Behind | Dating Joel

Although we can’t be sure of the date of Joel, many scholars locate Joel at the end of Josiah’s reign. In course 2, we looked at this faithful king in the context of the rising Babylonian empire. In our current course and module, we have been looking at some prophets who predicted the demise of Assyria (Nahum) and the current threat of Babylon (Habakkuk). Josiah experiences a reprieve between these empires, a space during which his revival took root. However, he eventually stepped out onto the geopolitical playing board, took sides among the “cats” and lost his own life. Let’s get some more background.