Who wrote the Hebrew Bible? The Talmud in Bava Batra 14b provides a complete accounting, attributing every book to a specific author.
Moses wrote his own book—the Torah—and also the book of Job, and the section of Balaam's prophecy. Joshua wrote his own book and the last eight verses of the Torah, which describe Moses's death. Samuel wrote his own book, the book of Judges, and the book of Ruth. David wrote the book of Psalms, incorporating compositions by ten elders, including Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, and Moses, and the three sons of Korah.
Jeremiah wrote his own book, the book of Kings, and Lamentations. Hezekiah and his circle wrote Isaiah, Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes—a striking claim, since it means the words of Isaiah and Solomon were edited and committed to writing by a later generation.
The Men of the Great Assembly wrote Ezekiel, the Twelve Minor Prophets, Daniel, and the scroll of Esther. Ezra wrote his own book and the genealogical portions of Chronicles.
The most debated question concerned the last eight verses of the Torah, which describe Moses's death and burial (Deuteronomy 34:5–12). Rabbi Yehuda said Joshua wrote them—because Moses could not have written about his own death. Rabbi Shimon objected: the Torah scroll had to be complete when Moses handed it over (Deuteronomy 31:26). His solution was breathtaking: God dictated, and Moses wrote the account of his own death "with tears." Up to that point, God dictated and Moses repeated aloud before writing. For the final verses, there was no voice—only tears, and ink.