▸ AUTHOR: The author of Job is unknown and there are no textual hints as to his identity. The non-Hebraic cultural background may point to a Gentile authorship, but an interesting school of thought maintains that Moses may have written this book. The land of Uz (1:1) is directly adjacent to Midian, where Moses lived for 40 years. Perhaps the oldest book of the Bible, set in the time of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph), it is conceivable that Moses obtained a record of the dialogue left by Job or Elihu.
▸ TIME: Unknown
▸ KEY VERSE: Job 13:15
▸ THEME: There are many things that set Job apart from the rest of Scripture. Its dramatic format is unique. It is a story that is not part of the flow of the history of Israel. And the thematic focus is narrower than other books of its size. A classic work of literature, its primary subject matter is the most basic question man has of God: Why do we suffer? The Book of Job is the biblical text that addresses this issue head-on, and the dramatic nature of the story intensifies the conflict of ideas and understanding between God and man.