ABSTRACT
In Jewish tradition Ruth was placed among the Writings (see pp. 15, 277), dating from c.third to second century bc, and read at the barley-harvest feast. In 1611 it was regarded as a ‘history’ (Ussher dates it 1312 bc), which it certainly is not. However, Campbell (1975) argues that it may have been written down as early as the ninth century bc.
