the most favoured one, chiefly because of the speculative nature of the book's theology, especially compared with the older parts of the Book of Proverbs, and the acquaintance of the author with other Old Testament writings such as Isaiah 40-55 and the presence of the Satan as a member of God's heavenly court.

The author had a wide knowledge of the literary world of the ancient Near East outside Palestine. This fact, together with the unexplained peculiarities of the language of the poetical part of the book, has led some scholars to suppose that the author was either a Jew living outside Palestine, or even a non-Jew. However, it is not possible to identify the actual author.

Answer 4

A:R. N. Whybray (The World of Ancient Israel: Sociological, Anthropological and Political Perspectives, The social world of the wisdom writers) says that there is uncertainty about even the nationality of the author of the Book of Job, as well as about the date it was written. A date in the Persian period (fifth or fourth century BCE) is at present the most favoured one, chiefly because of the speculative nature of the book's theology, especially compared with the older parts of the Book of Proverbs, and the acquaintance of the author with other Old Testament writings such as Isaiah 40-55 and the presence of the Satan as a member of God's heavenly court.

The author had a wide knowledge of the literary world of the ancient Near East outside Palestine. This fact, together with the unexplained peculiarities of the language of the poetical part of the book, has led some scholars to suppose that the author was either a Jew living outside Palestine, or even a non-Jew. However, it is not possible to identify the actual author.

Answer 5

Some say the setting of Job is clearly in the patriarchal period and thus could be as early as c.1700 BC. The factors to which these scholars point include the following:

1. the book contains no reference to the Law and no references to the history of the nation of Israel.

2. Job's life listed in 42:16 as being over 100 years suggests an early date rather than a late date -the bible record clearly shows a diminishing of ages from the patriarchal era into the era of the Kings and beyond.

3. Job acted as a priest for his family which was prohibited under the Jewish law.(1:5).

4. Livestock was used as measure of Job's wealth - clearly a practice of earlier rather than later times.

Scholars also acknowledge, even with the above that the book itself gives no other clues as to its time of writing (as opposed to its setting). So some put it between the era of Solomon and that of the exile. Some have also suggested that due to the similarities found between Job and Isaiah it may have been written then.

Answer 6

A:

The Book of Job was written shortly after the Babylonian Exile, at a time when the priests had created a theocracy for the rule of Judah and were establishing their absolute right to obedience from the people. Job demonstrates that the truly righteous person is obedient to God no matter how great the adversity, so by extension obedience must also be due to the priests.

Answer 7

There are different theories regarding when The Book Of Job was written. Many liberal scholars believe it was written in the 5th or 6th century whereas many conservative scholars believe it was written 1900 and 1700 BC.

Answer 8

Scholars say that Job contains material from different periods and was probably written in layers. The references to Satan and to the Book of Isaiah show that the final composition took place during or after the Babylonian Exile.

Answer 9

The Book of Job is the only book in the Hebrew Bible concerning which the Talmud debates as to when it took place. One sage states that this book, like the Song of Songs, is allegorical (Talmud, Bava Bathra 15a), written by Moses for the purpose of teaching us, and need not refer to a specific person. The majority opinion is that such a man did actually live, with opinions putting the writing of this Book anywhere from the time of Moses to as late as the time of Ezra (early Second Temple).

Iyov (Job) was a very righteous man, apparently a descendant of Terah, whom God tested through pain and loss (Job ch.1). His travails lasted for one year (Mishna, Eiduyot ch.2). During his sufferings, he spoke with his three friends concerning God's judgment and wisdom. He, more than his friends, spoke with full trust in God; and at the end of the year, God comforted him and once again gave him health and prosperity (Job ch.42). The Book of Job is in the form of a four-way debate, in which God himself then steps in as the final arbiter.

Why did Job suffer?

As in other cases, God wanted to provide us with a role-model. "Hillel makes the poor people accountable," since he learned Torah despite grinding poverty (Talmud, Yoma 35b). So too, Job served God despite exceptionally hard suffering, thereby teaching us that those of us who suffer can do so too.

Answer 10

It is believed that Job lived during the time of the patriarchs, possibly between 2000-1500 BC. However, the exact time period is not clearly specified in the Biblical account.