We can cast ourselves into the history of the time and feel the very mood of the age. Through our mind's eye we can project ourselves into the spirit of the era and be partaker of the very same learning experience enjoyed by the original recipients. In searching for the date when a book of the Bible was written, we must consider both internal and external evidences. By internal, we mean, evidence contained within the book. By external, we mean, evidence found outside the book which contributes in some way to our understanding of the matter.
External evidence rests upon the testimony of uninspired men and is, therefore, man given .
Our greatest effort should concentrate upon internal evidence because it is most reliable. We should never believe fallible men above Holy Spirit inspired men. External evidence can contribute to our conclusions but it must be considered only as circumstantial and never as conclusive proof. External evidence must not contradict inspiration. In many cases we can determine within reasonable latitude the time and place of a book's composition by considering the internal evidences.