Scholars date the writings in Isaiah across several centuries, not all at one time. The traditional religious view, however, places the whole book in the lifetime of the prophet Isaiah in the 8th century BCE.

Traditional dating

In Jewish and Christian tradition, Isaiah himself is said to have written the entire book during his prophetic ministry, roughly between about 740 and 700–680 BCE, in the Kingdom of Judah. This view treats all 66 chapters as coming from a single 8th‑century BCE prophet addressing his own time and future events.

Scholarly consensus

Most modern scholars see Isaiah as a compilation formed over about two centuries, from the late 8th to the late 6th century BCE. They note shifts in historical setting and language that suggest later authors and editors working in and after the Babylonian exile.

Usual three-part structure

A common scholarly model divides Isaiah into:

• Proto‑Isaiah (chapters 1–39), largely linked to the historical Isaiah in the late 8th century BCE.
• Deutero‑Isaiah (chapters 40–55), associated with the exile in Babylon in the 6th century BCE.
• Trito‑Isaiah (chapters 56–66), often dated to the post‑exilic period after about 538 BCE.

Overall timeframe table

Section name| Chapters| Approx. date range| Historical setting
---|---|---|---
Proto‑Isaiah| 1–39| c. 740–700 BCE 15| Judah under threat from Assyria
Deutero‑Isaiah| 40–55| c. 540s–530s BCE 15| Jewish exile in Babylon, rise of Cyrus of Persia
Trito‑Isaiah| 56–66| late 6th–5th c. BCE 15| Post‑exilic community and Second Temple period

Overall, the book in its final form likely reached something close to its present shape by the 4th century BCE.