It is quite helpful, in the study of any book of the Bible, to know the date and the circumstances under which it was written. In the study of some Bible books, knowledge of these points is indispensable to understanding the book. It is recognition of these facts that causes me to recommend, for your consideration, two books on introducing the Bible books to you. One of the books is INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT by Edward J. Young (sells for about $5.00), and the other is INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT by Henry C. Thiessen (sells for about $3.50).

But in case you do not see fit to purchase these books for your own personal use, you still need some idea of when a book of the Bible was written. For many years the chronology of James Ussher (lived 1581- 1656) has been widely used. Modern archaeological research has suggested a few minor corrections that need to be made in his chronology. But it has been found to be substantially correct. It is Ussher's chronology that is found at the top of the page of some Bibles.

In order to simplify your effort to find out when each book is written, as you begin your study of it, we are printing dates of the writing of each book as given by Ussher. It is helpful not only to know when a book was written, but also to know in what order the various books were completed. I suggest that you file this list away for safe keeping -- preferably in the front of your Bible so it will be available for usage at all times.

How to Study The Bible Chronologically

TRUTH MAGAZINE, XVI: 6, pp. 3-4
December 9, 1971