Dating Prophetic Texts

This paper considers non-linguistic criteria for dating prophetic texts. It examines texts from Isaiah (e.g., Isa 10:5-12:6), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32-33), Ezekiel (Ezek 37:15-28), and the Book of the Twelve Prophets (Zephaniah 1) in an effort to determine their respective historical contexts. Criteria employed include formal characteristics, historical allusions, and intertextual citations or allusions. Although problematic, the paper argues that such criteria provide some basis for dating prophetic texts.