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Christian tradition, from [[Irenaeus of Lyons|Irenaeus]] in the late second century until modern times, regarded Peter the Apostle as author of this document. Since according to tradition he was martyred at Rome during the persecution of Nero between A.D. 64 and 67, almost universally it was supposed that the letter was written from Rome shortly before his death. This is supposed by its reference to "the chosen one at Babylon" (1 Peter 5:13), commonly regarded as a code name for the corrupt harlot city of pagan Rome with its idols, temples and emperors declaring themselves to be God<ref>The evidence for Peter in Rome is substantial. Nevertheless, many firmly assert that the evidence has not been firmly established as incontrovertible, that he was never there, apparently in opposition to the claims of the Catholic Church. An online search for Peter in Rome will present a multitude of articles pro and con. See [[Confirmation bias]] and [[Misrepresentation]].</ref>. The [[King James Bible]] does not offer a note at the end of the letter regarding where it was written.
Some [[liberal ]] scholars, on the basis of a number of features they consider in their opinion to be incompatible with Petrine authenticity, regard 1 Peter as the work of a later Christian writer. Such features include the cultivated Greek in which it is written, a style difficult to ascribe to an uncultured Galilean fisherman, on the ''[[a priori]]'' assumption that he could never change and grow in understanding and be able, even with the grace of God, to improve in any way at all in his communication skills; also the letter's use of the Greek [[Septuagint]] translation in citing the Old Testment; the letter's similarity in thought and expression to the Pauline literature; and allusions to "widespread" persecution of Christians which they assert did not occur until at least the reign of [[Domitian]] (A.D. 81-96). According to this view the letter would date from the end of the first century or even the beginning of the second, when there is evidence for persecution of Christians in Asia Minor, for example, in the letter of [[Pliny the Younger]] to [[Trajan]], A.D. 111-112.
Against this, other scholars assert that these objections can be met by appealing to the use of an ''amanuensis'', a secretary, Silvanus, mentioned in 1 Peter 5:12. Such secretaries often as a matter of course, and as expected, gave literary expression to the author's thoughts in their own style and language. God as author, the Holy Spirit, moved both men to express what He wanted said. Also, the persecutions can refer to local areas and regions of harassment rather than to systematic repression by the state. With these wholly realistic considerations in view, there is nothing in the document incompatible in any way with Petrine authorship in the A.D. 60's.
