Nahum

Nahum: The Prophet of Nineveh's Doom

Nahum was a minor prophet whose prophecy is recorded in the Tanakh, also known as the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament. His book is placed chronologically between those of Micah and Habakkuk. He is renowned for his vivid and poetic condemnation of the Assyrian Empire and its capital city, Nineveh, foretelling their inevitable destruction. His pronouncements offer a powerful message against militarism and oppression.

Life and Context

Little is recorded about Nahum's personal history. His name, meaning 'comfort', is derived from the Hebrew verb for 'to comfort'. He is identified as 'the Elkoshite', a designation that has led to speculation about his origins. While some scholars suggest he may have come from Alqosh in northern Mesopotamia, others propose a connection to Capernaum in Galilee, a theory that could explain the New Testament city's name. Despite scholarly debate regarding the precise dating of his prophecy, he is considered a nationalistic Hebrew.

Scholarly opinions on the timing of Nahum's ministry vary, influencing interpretations of his prophecies. One perspective places his activity after the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal's Sack of Thebes in 663 BCE, noting that the city is referred to in the past tense in the Masoretic Text. An alternative view, supported by the Septuagint and Vulgate's present tense references to Thebes, suggests Nahum lived about a century earlier. The first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, however, places Nahum's life during the reign of Jotham, a view that aligns with some Catholic scholarship suggesting he prophesied around 50 years after Jonah and 135 years before the destruction of Nineveh.

Prophetic Works and Style

Nahum's writings are presented as prophecy but also contain historical elements. One interpretation suggests his prophecy was written around 615 BCE, shortly before Assyria's collapse, while another posits it was composed as liturgy just after Nineveh's fall in 612 BCE. The theologian John Calvin praised Nahum's prophecy as a complete and finished poem, noting its sublime, vehement, and bold style, with a magnificent exordium and vivid descriptions of Nineveh's greatness and ruin.

Evidence suggests an acrostic structure may underlie Nahum's text, with verses beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. However, this scheme appears corrupted and rearranged in the transmission of the text. Nahum draws upon earlier prophetic traditions, including the writings of Moses, to describe the nature of God. His work is understood as a classic rebuke of militarism, asserting that tyrants are doomed, creating enemies through their oppression and succumbing to false security.

Legacy and Veneration

The tomb of Nahum is traditionally located within the synagogue at Alqosh, though other sites also claim this distinction. The synagogue has faced significant disrepair, and the tomb itself has been threatened by conflict in Iraq. Efforts have been made by various organizations and governments to stabilize and restore the site. In Eastern Christianity, the prophet Nahum is venerated as a saint, with his feast day observed on December 1st on the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar. He is also commemorated in the calendar of saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church.