Tag: uzziah

Historical Setting and Date

The name “Chronicles” came from St. Jerome in the 4^th century A.D.[1] However, the Hebrew name of Chronicles is דברי הימים divre hayamim meaning “words of the days.” Originally, 1 and 2 Chronicles were one book. They were later split into two by the translators of the Septuagint.[2] Thus, it is important to look at both of them together as one book. The author sets the book, for the most part, in the time of the kings, though it starts with a whopping nine chapters of genealogies beginning with Adam and going down through to Saul who is briefly addressed in chapter nine of 1 Chronicles. Though the setting is the kings of Israel, the book was not written during the era of the kings. Instead, it was written to the exiles who had returned from Babylon after the events of Chronicles took place.[3] The likely date of writing is between 400 and 500 B.C.[4]