Scholars generally divide the books of the New Testament into four major sections: the gospels, the historical book (Acts), the epistles (or “letters”), and the apocryphal book of Revelation.
Of the twenty-one books that comprise the New Testament epistles, thirteen were written by the Apostle Paul. These books are thus known as the Pauline Epistles. At least seven of the remaining eight letters were written by others. These books are called the General Epistles because they were written to be shared among many Christian communities. In between these subdivisions lies a book that defies easy categorization. That book is the Biblical book of Hebrews.
The earliest known copy of this letter is simply entitled “To the Hebrews.” One source offers a further explanation regarding the origin of that title…
“The title ‘to the Hebrews’ only appears in the 2nd century with Clemens of Alexandria (around 150 – 215 AC). As there is no other name known for the epistle it probably goes back to a very old tradition. …’Hebrews’ is a name for the Israelites and for the descendants of Abraham (compare Genesis 14:13; Philippians 3:5).” (1)
Since there are many quotes, references, and allusions to the Old Testament throughout this letter, “Hebrews” is certainly an appropriate title for this work.
There are several elements that can help us determine when this letter was written. For example, a first century writer named Clement of Rome quoted from this epistle around 95 AD. This tells that the book of Hebrews must have been written sometime prior to that date. Another source summarizes the chronology of this letter based on several lines of internal and external evidence…
“…there are indications that (Hebrews) was written fairly early in the New Testament period, probably somewhere around AD 67 to 69. The reference to Timothy (Hebrews 13:23) places it fairly early. The present lack of physical persecution (Hebrews 12:4) puts it fairly early. Finally, the lack of any reference to the destruction of the temple probably puts it before AD 70, when Jerusalem and the second temple were destroyed. Since the writer to the Hebrews was so concerned with the passing of the Old Covenant, it seems unlikely that he would ignore the destruction of the temple if it had already happened before he wrote.” (2)
Much like the questions surrounding the title and date of this work, the human author and the intended audience for this epistle are shrouded in mystery as well. We’ll begin our look at those subjects next.
(1) Coffman, James Burton. “Book Overview – Hebrews”. “Coffman Commentaries on the Bible“. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bcc/hebrews.html. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
(2) Guzik, Dave, Hebrews 1 – A Superior Savior. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-1/