Canon of the Old Testament

See the article on the canon for the general idea of how the "official list of books in the Old Testament" developed from TNK and LXX.

The Chronological order is approximately by the date of the topical material in the book. The book of Jonah, for example, tells a story that would have taken place in the 8th century BC but almost certainly was composed after the exile.

The Composition order is only very roughly indicative of when the books (or the material in them) might have been begun. Scholars disagree endlessly over when composition may have begun and when the final edition may have been completed.

X - Do a timeline ...

Exile: The time of the Babylonian Captivity (587-520 BC).

Biblical order	Topic	Composition	Genre	LXX
00Click on the sort symbols above to sort the table by the values in that column.
01Genesis	0117th BC	03 11th BC to 6th BC	Torah	TNK
02Exodus	02Exodus	0411th BC to 6th BC	Torah	TNK
03Leviticus	04Exodus	0113th BC to 6th BC	Torah	TNK
04Numbers	05Exodus	0213th BC to 6th BC	Torah	TNK
05Deuteronomy	06Exodus	056th BC to 3rd BC?	Torah	TNK
06Joshua	07Judges	079th to 6th BC	History	TNK
07Judges	08Judges	087th to 6th BC	History	TNK
08Ruth	09Judges	06 10th / 5th BC	History	TNK
091 Samuel	11Kings	09 9th BC	History	TNK
102 Samuel	12Kings	10 9th BC	History	TNK
111 Kings	13Kings	640 to 609 BC	History	TNK
122 Kings	14Kings	640 to 609 BC	History	TNK
131 Chronicles	15Kings	8th to 3rd BC	History	TNK
142 Chronicles	16Kings	8th to 3rd BC	History	TNK
15Ezra	36Post-exilic	6th to 3rd BC	History	TNK
16Nehemiah	37Post-exilic	6th to 3rd BC	History	TNK
17Tobit	237th BC	2nd BC	History	LXX
18Judith	106th BC	1st BC	History	LXX
19Esther	40485-465 BC	5th-3rd BC	History	TNK
201 Maccabees	45167-139 BC	2nd to 1st BC	History	LXX
212 Maccabees	46164 BC	2nd to 1st BC	History	LXX
22Job	35N/A	Post-exilic	Wisdom	TNK
23Psalms	313th to 5th BC	13th to 5th BC	Wisdom	TNK
24Proverbs	33Post-exilic	961 to 500 BC?	Wisdom	TNK
25Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth)	41Solomon	3rd to 2nd BC	Wisdom	TNK
26Song of Songs	34Solomon	Post-exilic	Wisdom	TNK
27Wisdom	441st BC	1st BC	Wisdom	LXX
28Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)	432nd BC	2nd BC	Wisdom	LXX
29Isaiah	188th & 6th-5th BC	8th to 5th BC	Prophecy	TNK
30Jeremiah	26627-587 BC	7th to 6th BC	Prophecy	TNK
31Lamentations	28587 BC	Exile	Prophecy	TNK
32Baruch	29587 BC	Post-exilic	Prophecy	LXX
33Ezekiel	27593-573 BC	Exile	Prophecy	TNK
34Daniel	42587-539 BC	2nd BC	Prophecy	LXX & TNK
35Hosea	198th BC	8th BC	Prophecy	TNK
36Joel	38450 to 350 BC?	5th to 4th?	Prophecy	TNK
37Amos	17786-742 BC	8th BC	Prophecy	TNK
38Obadiah	39450 to 312 BC?	5th to 4th BC?	Prophecy	TNK
39Jonah	22786-746 BC	Post-exilic	Prophecy	TNK
40Micah	20740 to 687 BC	8th BC	Prophecy	TNK
41Nahum	21612 to 609 BC?	7th BC	Prophecy	TNK
42Habakkuk	25612 to 609 BC?	7th BC	Prophecy	TNK
43Zephaniah	24640 to 609 BC	7th BC	Prophecy	TNK
44Haggai	30520 BC	6th BC	Prophecy	TNK
45Zechariah	31520 to 499 BC	6th to 5th BC	Prophecy	TNK
46Malachi	32after 515 BC	6th BC	Prophecy	TNK

Links

• "Canon of the OT and the NT."