When was Hebrews written?
When was Hebrews written?
Answer
The book of Hebrews celebrates the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth in a unique way. While it shares themes with other New Testament books—like Jesus’ death for sin and the Holy Spirit’s indwelling of believers—it stands apart because it meticulously explains Jesus’ work in light of Old Testament passages and themes. The author of Hebrews is unknown, but details inside the book help determine when it was written. According to this evidence, the author of Hebrews wrote the book between AD 65 and 67.
An important reason many scholars date Hebrews to the mid-60s AD is that the letter doesn’t mention the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. The temple’s destruction was a life-altering event for first-century Jews because it ended the entire sacrificial system that had defined their worship for centuries. Moreover, if Hebrews was written after AD 70, it would have made the author’s message even stronger because he could have pointed to the temple’s destruction as undeniable evidence that the Old Covenant sacrifices had come to an end.
Hebrews refers to temple sacrifices as if they were still taking place: “Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11). The author also refers to the ongoing ministry of the sacrificial system throughout chapters 7 to 10. These passages suggest that the temple rituals were still in operation. If the temple had already been destroyed, the author would have likely used that event to emphasize the finality of Jesus’ sacrifice. Instead, his descriptions point to a date before AD 70.
Another detail that helps date Hebrews is its reference to believers who had experienced persecution but had not yet faced martyrdom. The author mentions their endurance of insults, suffering, and loss of property (Hebrews 10:32–34). Yet he says they had not resisted to the point of shedding their blood (Hebrews 12:4). This degree of persecution aligns with the mid-60s, when hostility toward Christians was rising in the Roman Empire but had not yet peaked.
In addition, the author of Hebrews tells his original recipients they should be spiritually mature—they had followed Jesus long enough to grasp the deeper truths of the faith, and by this point they should have been teachers (Hebrews 5:12). This admonition indicates they had been Christians for many years. Hebrews was written to a church that began in the early decades after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Hebrews also notes that Timothy was alive and had recently been released from prison. The author writes, “I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released” (Hebrews 13:23). This brief comment shows that Timothy was still active in ministry and known to the readers. It dates the letter to an era when key leaders from the time of the apostles were still serving the churches. Since Timothy lived and ministered into the mid-60s, this detail fits well with a date for Hebrews in that same period.
Taken together, the evidence in Hebrews suggests that the author wrote the book between AD 65 and 67.