Authors of the Bible

The Authors of the Bible are a collection of men (and possibly women) who have authored or co-authored literature that has appeared in the canons of Judaism and the various forms of Christianity. The list that follows is perpetually subject to debate, and the declaration of canonicity of each work is dependent upon the religious group to which one refers. The list will follow the order of the Eastern Orthodox canon, as it is generally the most inclusive. Authorship is always debatable, and consensus can only be reached to a certain degree. What follows is based on various sources, giving strongest credit to tradition and areas of large consensus.

Old Testament/Hebrew Bible

Genesis

Moses is said by Jewish and Christian tradition to be the author of the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible. However, the dating of these works has caused debate of Mosaic authorship.

Exodus

Moses is said by Jewish and Christian tradition to be the author of the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible. However, the dating of these works has caused debate of Mosaic authorship. Mosaic authorship of Exodus is more plausible than of Genesis, because this is the first text in which the story of Moses himself is chronicled.

Leviticus

Moses is said by Jewish and Christian tradition to be the author of the Pentateuch, or the first five books of the Bible. However, the dating of these works has caused debate of Mosaic authorship.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy is the most debated of the books if the Pentateuch in terms of authorship. As much of it is a restating of the laws (hence the name) it may have been written at a much later period. Many believe that the same author is responsible for Deuteronomy who wrote Joshua and Judges. The ending of Deuteronomy accounts the death of Moses, so at least this section is usually attributed to Joshua himself or some other author. However, some traditions do hold to Mosaic authorship of the whole text, including his death.

Psalms

Psalms is impossible to attribute to one author, as each psalm must be treated individually. David certainly composed most of them, with several of his friends composing many of the rest.