So who actually wrote the Book of Judges?
Answer: NOBODY BLOODY KNOWS!
According to Hebrew tradition, Samuel did.
But outside of that theory (and yes, it IS a theory), nobody really knows.
More than the squabble about who wrote the Book of Judges, the more heated controversy centers around WHEN the Book of Judges was written and how many times it underwent multiple revisions.
And directly connected to this controversy is the lack of clarity concerning just how long the period of the Judges lasted.
Some scholars say the era of the Shophetim was 400 years long.
Others say it lasted 200 years.
Who the heck is right?
Sorry but I just can’t give you a clear answer on this.
I mean we don’t know for sure.
Because the scholarly arguments for BOTH the 400-year period and the 200-year period are quite strong.
However, the differences basically boil down to whether we include Samuel and Eli as Judges or not.
And it’s remarkable to note that we’re looking at a whopping 200-year difference here!
This is huge!
Basically, it all hinges on when we say the Exodus period began.
If we say it began around 1400 BC, then yeah, we’re looking at a 400-year period for the book of Judges.
But if we’re looking at the start of the Exodus being around 1200 BC, then obviously a 200-year time frame makes sense.
Fortunately, they’re no quibbles about when the book of Judges ended.
It’s pretty well established the era of Judges ended anywhere from between 1040 to 1020 BC when Saul was appointed as Israel’s first king.
To be clear, the appointment of Israel’s first king IS the pivotal or defining moment that marks the finish of the period of the Judges.
Over and out.
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