Jonah at Nineveh

Not yesterday, but the Sunday before, the First Reading was from the Book of the Prophet Jonah.  As we recall, Jonah was dispatched by God to preach to the people of Nineveh, so that they would learn right from wrong.  Jonah doesn't like the assignment and tries to run away to sea.  This is interesting in that Nineveh is located where modern-day Mosul sits, in Iraq.  It is pretty far from any large body of water.  I do admire the fact that, when the sailors decided someone aboard the ship is jinxed, Jonah rogers up and allows himself to be thrown into the sea.

The reading skipped all that time at sea and focused on the mission execution and the response of the people of Nineveh.

The question that came to me is why they repented of their evil ways?  Was it that Jonah scared them good and hard?  Was it that Jonah was such a good preacher?  Was it something else?  I do allow that for some the answer is that all fiction is dross and thus of no value, either in the reading or the contemplating and the Book of the Prophet Jonah is fiction.

Regards  —  Cliff