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Background of Hebrews

The date

Chapter 10 verses 1-3 imply that sacrifices are still being offered, indicating that Hebrews was probably written before A.D. 70 when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. If the persecution mentioned in chapter 10 was due to Nero, then the letter was written after the fire of Rome in A.D. 64.

The author

The author of Hebrews is not named, although it is commonly assumed to be the apostle Paul. Other suggested authors include Barnabas, Luke, Apollos, Silas, Philip and Priscilla.

The audience

Nor is the intended audience specified within the letter. The audience had been persecuted (10:32-34). The author knew them personally and was hoping to visit them shortly (13:19, 23). Since Hebrews assumes that the readers understand the details of Jewish law, it seems likely that the audience was (or is Jewish). Since Hebrews was written in perhaps the best Greek of the New Testament, the audience was probably not Jews living in Judea—for whom such a letter would likely have been written in the “common” Greek dialect. The audience possibly lived in Rome, which would explain the greetings from Italian Christians (13:24).

The audience likely consisted of Hebrew Christians, and this letter written to warn them of the dangers of abandoning Christ and returning to Judaism. This letter may also have been written to encourage Jews to move forward and make a decision for Christ.