The epistle of James is one of the most Jewish of the New Testament letters, even though it is written in excellent Greek. It is traditionally ascribed to James, the brother of our Lord, and there is no adequate reason for rejecting that view. It must, therefore, have been written before James died in A.D. 62. Various authors give dates between A.D. 40 and 60, and as it was commonly dated in the forties of the first century it was claimed to be the first book of the New Testament to be written. More recently, this claim has been challenged by examination of the epistle to the Galatians.