Jonah Q&A

Yes. There is compelling ancient literary and archaeological evidence that Jonah was a historical Hebrew prophet. Evidence from the Tanakh (OT), New Testament, numerous other ancient extra-biblical literature, and non-literary archaeological evidence provide abundant evidence that Jonah was a historical person. What that evidence shows diverges from prevalent modern caricatures. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volumes 1 - 3. 

No. The most probable answer based on the Hebrew text of Jonah is that the prophet Jonah drowned to death at sea, and his dead body was inside a sperm whale for three days and three nights before he was resurrected. This "No" answer sharply differs from the "Yes" answer (i.e., that he lived) of the Qur'an which was written over thirteen centuries after the events in question. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volumes 2 - 4.  

The sign of Jonah generally refers to Jesus Christ's prediction that He would die and be resurrected three days and three nights later, just as the prophet Jonah had experienced over eight hundred years earlier. The Israel-Jonah supersign typology shows there is a lot more to the sign of Jonah. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volume 4, chapters 2 - 5.

If one characterizes great Hebrew prophets such as Elijah and Elisha as being disobedient prophets, then yes. However, these Hebrew prophets were also very obedient and great men of God. The question itself invites a trite, inaccurate answer to those not well-studied. A better answer requires study. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volume 2.

• Jonah was most likely born in the spring of 850 BC and died in the spring of 752 BC at the age of 98 at the end of the 6-month reign of Zechariah, the fifth king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel's Jehu dynasty. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volumes 2  - 3.

The Israel-Jonah supersign typology is that the prophet Jonah's lifetime is itself a typological roadmap of Israel's history — past, present and future. This dimension of the sign of Jonah predates the New Testament. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volume 4, chapter 2.

Most probably, yes! One of the many explanations from the inference-driven Rethinking Jonah study is that Jonah was the miraculously conceived and miraculously born child of 2 Kings, chapter 4 who died and was resurrected as a toddler. This explanation is more probable than the traditional, incoherent counterargument that Elisha was the headline and this miracle baby was insignificant. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volume 2.

Most probably, yes! One of the new explanations of the inference-driven Rethinking Jonah study is that Jonah was the unnamed man whose body was dropped on Elisha's bones when a Moabite raid interrupted his funeral. Ancient rabbinic sources identify him as identical to the miraculously born child of 2 Kings chapter 4. This explanation is more probable than the traditional, incoherent counterargument that Elisha's bones were the headline, and the man who was resurrected was insignificant. If true, then this was Jonah's third resurrection recorded in Scripture. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volume 3.

Yes! Most probably, Jonah was originally two scrolls, not one, published several years apart. The 1 Jonah account (Jon. 1:1–2:10) likely arrived in Nineveh before Jonah did. When Jonah sent the 2 Jonah scroll (Jon. 3:1–4:11) to Jerusalem before he returned from Nineveh (per Flavius Josephus), scribes erroneously sewed it onto the 1 Jonah scroll. Jesus's statements in the New Testament may refer to this. For more details, see Rethinking Jonah, volume 3.

The most probable explanation is that both the Ninevites and later their king, heard Jonah's doom oracle and asked him what they should do to be saved. Jonah then instructed them to repent, fast, and cry out to God. One reason this is likely is that fasting is a learned behavior not typically practiced within the Akkadian religion in the 9th century BC. For example, evidence of fasting in Esarhaddon's reign post-dates Jonah by over a century. Another reason is that the 1 Jonah scroll (Jon. 1:1–2:10) likely arrived in Nineveh well before Jonah and certified that Jonah was a great prophet, and he was resurrected from Sheol before his arrival. For more details, including an analysis of sixteen less probable explanations for Nineveh's repentance, see Rethinking Jonah, volume 3.

Volumes of Rethinking Jonah may be ordered from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, ReaderHouse.com, or wherever books are sold. Simply search on the title or use the ISBNs: 

    Volume 1: ISBN-979-8-88832-341-0

    Volume 2: ISBN-979-8-88832-678-7

    Volume 3: ISBN-979-8-88832-703-6

    Volume 4: ISBN-979-8-88832-705-0

e-Book purchasing and downloading information will be provided later this year.

You may also consider requesting that your local library (e.g., public, school, university, church, synagogue, or other) order the four-volume book series.

Bookstores may order books directly from Ingram using normal methods.