When was the Old Testament written and who was the author?

Answer 1

The Old Testament was written over a period of several centuries and had more than one author, many of whom did not leave us their names. The oldest book written in much the form we now know is considered to be the Book of Deuteronomy, which was written by the anonymous author now known to scholars as the Deuteronomist. The Deuteronomist lived in the seventh century BCE and also worked on the Book of Genesis, as well as writing a historical series consisting of Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings. Quite a lot of the Old Testament was written during the time of the Babylonian Exile and the centuries that followed, although some books gradually became attributed to earlier centuries.