The book of jonah focuses on israels prophetic role to the nations. I visited many of the locations where jonah walked, experiencing the excitement of the holy lands and taking a full two years to research the. Mar, 20 aside from the criticism of jonah being miraculous, some of the more prominent criticisms launched at the jonah story included. The story of the prophet jonah is recorded in the book of jonah, which is part of the bible, and is read in the synagogue every year on the day of atonement. Many have questioned whether the book of jonah is historical. A prophet bearing the same name is mentioned in 2 kings 14. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. Jonahs protesta demonstration of gods patience chapter 1. This focus is expressed in the two central themes of the book. Perhaps the third quarter of the eighth century is the most likely date for the book, after the public ministries of amos and hosea and before the fall of samaria to assyria in 722721. It is one of trei asar the twelve prophets in the tanakh. The book is primarily concerned with the prophet jonah, whom the book is named for. This old testament book describes at least part of the ministry of a prophet called jonah, the only prophet who attempted to run away from god. This book consists of a defense of the traditional view of the book of jonah as a true history.
A reference section at the end of the book shares historical and geographical notes about the story, including details about the ship jonah. This thesis provides an overview of the literary characteristics of the book of jonah and discusses the literary categories that scholars have associated with it, namely historical, imaginative. If the episode regarding jonah never happened, christ reasoned falsely, and his divine status is clearly impeached. Keep the above definitions in mind as you read the entire book. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets. The book of jonah is about an event that jesus said took place in history. Jonah represents the jews, the great sea represents the gentile nations, the great whale represents babylon, and the great fish represents the exile. Jonah is the only old testament character with whom. The events recorded in the book of jonah center around jonah, the son of amittai jonah 1.
Jonah lived and ministered in israel during the 8th century bc, during the reign of king jeroboam ii 2 kings 14. The lord plainly declared that jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish mt. Summary of the book of jonah the story of the bible. Arguments urged against the historical character of the book. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for tarshish to flee from the lord. Jonah in the time of the kings is historical fiction taken directly from the book of jonah, with the addition of many biblical records in addition to historical documentation from the assyrians nations. But the prophet, instead of obeying the divine command, rose. Catholics have always looked upon the book of jonah as a fact. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonahson of amittaiwho is sent by god to prophesy the destruction of ninevehbut tries to escape the divine mission.
In more recent years it has come to be believed that the book is about jonah rather than by him. The inclusion of the book of jonah among the minor prophets is paralleled by the inclusion of ii kings xviii. In the opening verse it is stated that the word of the lord came to jonah the son of amathi, saying. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man. Events in assyrian history, such as the trend toward monotheism in the reign of adadnirari iii c. The book of jonah was likely written between 793 and 758 b. The book of jonah stands unique in the prophetical canon, in that it does not contain any predictions, but simply relates the story of its hero, beginning for that reason with waye. The historicity of the book of jonah, and why it still. Key subjects addressed include jesus statements in the gospels, the role of the supernatural in history, the historical situation of the book of jonah, and the relationship between the historicity of the bible and the inerrancy of the bible.
The blue letter bible ministry and the blb institute hold to the historical, conservative christian faith, which includes a firm belief in. To show us god loves everyone and despite our rebellion god will try to warn us before judgment comes. But the book of jonah is not the only old testament book in which he is mentioned. Go to the great city of nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. So jonah arose and went unto nineveh, according to the word of the lord. The book of jonah in the context of postexilic theology of. King jeroboam ii 793753 restored her traditional borders, ending almost a century of sporadic seesaw conflict between israel and damascus. Doubt as to the truth of the events related in the book of jonah dates far back. In the halfcentury during which the prophet jonah ministered 800750 b. This old testament book describes at least part of the ministry of a.
The little book of four chapters has been the subject of intense disagreement concerning its historicity and interpretation. Finally, christ makes no distinction between the story of the queen of sheba and that of jonah see matt. Probable occasion when each psalm was composed contains the psalm, the scripture it was written after, the occasion on which it was composed, and the year. In this historical context resisted gods call to nineveh. Today, it is normally taken for granted that the historical truth of the book cannot be defended and that it is no more than a beautiful allegory or parable. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. Technically, the book of jonah is anonymous, however jewish tradition holds that the author is jonah himself.
The events recorded in this book, however, show that jonah also learned the. The man jonah was the main character of the book, he was the son of amittai jonah 1. Or is the book of jonah merely an allegory for the nation of israel. The book of jonah is the fifth book in the christian canons and the jewish tanakh. As jonah was three days and three nights in the whales belly, so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. In summary, i believe that there are three primary reasons to think the book of jonah is not historical. The little book of four chapters has been the subject of intense disagreement concerning its. In specific the book gives an account of jonah s refusal of gods command for jonah to travel to the the capital of assyria, nin,eveh and prophesy its destruction to the people. Author time and place of writing purpose finding christ in jonah.
No compelling evidence leads to a more precise date. Caught in a storm, he orders the ships crew to cast him. It is only upon special and extraordinary occasions, and with a special and. Critical theologians take this entire story to be allegorynot history. Sep 20, 2018 in summary, i believe that there are three primary reasons to think the book of jonah is not historical. The book of jonah, written primarily in the third person, does not explicitly name the prophet as the author of his own account, but we have no reason to doubt either the inspiration or the historical veracity of the book. This thesis proposes that the book of jonah was written to challenge theodicies which failed. The mourningone of the greatest revivals in all human history then took place as a result of jonahs. Relationship to the historical jonah of 2 kings 14. Arise and go to ninive, the great city, and preach in it. The book of jonah by peter spier nook book nook kids ebook. Apart from the book traditionally ascribed to him, jonah is mentioned only once. Reading the book of jonah as a satirical challenge to theodicy of. Jonah, book of webbible encyclopedia christiananswers.
