The Book of Joshua: Author and Date

I. Author

Although the title of this book and chapter 24:26 makes it clear that Joshua had written these words in the Book of the Law of God, there is still some doubt throughout the whole of the book of who the author may be. There are three sections in the book of Joshua that must have been written after his death; Jos. 15:13-19 and Judg. 1:9-15, Othniel capturing of Kirjath Sepher, Jos. 19:47, Judg. 18:27-29, Dan’s migration to the north, and lastly Joshua’s death being recorded in Jos. 24:29-33. Many who think that Joshua is the author of the book of Joshua, believe that these texts would have been inserted in a later time by Eleaser the priest and his son Phinehas in Jos. 24:33. Nonetheless there is a unity flow to the book that would allude to one author of it, being Joshua.

II. Date

The beginning of the book of Joshua would have around 1405 B.C. The events in this would have been in March of 1405 B.C., with the death of Moses (Deut. 34:5-9) to the crossing of the Jordan in April of 1405 B.C. (Jos. 4:19). From Jos. 6:1-13:7 would have been seven years. Then lastly, Jos. 13:8 would have been about 1398 B.C. to Jos. 24:29 when Joshua dies at 1390 B.C. would have lasted 8 years. It is believed that the book of Joshua was somewhere written over the span of 15 years, during 1405 B.C. to 1390 B.C.[1]