	The first century A.D. is the historical setting for the ministry, teaching, and passion of Jesus, the spread of the gospel message outward from Jerusalem, the beginning of the early church, and the context for the New Testament writings . Sophie Laws locates the author of the epistle in the worlds of early Christianity, Judaism, and Hellenism.  The Greco-Roman world provided streets and the common language for the epeistles of the New Testament to be carried throughout the known world. There were many pressing challenges shaped the faith of these early believers. Hellenistic-Roman religious beliefs (e.g., the cult of emperor worship, pagan worship at Caesarea Philippi, etc.) and Hellenistic philosophy.”  permeated the popular culture. This was a time of Pax-Roma which provided general peace and stability to the outlying provinces. Economically and socially, the social classes of Roman society were devised for social control  and gave greater privilege and honor to those with higher social ranking. 
Next, is to consider is the writer's background and what it potentially reveals concerning authorship. The author of this epistle has a Jewish background, both regarding his use of the OT including quotations, numerous references, and numerous illustrations, and in other ways traces of Hebrew idioms behind his otherwise polished Greek.   The author appears to have a great respect for the Law, which would be consistent with the background of James. There are also important connections between James and Acts: “James’ speech in Acts 15 contains many striking parallels in a language with the epistle of James. For example, χαίρω is found in Jas. 1:1 and Acts 15:23; Acts 15:17 and Jas. 2:7 invoke God’s name in a special way; the exhortation for the brothers to hear is found both in Jas. 2:5 and Acts 15:13.”  Additionally, there are striking similarities with the teaching of Jesus, “There are more parallels in this Epistle than in any other New Testament book to the teaching of our Lord in the Gospels.”  While Jesus may appear by name only twice, James regularly refers to his teachings, predominantly from Matthew, and repeatedly from the Sermon on the Mount. “The clearest comes in James 5:12, there are thirty-five other probable allusions.” This evidence firmly corroborates the likelihood that the author heard these teachings from the Lord himself. Numerous additional theologically significant conceptual parallels appear as well. The short epistle in only five chapters shows a deep indebtedness to the words of Jesus. These observations when compiled together strongly point to an apostolic background to the writer of James. 
	To whom is this document addressed? Moreover, will the answer to this question bring to bear The preliminary verse reads: “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion”. This verse would make James a Catholic Epistle not written to a single person but a general audience of Jewish believers in the diaspora. Joseph B. Mayor concludes that the letter was addressed to Jewish Christians of the Eastern dispersion, i.e. in Babylonia and Mesopotamia. He finds corroborative evidence for this description in 1 Peter 1:1, where the writer limits himself to the dispersion of Asia Minor, those less likely to be acquainted with the previous letter of James. By his prominent position in Jerusalem, James had the opportunity to become acquainted with the needs of these people during their occasional visits to the city. Thus he addressed the letter to them.  
