1 Samuel

• DatesEvents about 1105–1010 BC; written after the kingdom divided in 931 BC (debated)
• GenreHistory
• AuthorshipAnonymous; named for Samuel but not written by him alone
• TimelineConquest & Judges, United Kingdom
• Key texts1 Samuel 3; 1 Samuel 8; 1 Samuel 16–17; 1 Samuel 31
• Read the text1 Samuel in the World English Bible
• Covered in classSession 2, Session 10

What the sources say, and how sure we are

• The text says

  The book does not name its author. Samuel dies before the book ends, and 27:6 says Ziklag belongs to “the kings of Judah to this day,” so the book was written after the kingdom divided.1 Sam 25:1; 1 Sam 27:6

• The text says

  First Chronicles says the acts of David were written in the records of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer.1 Chr 29:29

• Debated

  Jewish tradition names Samuel, Nathan, and Gad as authors. Many scholars see the book as part of a longer history compiled later, with older sources.

• Debated

  The books of Samuel were originally one scroll. The division into two books came later.