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Jonah the prophet

Jonah’s name name means 'dove'. He was the son of Amittai (1:1) and came from Gath-Hepher, a small town three miles (5 km) north-east of Nazareth in the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kg 14:25). He was called by God to be a prophet to the city of Nineveh (1:2, 3:2), the capital of Assyria, which fell to Babylon in 612 BC. Jonah was a contemporary of Hosea and Amos.

The book of Jonah is not a true prophecy as in other books. It is more of a biography of what happened to Jonah when he was called to go to Nineveh. All the book except the prayer in chapter two is historical narrative. The account is similar to the accounts of Elijah and Elisha, containing narrative with very few spoken words of the prophets. One Jewish tradition suggests that Jonah was one of Elisha's disciples. Another suggests that he was the widow's son who was raised from the dead by Elisha (2 Kg 4).

Authorship of the book

The author is unknown. The book is written in the third person about Jonah, so was probably not by Jonah himself. If Jonah did write the book, then the sailors must have told him what happened when he was asleep (1:5) and after he was thrown into the sea (1:16) as well as how long he was in the belly of the fish.

Fact or fiction?

Rationalist theologians tend to classify Jonah as a parable or as an allegory, so they can claim that the story is fictitious. Many doubt whether Jonah was really swallowed by a whale or fish, and question whether the people of Nineveh really repented.

However, there is consistent evidence from within the Bible and from Jewish writings that Jonah was a historical figure, who really did spent three days in the belly of a great fish. In the Book of Kings, Jonah was recorded a historical figure and a recognised prophet to Israel (2 Kg 14:25). Non canonical Jewish writers remembered Jonah as a historical figure, "And Jonah, wasting away in the belly of a huge, sea-born monster, you, Father, watched over and restored unharmed to his family." (3 Macc 6:8). In this passage, the author also refers to Daniel and the three men in the fiery furnace, as historical figures. The Book of Jonah reads like a historical narrative with no indication that it should be read in any other way. If it were to be a parable or an allegory, then it would be unique among the books of the OT.

The fact that the Book of Jonah was included in the collection of the Twelve (Minor Prophets) in the Hebrew Scriptures also shows that the truth of the story was accepted. The author of Ecclesiasticus indicated that there were twelve of these prophets, which would include Jonah, "May the bones of the twelve prophets send forth new life from where they lie, for they comforted the people of Jacob and delivered them with confident hope." (Sir 49:10).

Before the rise of modern biblical criticism in the nineteenth century, neither Jews or Christians ever regarded the book of Jonah as anything other than historical fact.

The Lord Jesus himself believed that the repentance of the city of Nineveh was an historic occurrence (Mt 12:41) and that Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster were as real as the three days and three nights which he would spend in the tomb. "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth." (Mt 12:40, also 16:4 and Lk 11:29-30). Jesus turned the story of Jonah into a Messianic prediction, and confirmed its historical reality. In this way Jonah was recognised as a type of Christ.

Historical background

According to the Book of Kings, King Jeroboam II of Israel, "restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-Hepher" (2 Kg 14:25). King Jeroboam II ruled from 786 to 746 BC, and Jonah probably prophesied to Nineveh around 760 BC.

One of the difficult questions about the Book of Jonah, is when and why did Assyria repent of their sin, as this seems so uncharacteristic of Assyria, who were renowned as being a blood-thirsty enemy of Israel. There is no reference to any kind of national repentance in Assyrian history.

Period of stagnation

The reign of Jeroboam II was at the beginning of a period of Assyrian history known as the 'Period of Stagnation' lasting from the death of Adad-nirari in 783 BC until the rise of Tiglath-pileser III in 745 BC, during the reigns of three kings, Shalmaneser IV (783-773 BC), Ashur-dan III (773 – 755 BC) and Ashur-nirari V (755 – 745 BC).

The Assyrian Limmu (or Eponym) lists give a short summary of what happened in the empire each year. The vast majority of years record a military campaign. Very unusually during the period of stagnation there were nine years where 'the king stayed in the land'. During the reign of the final king during this period, Ashur-nirari V (755 – 745 BC), from 753 BC to 749 BC, four years passed without any military campaigns. After Tiglath-pileser III seized the throne in 745 BC, the campaigns restarted with renewed vigour and then continued without any further breaks.

The eponym list also records five years of revolts from 763 BC to 759 BC. These appear to have been triggered by a total eclipse of the sun in 763 BC. Assyrians were very superstitious, so the eclipse would be regarded as an evil portent, and a sign of celestial wrath, judgement and doom. It is possible that Amos predicted this, "On that day, says the Lord GOD. I will make the sun do down at noon, and darken the earth in broad daylight." (Amos 8:9).

