Neville Turley

“Your word is a lamp to guide me and a light for my path.”  Psalm 119:105 (GNB)

Jonah’s mission was fulfilled once God pardoned the people of Nineveh. He had followed God’s instruction and warned the people of their impending doom. The story of Jonah is enshrined in the Bible, it will never be forgotten.

According to popular tradition Jonah lived out his days in Nineveh. On his death his body was laid to rest in a tomb on a high mound a short distance from the built-up gates of Nineveh. Jonah’s tomb became a popular pilgrimage spot for Christians, Jews and Muslims.

A mosque was built on the burial site in 1226. The tomb of Jonah was in the middle of the mosque which was named after the prophet. 

The mosque became one of Iraq’s iconic monuments and a popular tourist destination.

On 24 July 2014, militants from ISIS was responsible for an incident that sparked global outrage. They rigged Jonah’s tomb with explosives and blew it to smithereens, destroying the mosque as well. 

In their search for artefacts they could plunder and sell on the black market, ISIS dug tunnels beneath where the shrine had stood. Their vandalism led to an unexpected find!

After Iraqi troops drove ISIS out of Mosul, archaeologists went to assess the damage.  The tunnels ISIS had dug in their search for plunder revealed the previously undiscovered palace of Emperor Sennacherib who ruled the Assyrian empire in the 7th century BC.

The book of 2 Kings (Chapters 18-20) describes how God intervened when the emperor was on the brink of conquering Jerusalem and crushing its people.

On returning to his palace from his inglorious defeat, the emperor was murdered by two of his sons. A third son, Esarhaddon became emperor (2 Kings 19:37). Cuneiforms and relics that were too large to be looted by ISIS confirm the accuracy of the biblical account.

The Bible is true and can be trusted.

Prayer: Heavenly Father thank you for your word. May the Holy Spirit guide us to use it as our road map through life. Through Jesus Christ our Saviour.  Amen