The traditional and most widely accepted view is that the Book of Lamentations was written by the Prophet Jeremiah. This attribution appears in Jewish and Christian tradition, and is supported by ancient sources such as the Septuagint’s prologue, as well as later rabbinic and ecclesiastical traditions. The book itself, however, does not name its author, and some scholars have debated authorship or suggested multiple contributors. Overall, Jeremiah remains the dominant traditional claimant for authorship, with many readers considering Lamentations to reflect Jeremiah’s eyewitness perspective on the fall of Jerusalem. Key points:

• Traditional attribution: Jeremiah as author is the prevailing view in Jewish and Christian history. This is reinforced by early translations and later patristic and rabbinic references.
• Internal hints: The text’s vivid depictions of Jerusalem’s destruction and the speaker’s voice align with Jeremiah’s prophetic persona and timeframe (the Babylonian siege and exile).
• Scholarly nuance: Some modern scholars discuss possible multiple authors or redactors, and question whether the book’s final form represents a single authorship, but Jeremiah’s connection remains the most commonly cited attribution.