hough there are many diverse opinions of when Joel lived or who he was, Yates gives the best overview of who he was. Yates states Joel as " a pious, godly, courageous preacher who came in the hour of opportunity to deliver the message of Yahweh to the chosen people" (193).
             The precise date of when the Book of Joel was written is not known. According to George Smith, "...book of Joel must be either very early or very late...critics place it either before 500 B.C. or after 500" (24). However, in the book there is no exact mentioning of the Assyrians and Babylonians, King of Judah, and the Northern Kingdom; but there is mentioning of "Israel", the sanctuary and the idea of the Day of Yahweh. All these mentioning suggest that the book was written in a late date. The verse from the Book of Joel helps declare when the book was written:
             And I will hold judgment with them there.
             For my people and fro my heritage Israel,
             Whom they have scattered among the nations,
             And my land they have divided. (3: 1-5).
             This quote helps explain that there is a probability that the book was written after the Exile had already ended. Also the language of the book declares its date to a later time.
             The Book of Joel includes 73 verses that "are written in rhythmical, elegant, impassioned style" (Yates 194). Dr. Adalbert Merx claims, "that the book is not an original work but a summary of passages from pr
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