Theme
Many have questioned whether the book of Jonah is historical. The supposed legendary character of some of the events (e.g., the episode involving the
great fish) has caused them to suggest alternatives to the traditional view that the book is historical, biographical narrative. Although their specific
suggestions range from fictional short story to allegory to parable, they share the common assumption that the account sprang essentially from the author's
imagination, despite its serious and gracious message.
Such interpretations, often based in part on doubt about the miraculous as such, too quickly dismiss
On the other hand, it must be acknowledged that Biblical narrators were more than historians. They interpretatively recounted the past with the unswerving purpose of bringing it to bear on the present and the future. In the portrayal of past events, they used their materials to achieve this purpose effectively. Nonetheless, the integrity with which they treated the past ought not to be questioned. The book of Jonah recounts real events in the life and ministry of the prophet himself.