The events in Assyria during the period of stagnation fit very well with the accounts in the Book of Jonah and in 2 Kings. Perhaps the proclamation made by the king calling the nation to repent of violence done to their enemies (Jonah 3:8) was followed by a reduction in their military activity.

The Assyrian empire began to rise after the division of Judah and Israel. It gradually increased its influence over them, and then absorbed the northern kingdom, finally destroying it in 722 BC. Jonah was called to go to Nineveh and tell them to repent, effectively prolonging the life of the hated enemy nation, which was already begun the process of taking over his own nation. This explains why Jonah fled and was so upset at God showing mercy on Nineveh. There is no record of him being afraid to go.

Animals being made to fast from food and drink

After Jonah's message of judgement on Nineveh, the king made a proclamation, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God." (Jonah 3:7-8).

The city of Nineveh

Nineveh was a massive city situated at the junction of Tigris and Khoser rivers. Archaeologists suggest that Nineveh was the largest city in the world in the seventh century BC. The city also included a complex of associated smaller cities. It was served by a great irrigation system and protected by a network of fortifications based on the river defences. The city was 50 km (30 miles) long and 16 km (10 miles) wide, protected by five walls and three moats. The historian Xenophon writing in the fifth century BC, noted that the city walls were 30m (100 feet) high and over 15m (50 feet) thick. They were about 12 km (8 miles) long and broad enough at the top to hold four chariots driven abreast. It is estimated that its population reached around one million. It was built by forced labour from foreign captives. According to the Book of Jonah, "Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across." (Jonah 3:3).

The size of ancient cities was often measured by their circumference, rather than their diameter. If the outer cities were also included, the overall city was the shape of a parallelogram with a circumference of about 95 km (60 miles), and its diameter about 30 km (20 miles). The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus recorded in the first century BC that Nineveh was 480 stadia (89 km) in circumference.

Nineveh was located on the east bank of the Tigris River, with hills east of the city. "Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city" (Jonah 4>5). The hills would give Jonah a good vantage point over the city.

Assyrian legend of the fish-man

Berosus, the Babylonian priest and historian (330-260 BC) recorded many of the myths and legends of the early Mesopotamians. He tells of the Assyrians' belief in a legendary fish-man who had appeared out of the sea many hundreds of years before Jonah's time:
"At Babylonia there was a people who lived in a lawless manner like the beasts of the field. In the first year there appeared, from that part of the Erythraean Sea (Persian Gulf) which borders Babylonia, and animal endowed with reason, by name Oannes (Greek for Assyrian Yanush), whose whole body was that of a fish; and under the fish's head he had another head, with feet also below similar to those of a man, subjoined to the fish's tail. He voice too, and language were articulate and human; and a representation of him is preserved to this day. This being was accustomed to pass the day among men, but took no food at that season; and he gave them an insight into letters and sciences, and arts of every kind. He taught them to construct cities, to found temples, to compile laws, and explained to them the principles of geometrical knowledge. He made them distinguish the seeds of the earth, and showed them how to collect the fruits; in short, he instructed them in everything which could tend to soften manners and humanise their lives. From that time, nothing material has been added by way of improvement to his instructions." (Cory: Fragments from Berossus from Alexander Polyhistor).

This drawing is taken from an Assyrian wall relief in the British Museum from the 9th century BC palace of Ashurnasirpal II in Nimrud, originally excavated by Austen Henry Layard.

Jonah's name, pronounced 'Yonah' in Hebrew, 'Yonas' in Greek, would sound very similar to Yanush, their legendary fountain of all knowledge, who they expected would return if they were to learn any essential new knowledge. When Jonah appeared fresh from his experience in the fish, it would have seemed to them that Yanush himself had returned to warn of coming judgement. Thus it was not surprising that the king and all his peoples repented so quickly. It is significant to note that God used a legend familiar to the Assyrians to speak to them.

Language

The Book of Jonah contains some words in Aramaic, which was the international language at the time. It was not until after the exile in Babylon, that Aramaic became widely used amongst the Jews. The only part of the book containing Aramaic words and idioms in chapter 1, when Jonah had contact with the sailors, who would probably have been Aramaic-speaking Phoenicians.

Theme of the book

It foreshadows the Gentile mission (as the book of Ruth), showing God's mercy and compassion extended even to the heathen nations, if they were willing to acknowledge him and repent. It also corrects Jewish exclusivity. The book ends with this question from God, "And should I not be concerned about Nineveh that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from left, and also many animals? (Jonah 4:11).

Structure of the book

The story of Jonah has five separate incidents:
1. God's commission to go to Nineveh (1:1-2)
2. Jonah's flight from God (1:3-17)
3. Jonah's prayer from the belly of the fish (2:1-10)
4. Commission renewed and obeyed (3:1-10)
5. Jonah's displeasure at Nineveh's repentance (4:1-11)

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