Nahum (נחום) was a minor prophet whose prophecy is recorded in the Hebrew Bible. His book comes in chronological order between Micah and Habakkuk in the Bible.^[1] He wrote about the end of the Assyrian Empire, and its capital city, Nineveh, in a vivid poetic style.^[2] In religion, a prophet is a person who has directly encountered God, of whose intentions he can then speak as if he were a formal representative of God. ... 11th century manuscript of the Hebrew Bible with Targum This article is about the term Hebrew Bible. For the Hebrew Bible itself, see Tanakh (Jewish term) or Old Testament (Christian term). ... The book of Nahum is a book in the Bibles Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. ... Micah or Micha (מִיכָה, Standard Hebrew Miḫa, Tiberian Hebrew Mîḵāh) is the name of several people in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). ... Habakkuk or Havakuk (חֲבַקּוּק, Standard Hebrew Ḥavaqquq, Tiberian Hebrew Ḥăḇaqqûq) was a prophet in the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... This article concerns the ancient Mesopotamian kingdom. ... , For other uses, see Nineveh (disambiguation). ...

Little is known about Nahum’s personal history. His name means "comforter," and he was from the town of Alqosh, (Nah 1:1) which scholars have attempted to identify with several cities, including the modern `Alqush of Assyria and Capharnaum of northern Galilee.^[3] He was a very nationalistic Hebrew however and lived amongst the Elkoshites in peace. His writings could be taken as prophecy or as history. One account suggests that his writings are a prophecy written in about 615 BC, just before the downfall of Assyria, while another account suggests that he wrote this passage as liturgy just after its downfall in 612 BC.^[4][5] The book of Nahum is a book in the Bibles Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. ... Alqosh Entrance Alqosh is one of the most ancient towns of Northern Mesopotamia and has adorned the Bayhidhra Mountains for more than twenty five centuries. ... For other uses, see Assyria (disambiguation). ... Catholic church built over the house of Saint Peter Capernaum (pronounced k-pûrn-m; Hebrew כפר נחום Kefar Nachum, Nahums hamlet) was a settlement on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. ... Galilee (Arabic al-jaleel الجليل, Hebrew hagalil הגליל), meaning circuit, is a large area overlapping with much of the North District of Israel. ... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC - 610s BC - 600s BC 590s BC 580s BC 570s BC 560s BC Events and Trends 619 BC - Alyattes becomes king of Lydia 619 BC _ Death of Zhou xiang... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC - 610s BC - 600s BC 590s BC 580s BC 570s BC 560s BC Events and Trends 619 BC - Alyattes becomes king of Lydia 619 BC _ Death of Zhou xiang...

Historical context

Archaeological digs have uncovered the splendor of Nineveh in its zenith under Sennacherib (705-681 BC), Esarhaddon (681-669 BC), and Ashurbanipal (669-633 BC). Massive walls were eight miles in circumference.^[6] It had a water aqueduct, palaces and a library with 20,000 clay tablets, including accounts of a creation in Enuma Elish and a flood in the Epic of Gilgamesh.^[7][8] The Babylonian chronicle of the fall of Nineveh tells the story of the end of Nineveh. Naboplassar of Babylon joined forces with Cyaxares, king of the Medes, and laid siege for three months.^[9] Assyria lasted a few more years after the loss of its fortress, but attempts by Egyptian Pharaoh Neco II to rally the Assyrians failed due to opposition from king Josiah of Judah,^[10] and it seemed to be all over by 609 BC.^[11] It has been proposed that Sennacherib be renamed and moved to Sin-ahhe-eriba. ... Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 750s BC 740s BC 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC - 700s BC - 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC Events and Trends 708 BC - Spartan immigrants found Taras (Tarentum, the modern Taranto) colony in southern Italy. ... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC - 680s BC - 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC Events and Trends 689 BC - King Sennacherib of Assyria sacks Babylon 687 BC - Gyges becomes king of... Esarhaddon (Greek and Biblical form; Akkadian Aššur-aha-iddina Ashur has given a brother to me), was a king of Assyria who reigned 681 BC-669 BC), the youngest son of Sennacherib and the Aramaic queen Naqia (Zakitu), Sennacheribs second wife. ... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 730s BC 720s BC 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC - 680s BC - 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC Events and Trends 689 BC - King Sennacherib of Assyria sacks Babylon 687 BC - Gyges becomes king of... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC - 660s BC - 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC Events and Trends 668 BC - Egypt revolts against Assyria 668 BC - Assurbanipal succeeds Esarhaddon as king of... Ashurbanipal (ah-shur-BA-neh-pal), Assurbanipal or Sardanapal, in Akkadian AÅ¡Å¡ur-bāni-apli, (b. ... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC - 660s BC - 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC Events and Trends 668 BC - Egypt revolts against Assyria 668 BC - Assurbanipal succeeds Esarhaddon as king of... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC - 630s BC - 620s BC 610s BC 600s BC 590s BC 580s BC Events and Trends 637 BC - Josiah becomes king of Judah. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. ... Enûma Elish is the creation epic of Babylonian mythology. ... The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Babylonia and is among the earliest known literary works. ... Italic textIf youre interested in IAMX theater see, the mystery of the river Nile Pharaoh was the ancient Egyptian name for the office of kingship. ... Nekau II (also known as Necho II) was a king of the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt (610 - 595 BC), and the son of Psammetichus I. He played a significant role in the histories of Assyrian Empire, Babylonia and Kingdom of Judah. ... Josiah or Yoshiyahu (יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ supported of the LORD, Standard Hebrew YoÅ¡iyyáhu, Tiberian Hebrew Yôšiyyāhû) was king of Judah, and son of Amon and Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. ... Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malḫut YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ YÉ™hûḏāh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC - 600s BC - 590s BC 580s BC 570s BC 560s BC 550s BC Events and Trends Fall of the Assyrian Empire and Rise of Babylon 609 BC _ King Josiah...

