RELIGST 2VV3 Chapter Notes -God Speaks, Tarshish, Books Of Kings
Document Summary
Unlike the other prophets, the book of jonah is almost entirely narrative, with the exception of the psalm in chapter 2. The actual prophetic word against nineveh is given only in passing through the narrative. As with any good narrative, the story of jonah has a setting, characters, a plot, and themes. It also relies heavily on such literary devices as irony. The jonah mentioned in ii kings 14:25 lived during the reign of jeroboam ii (786-746 bcee) and was from the city of gath-hepher. This city, modern el-meshed, located only several miles from nazareth in what would have been known as israel in the post-exilic period (as distinct from the former southern kingdom, known as judah). Nineveh, where jonah preached, was the capital of the ancient assyrian empire, which fell to the babylonians and the medes in 612 bce. The book itself calls nineveh a great city, referring to its size.