Re: [asa] On Job

Hi Jon, you wrote:

> I forwarded your question to a friend of mine who is a Christian, a Ph.D.
> student in history, and who talked with me some time ago about the
> historical/evidence issues that suggest that Jonah was probably
> allegorical
> rather than literally true; i.e. many of the statements given in the text
> contradict known facts about Ninevah of the approx. 7th century B.C.
> period,
> etc. At the time I was surprised with this, because I had always assumed
> it
> to be historical, and was a little uncomfortable admitting the
> possibility.

One would have to wonder why there is a mosque erected in Mosul dedicated to
Yonas, and who is buried there that has been revered as a prophet if the man
had been only an allegorical figure. And why is a mound there called "Nebi
Yonus"? Further, the Ninevites held the belief that a "fish-man" named
Oannes (see Berossus' account) came out of the river and taught them. A man
who reputedly stepped out of a fish held some esteem in view of their
beliefs. Why would the Assyrians have listened to a Hebrew anyway? Either
the fish-man was a lingering mythological belief based upon the prophet,
Jonah (Oannes), or else the prophet was somehow seen as a fulfillment of
their myth. Even today fish-men cartoons can still be seen in Mosul.

There are some intriguing historical elements that point to the book of
Jonah as being an historical narrative. Not enough to prove it true,
unfortunately, but certainly enough to suggest it is not allegorical at all.

Dick Fischer
www.genesisproclaimed.org
Finding harmony in Bible, science and history

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Received on Fri Oct 6 13:23:54 2006