Jonah - Part 1

There are many theories about the story of Jonah and the whale. Many debates as to what may have actually happened. Questions concerning the fish that swallowed him. Was it a whale? A fish? A different creature all together? How could Jonah have survived for three days? How could he have been swallowed without being crushed? Why would God choose to save such a wicked city? Could it just be a story the Lord uses to teach his people?

In my opinion it is true and it did really happened. Let me tell you my idea of how it could have gone down.

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Nineveh, as you may know, was an astonishingly wicked place, full of people doing evil with little to no redeeming qualities. 

Infidelity was not an option because marriage was nonexistent. Unfortunately, this subjugated prisoners of war, strangers who stumbled into their massive city, and even the poorest and weakest of their own people to become eunuchs and slaves and concubines to satisfy any and every carnal pleasure. As if that wasn't enough, exploration with animals and objects were also common. 

Of course children were produced. Baby boys were used to build their army. They were taught at a very young age to be bloodthirsty and carnally minded. They were fed on raw meat as children and whipped if not promptly obeying.

When the girls reached the age of 13 they were welcomed into a compound where they would earn their keep by cooking, cleaning, and performing for the men of the household. When boys reach the age of 13 they would join the military to become fighters, spending the first few years growing stronger and learning how to fight. Their end goal was to torcher and decapitate the enemy. They practiced on each other, sometimes fighting to the death, as well as with large wild cats. The boys who did not prove themselves strong enough were sent to join the girls at the compounds.

Nineveh was known to be merciless. In order to feel powerful they did all they could to further the pain from their hands. They beheaded the men that they killed during battle to keep their families from identifying them. The heads were brought back as trophies. They would burn them in a bonfire to honor and worship their king.

The king was sly and cunning. He made sure to teach his people that there was no other god than him. Telling them not to pray to an imaginary nymph, but to bathe in blood and call out his name. He wanted to be known as the most powerful being alive. In his efforts to prove this he wrestled lions and skinned prisoners alive. He ran a murderously efficient empire to terrify both his own people and anyone else who heard of them. The king was proud and vain, and encouraged his people to be likewise. The wealthy wore in fine and elaborate dress and jewelry.

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Jonah Chapter 1

2 ...Nineveh, that great city, ... for their wickedness is come up before me.