The book itself gives no definite information as to who the author might have been. Early Jewish tradition recorded in the Babylonian Talmud ascribed the authorship of Chronicles to Ezra and Nehemiah. Modern studies of the linguistic differences that exist between the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles have led some scholars to reject this ancient view.
The large number of sources mentioned should not be taken as indicating that the book is merely a stitch work. Though large portions of Kings are quoted almost verbatim there is clearly a skillful adaptation of this material into a thematic unity.
Chronicles contains the largest genealogical effort in biblical literature, a nine-chapter series of loosely relate segmented genealogies from Adam, to in some places, well after the fall of Jerusalem which occurred in 586 BC.
Chronicles is built from two kinds of texts: lists and narratives. Almost half of the book has a parallel text in the Torah, Former Prophets, Psalms, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah and occasionally, other biblical books. The rest consists of material unique to Chronicles that is with no parallels in any biblical or non biblical sources.
Books of Chronicles
