Brian writes:
It was the capital, up until it was destroyed in 612 BCE. However, his title would be King of Assyria, not king of one of its cities. Elizabeth II lives in London, but she doesn't get referred to as the Queen of London.
Is she the Queen of London?
I have heard Elizabeth II referred to as the Queen of Georgetown. Which is the capital of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
So if Tiglath-Pilser III was king of Assyria, would he be king of Nineveh?
Brian writes:
Also, why 60 miles in the one direction, is it because you assume that 60 miles is a reasonable distance to walk in 3 days and Asshur just happens to be 60 miles away to the South of Nineveh?
Good question. I am glad you asked because I would have assumed to begin with that the city was probably spread out around the capital building's and palaces and army headquarters that was behind the walled enclosure. But I would rather it be your suggestion.
Nineveh was a very important city between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. On the Tigris River near the Khosr River junction. This made it a place where wealth flowed into from many sources.
It became one of the greatest of all the region's ancient cities.
Brian writes:
So, 'Jonah went out of the city', which must mean he was in the city; it is obvious what he author meant here.
Jonah 3:4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
Well we know he got a day's journey in before he began to deliver his message. Assuming he went another 1/2 day's journey he would have been in the heart of the city.
If he went out of the city he had to make a 1 and 1/2 day's journey to get outside the city.
Brian writes:
The text says he sat down within eyesight of the city to watch what was going to happen to it,
Jonah 4:5 So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.
The text actually says "till he might see what would become of the city".
It does not say he sat down within eyesight of the city. But if he was at the city limits sign it is possible it was only a foot or less away.
Brian writes:
Jonah was specifically told to preach in the city.
And he did. He went at least a day's journey into the city.
Brian writes:
Nineveh was a walled city, and we are told that Jonah went into the city, and came out of it again.
And I suppose you can prove that there was nothing outside of those walls, that would be part of the city.
I live in a small city in Florida and it has 4.2 sq. miles of land in the city limits. If we walled part of it to have less than eight miles of walled city you would have to go outside the wall to get to the Walmart and Holiday Inn and several other large businesses. We have people living 10 to 15 miles from downtown. They have been talking of annexing much of that area for tax purposes.
As I pointed out in
Message 4 Jacksonville, Florida has already done that.
Brian writes:
"Persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand" are children.
Do you have any idea what this phrase is talking about?
'Hint' It has nothing to do with children.
I will wait for your answer before I comment.
But it would really make no difference if there was a million or more people in Nineveh. That would be a moot point as all would not have to live where the king and his army was housed.
Brian writes:
God's point about children is something like this: "Jonah, if you don't care about adults, maybe you care about children? Do you even have any compassion for them?"
That is good. Reading God's mind when you don't think it exists.
Brian writes:
They are beyond the realms of historical research.
What makes you think that?
I believe in miracles. I am one.
Brian writes:
But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.
Jonah hated the Assyrians and wanted God to destroy them. He also knew if he went and preached they would repent and God would not destroy them. So he went the other way so God would have to destroy them.
Brian writes:
Lot of 'ifs' there bud, and no reason at all to assume that the sailors would be anywhere near Nineveh since their journey's destination just happened to be Tarshish.
You are quite right, when in Joppa they were some 500 miles down river in a vessel built for open water not a river.
Lets see if I can address a couple of those ifs.
Lets see now this boat Jonah got on in Joppa headed to Tarshish was a merchant ship carrying goods.
1:4 There was a mighty tempest in the sea.
1:5 The mariners were afraid. Every man cried to his own god. Then they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea.
1:6 All this time Jonah was asleep.
1:8 Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
1:9 Jonah's answer was he was a Hebrew and served the God of heaven.
They knew who he was talking about.
1:10 1:10 Then were the men exceedingly afraid. (I wonder why)
1:12 Jonah told them to cast him in the sea.
That would solve all his problems he would not have to warn Nineveh
and God would destroy them.
1:13 The men were afraid to throw Jonah overboard and rowed hard to
bring it to land. But could not.
1:14 They asked the Lord not to blame them.
1:15 They cast Jonah in the sea. The sea ceased from her raging.
1:16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
These guys made a sacrifice to Jonah's God.
They made vows to Jonah's God.
They could have continued their journey. But they had no cargo. The only way to get cargo was to return to Joppa and reload.
Three days later a fish deposits the man they had thrown overboard on dry land.
I don't know for sure but I think that would cause quite a stir.
Especially if they had not reloaded and left again.
Brian writes:
You can see that the 'prayer' is written in the form of a psalm.
First a psalm is written to be sung or chanted. This chapter does not fit a psalm.
Second Jonah's prayer is not recorded anywhere.
Third 2:2 through 2:10 is Jonah's telling what happened.
Brian writes:
So you are not in the slightest bit curious as to why the authors decided to call their hero Jonah?
I would assume his father Amittai gave it to him like your father/mother gave you your name.
Brian writes:
Yes, the evidence that proves that Jonah's story is fictional, plus it means that we don't make a mockery of the Bible or the people who wrote it.
I see a lot of smoke screen, twisting of God's Word, suppositions and opinions. But what evidence?
Brian writes:
No it doesn't. It only calls Him a liar if He is claiming that Jonah's adventures really happened, but he doesn't need to be a liar, He could be genuinely mistaken, or more likely using Jonah's tale as a parable.
I don't think you want to get into a discussion of parable's but I don't remember a parable Jesus used where He used a man's name. You might know one.
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
But He said He was going to be in the earth three days and three nights.
He also said as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Kh'to belly.
Kh'to transliterated ketos = Sea monster, huge fish, whale.
The word as = ‘ adverb transliterated hosper = just as, even as.
Jesus said: even as or just as Jonas was three days and three nights in the Kh'to belly.
If the statement Jesus made concerning Jonah was anything other than a fact that would make Jesus a liar.
I have been asked many times by children, "is there a Santa Clause"?
If I say yes that is a lie because there is no Santa Clause.
The same goes for Jesus saying He would in the earth for 3 days and 3 nights ‘ just as Jonas was 3 days and 3 nights in the fish.
There is no wiggle room.
Brian writes:
Well, if you are happy to accept that Jesus was alive for three days and nights in His tomb that's up to you. It does go very much against Christian beliefs though.
Jesus was not in the tomb only the physical body He had used here on earth. But he was alive.
He met the thief that had died on the cross beside him like He said He would in paradise. He delivered the message to all the OT saints that victory was at hand. When He came forth from the grave He set those captives free and they went to the third heaven and are there praising God today.
Brian writes:
But why does this verse mean that Jonah's story has to be 100% accurate? Why couldn't Jesus use Jonah as a parable like He did with many other of His teachings?
Because it was not a parable.
Brian writes:
The Jonah tale would be well known to Jesus' audience, so it makes perfect sense for Jesus to use this story. Does there really need to be a 'Good Samaritan' for Jesus' point to be valid?
If it was well known why didn't the disciples get it.
"Does there really need to be a 'Good Samaritan'"?
There does if Jesus had given the Good Samaritan a name.
As the Good Samaritan story goes there has been thousands of them. But there has only been one Jonah.
God Bless,
"John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
™ Version 4.2