The tomb of Nahum is supposedly inside the synagogue at Alquosh, although there are other places outside Iraq that lay claim also to being the original 'Elkosh' from which Nahum hailed. Alquosh was abandoned by its Jewish population in 1948, and the synagogue that purportedly houses the tomb in a poor structural state, to the extent that the tomb itself is in danger of destruction. A team of US/UK construction engineers, led by Huw Thomas, is currently planning ways to save the building and the tomb.^[12]

Theme

Nahum’s theme is a warning to the Ninevites of coming events, although he is partly in favor of the destruction.^[5] The prophet Jonah shows us where God shows concern for the people of Nineveh, while Nahum’s writing testifies to his belief in the righteousness of God.^[13] The Assyrians had been used as God's "rod of [...] anger, and the staff in their hand [as] indignation." (Isaiah 10:5) Yunus redirects here. ...

The book

Chapters 1:10-2:2 contain alternating oracles to Nineveh and Judah, and he also proclaim one who will publish peace and good tidings upon the mountains, perhaps Jesus of Nazareth as the mountainous region in North of Mesopotamia was among the first to accept his preaching of love thy neighbour and this was to be seen as a sign as Jesus himself proclaimed Jona was a sign to the world since the supposed most cruel nation repented at his preaching. "The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment for they repented at the preaching of Jonah" Jesus to his disciples. This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ...

Chapters 2:3-3:19 describe the sack of Nineveh. The lion, the symbol of Assyrian power is made reference to. Nineveh is compared to Thebes, the Egyptian city that Assyria itself had destroyed. Nahum describes the siege and frenzied activity of Nineveh’s troops as they try in vain to halt the invaders. Poetically, he becomes a participant in the battle, and with subtle irony, barks battle commands to the defenders. Nahum uses numerous similes and metaphors. Nineveh is compared to a lion’s den where the lioness and young await the return of the lion with his kill. It comes to conclusion with a satirical warning where Assyria’s rulers sleep and merchants flee. For the ancient capital of Boeotia, see Thebes, Greece. ...

References

1. ^ "The Chronology of Biblical Prophets", Adapted from Hauer, C.E. & Young, W. A., An Introduction to the Bible: A Journey into Three Worlds, p.123, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1994
2. ^ Introduction to Nahum at the International Bible Society website
3. ^ Nahum at The Catholic Encyclopedia
4. ^ Heaton, E. W., A Short Introduction To The Old Testament Prophets, p. 35, Oneworld Publications, P.O. Box 830, 21 Broadway, Rockport, NA 01966, ISBN 1-85168-114-0
5. ^ ^{a b} Nahum at aboutbibleprophecy.com
6. ^ Destruction of Judean Fortress Portrayed in Dramatic Eighth-Century B.C. Pictures at the Biblical Archaeology Review website
7. ^ Nineveh at www.saudiaramcoworld.com
8. ^ Creation Myths in The Ancient Near East at darkwing.uoregon.edu
9. ^ Fall of Nineveh Chronicle at Livius - Articles on Ancient History
10. ^ The End of Judah at the Quartz Hill School of Theology website
11. ^ Assyria 1365-609 B.C. at The Metropolitan Museum of Art website
12. ^ RENOVATION - AL QUSH SYNAGOGUE AND THE TOMB OF NAHUM at tombofnahum.com
13. ^ Nahum at earlyjewishwritings.com

See also

Book of Nahum The book of Nahum is a book in the Bibles Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. ...

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Nahum

• Catholic Encyclopedia entry
• Site Report by Huw Thomas