Joel is part of the Hebrew Book of the Twelve, or our modern day delineation of a minor prophet. It is not minor in that it is less important than the other, but simply in size. Joel is a short book, only 3 chapters long, yet it is a very significant book in its themes.
Not much is known about Joel, other than what is stated in 1:1, that he was the son of Pethuel. The name Joel means “Yahweh is God” and is not a very used name in the Old Testament. We also know very little about the date this book was written. Some say as early as 850 BC and others around 300 BC. There is evidence that could lead a person to a variety of times.
Not knowing the general time Joel lived and wrote makes the reading of Joel a little more difficult, because we don’t know the threats facing them, the kings they were living under, etc. Yet it also requires us to read more of what the text tells us. I hope you enjoy reading through this book you probably have thought little about before now!