Driscoll in 1910 gives the traditional catholic view historicity. It also states that previously jonah had the pleasant task from of delivering the good report from god that israel would enjoy a season of peace. During the reign of adadnirari iii 811783 bc there was a swing toward monotheism. The whole force of these striking contrasts is lost, if we admit that the story of jonah is not factnarrative. Objection is made to the historical statements of the book on various grounds. Jonah 1 niv jonah flees from the lord the word of bible. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries. He is the central figure of the book of jonah, in which he is called upon by god to travel to nineveh and warn its residents of impending divine wrath. Since jonah prophesied during the reign of jeroboam ii 782753 b. Second, the sailors and the people of nineveh all turn to israels god as nearly no one else in the bible do. Intro to jonah biblica the international bible society. Jonah, whose name means dove, lived in gathhepher, located just north of nazareth, during the reign of jeroboam ii in the. Sampey comments on the views that most modern critical scholars hold regarding the book of jonah continue reading is the book of jonah historical.
Jonah may be compared to simon peter on one occasion. Chapters available jonah whedons commentary on the bible. Starting with the early church fathers and continuing to today, views on jonah have resulted in an inordinate amount of written and spoken discourse. In other words, jonah caught more fish in his net than ever before. The book concludes by giving an overview of the book of jonah from the standpoint that it is historically true and accurate. Historical study of jonah the book of jonah demonstrates the scope of gods mercy as he receives other nations and the mediatorial role israel was to fulfill. Although some contend this book is a fable and that jonah never actually lived, the biblical evidence is to the contrary. The book concludes by giving an overview of the book of jonah from the. Book of jonah encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. There can be little doubt, therefore, that jonah was a historical person and. The main argument against the historicity of the book is the alleged impossibility of jonah s surviving three.
The story has a long interpretive history and has become well known through popular childrens stories. When the call came to jonah to preach in nineveh, he fled in the opposite direction. At times, an unwillingness to accept the possibility of miraculous occurrences the fish, the plant may be central to denying historicity, at other times it is a matter of literary genre 39. Until the 19th century, jonah was regarded as history. Jonah or jonas benamittai is a prophet in the hebrew bible from gathhepher of the northern kingdom of israel in about the 8th century bce. Mar 11, 2008 there are several historical clues which seem to point to a date for this prophecy somewhere in the late 750s bc perhaps around 758 bc. Jonah flees from the lord the word of the lord came to jonah son of amittai. After jonah israel spends several days in the great. Book of jonah lesson 1 welcome to the study of the book of jonah. Aug 22, 2014 saint augustine in the 5th century remarked that the story of jonah was the laughing stock of the pagans. The book of jonah in the context of postexilic theology of israel. The reader will mark that our lord referred to the miraculous preservation of jonah, and his deliverance, as a historical event, recorded in the first and second chapters of the book of jonah, not as a myth or allegory, but as a historical fact. The book of jonah is, in many ways, unique among the minor prophets and arguably the rest of scripture. The book of jonah hardcover picture book, january 27, 2015.
The catholic encyclopedia jonah, written by james f. Although the book is written in the third person, the traditional view is that jonah is the author of the book, and there is no persuasive reason to theorize about an unknown author. Jonah in the time of the kings is a jewishchristian historical novel that takes you on a daunting, miraclefilled journey over fivehundred wartorn miles, from jonah s home in israel and through the gates of the dreaded assyrian city of nineveh. Nov 21, 2012 jonah lived and ministered in israel during the 8th century bc, during the reign of king jeroboam ii 2 kings 14. Acceptance of the books authorship by jonah would necessitate a date in the first half of the 8th cent. The details of the book appear to be historical data. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for tarshish to flee from the. The history of jonah may well be regarded as a part of that great onward movement which was before the law and under the law. Skepticism towards the book and the bible as a whole continues to this day in even greater intensity. He was the most famous foreign missionary in the old testament, who once attempted to run from god jonah 1.
There are additional arguments for the historical nature of the book of jonah. The story of jonah was referred to by our lord on two occasions. It is chiefly a book about a prophet instead of being a collection of oracles of the prophet. The book of jonah in the context of postexilic theology. Jewish and christian interpreters believed that the book of jonah was historical until the rise of critical scholarship. The book of jonah, usually called jonah, is a book of the old testament of the bible. He sets the very same historical value upon the book of jonah as upon the third book of kings. The book of jonah has all the marks of a prophetic narrative, like those about elijah and elisha found in 1 kings, which set out to report actual historical events.
The book of jonahis a book of the neviimprophets in the hebrew bible. Some people think that jonah wrote this book, but unlike other prophetic books, the book of jonah is entirely a story about jonah and does not contain collections. The book of jonah is one of the most analyzed biblical texts in history. Book of jonah, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. Maybe its not the case that the book of jonah is historical. He went down to joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. But jonah ran away from the lord and headed for tarshish. Chapters available jonah whedons commentary on the. What you need to know about the book of jonah digital. He was sent to nineveh the capital city of assyria to deliver a warning from god that unless they repented they would be destroyed. The chief interest in the prophet jonah centres around two remarkable incidents narrated in the book which bears his name. On yom kippur it has been the universal jewish custom, ever since the days of the mishnah about 200 c. The story of jonah is not, however, history for history s sake.
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