Authorship of the Twenty Four Books of Tanakh

The authorship of the twenty-four books of Tanakh is a subject often assumed to be straightforward, yet classical Jewish tradition offers a more complex picture. Many Jews believe, for example, that King David wrote the entire book of Psalms, or that Moses wrote every word of the Torah, including the account of his own death. However, the Gemara in Bava Batra (14b–15a) preserves a detailed record of who wrote each book of Scripture according to Chazal.

It’s important to clarify how the Jewish tradition understands the term “wrote” (כָּתַב / כָּתְבוּ) as used by the Talmud. While the word can indeed denote literal authorship, as it clearly does in cases like Moses writing the Torah or Joshua writing his book, the Rishonim (medieval commentators) explain that in other instances it refers to editing, compiling, or transmitting already existing prophetic works.

For example, when the Talmud states that Hezekiah and his colleagues wrote Isaiah, Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes, traditional authorities such as Rashi and Meiri interpret this to mean that these books were originally authored by Isaiah and Solomon, and that Hezekiah’s assembly played a role in redacting and preserving them. Similarly, when the Men of the Great Assembly are said to have “written” Ezekiel, Trei Asar (the Twelve Minor Prophets), Daniel, and Esther, the Rishonim understand this as referring to compilation or canonization, not original composition, each prophetic book having been written by its respective prophet.