All of this points to a date of approximately 835 BC or soon after, making Joel one of the earliest writing prophets, as well as a contemporary of the prophet Elisha. The book of Joel also makes ample mention of priests, temple rituals, and nations, such as Phoenicia, Philistia, Egypt, and Edom, that were prominent in the late ninth century BC. So if Joel prophesied during this caretaking period, it would make sense that he mentioned no official king. But because Joash was too young to rule, the priest Jehoida ruled in his place until he came of age. Her young grandson, Joash, succeeded Athaliah upon her death. One of the most compelling arguments for dating the writing of the book of Joel explains this omission by suggesting the prophecy occurred in the aftermath of Judah’s only ruling queen, Athaliah (d. In particular, Joel refrained from mentioning the current ruling kings. Where are we?ĭating the writing of the book of Joel remains one of the most difficult tasks for Old Testament scholars because unlike most prophetic writers, Joel gave no explicit indication of his time period. Joel often drew upon natural imagery-the sun and the moon, the grass and the locusts-and in general seemed to understand the reality that truth must have an impact on us in the real world. Joel also made several comments on the priests and the temple, indicating a familiarity with the center of worship in Judah (Joel 1:13–14 2:14, 17). He identified himself as the son of Pethuel, preached to the people of Judah, and expressed a great deal of interest in Jerusalem. We know little of the prophet Joel beyond a few personal details contained in the book itself.
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