Interpretation of the Bible, book of the prophet Nahum.

In Galilee in the 7th century BC there lived a prophet who wrote a book of prophecies. Its writing dates back to 663 BC. e. Nahum predicted the fall of the once mighty Assyrian state with its capital in Nineveh under the blows of enemies and considered this a fair retribution for sins. In Rus', Naum is revered as the patron of education.

December 14 is the day of remembrance of the holy Old Testament prophet Nahum. He was born in Galilee in the 7th century BC and predicted the death of the Assyrian city of Nineveh. The book of the prophet Nahum is in the Old Testament. Prophet Nahum died at the age of 45.

Since ancient times, the prophet Nahum has been revered in Rus' as a mentor, assistant and patron of people of mental labor. In schools and colleges he was also called Gramotnik. In the old days, children began to be taught at home on the first of December (December 14, new style) or were sent to “teaching.” And before starting classes, they always asked for blessings from the prophet Nahum.

On this day, people were not just sent to school, but a certain ceremony was observed. The whole family went to church in the morning, where they served a prayer service, asking for a blessing on the youth: “Holy prophet of God Naum, enlighten me and with your mercy show me good leadership.”

The teacher appeared at the appointed time at the parents' house, where he was greeted with honor and kind words, and was seated in the front corner with bows. The father, holding his son by the hand, handed him over to the teacher with requests to teach him to be smart and to teach him by beating him for laziness. The mother, standing at the door, had to cry, otherwise the bad rumor about her callousness would have spread throughout the village. The student, approaching the teacher, was obliged to bow to the ground three times.

On the first day of the meeting, the teacher was to reward each of the students with three symbolic blows of the whip. Children had to begin each lesson with three prostrations to the teacher and were obliged to obey him unquestioningly.

Then the mother seated the teacher at the table and handed him a patterned bone pointer. The teacher opened the alphabet and showed the letters to the student. At this moment, the mother had to cry even harder and beg the teacher not to burden her son with literacy. The first teaching ended with one basic step. This is how the first lesson was symbolically held, which ended with the teacher treating him and wishing him all the best.

Teachers in Rus' were especially revered; their work was considered important and difficult. After his work, the teachers treated him and gave him gifts. The father rewarded the teacher with a dress or bread, the mother with a hand-embroidered towel. But most often, classes were paid for with food: the student’s mother brought the teacher a chicken, a basket of eggs or a pot of buckwheat porridge. The farewells and treats continued until the gate. The next day the student was sent to the teacher with the alphabet and a pointer.

In ancient and medieval Rus', children learned to read and write not from specially trained teachers, but from people inclined to teach, who knew how to read and write, priests and sextons who were left without a parish, monks who left their monasteries, wanderers who went to holy places in the summer, and in the winter, waiting out the cold in some village and, in gratitude for the warm corner and food, teaching peasant children, artisans ruined by unbearable taxes, literate peasants left homeless for some reason, etc. People like them they called it, there were quite a lot of “wandering teachers” even at the end of the 19th century.

The mass production of printed educational literature played a huge role in Moscow education in the 17th century. At the end of the century, the printed Primer of the monk of the Kremlin Chudov Monastery, Karion Istomin, became widespread.

Page from the ABC book:

How anyone wants to know the view,
in the first of these things you will write.
Whales are in the seas, cypress is on land,
young one, open your ears to your mind.
Sit in the chariot, fight with a spear,
Ride the horse, unlock the key.
The ship is on the water, and there is a cow in the house
And the kokosh is in demand and people are healthy.
Put aside vanities and idleness,
Listen to the bell, create others in the sky.

Since literacy training in the Middle Ages was of a religious nature, liturgical books were used as teaching aids - the Book of Hours, the Psalter, and at the end of the training - the Gospel.

Among our ancestors there was a tradition of starting any important undertaking on the Wise Day. It was believed that the prophet Nahum would definitely “bring to mind”, that is, he would help and suggest how best to take on a new business in order to get the best result.

Signs for Naumov Day

There is no such pagan or church holiday in Rus' with which various folk beliefs are associated. And of course they also exist on St. Naum. For the most part, our ancestors were worried about the fate of the future harvest, and therefore the main part of the signs is connected with the weather that settled on December 14th.

Strong cold gusts of the north wind warned the peasants that they should expect severe frosts in the near future, and in the summer - abundant grain production.

Traders preparing for a long journey paid attention to the sky. If it was all strewn with bright stars, then the journey should have been delayed so as not to get caught in a strong blizzard.

Residents of villages and villages listened to the barking of dogs on December 14. If it was heard dully and as if from afar, then heavy snowfall was to be expected in the coming days. The same sign predicted an excellent harvest of forage grasses.

Parents were happy if the child was born on December 14th. After all, the one who was born on St. Naum certainly turned out to be capable of any sciences and in adulthood made a good career.

Musicians also loved Naumov Day. They believed that the instruments consecrated in the temple on December 14 would sound in a very special way and would serve their owner for a long time.

Proverbs and sayings:

Naum will come and bring it to mind.

The Prophet Nahum will bring a bad mind to mind.

Teach your son to read and write, teach him to be smart, as we were taught, teach him - more often than not, whip him with a whip.

Nahum came, the winter wind blew.

A smart head feeds a hundred heads, but a thin head cannot feed itself.

Those who are good at reading and writing will not be lost.

The root of the teaching is bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

Learning is light and ignorance is darkness.

Learning to read and write is always useful.

Unlearned or blind, lead wherever you want.

Prayer to Nahum for increased intelligence

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Holy Father Naum, Guide my youth to his mind, Give him a blessing for ardent teaching, Strengthen his memory, awaken his efforts. Take his hand, drive away laziness and boredom. Let this youth be quick in understanding and quick in learning. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Sources: pandia.ru, c-ib.ru

The holy prophet Nahum, one of the twelve so-called minor prophets, preached during the reign of the Jewish king Hezekiah, that is, between 727 and 698. BC e.

The name “Nahum” translated from Hebrew means “comforter.” The name of the prophet was given to him by his pious parents during difficult times for the Jews as an expression of hope in God and faith in the promised Seed, which alone could console.

We know almost nothing about Nahum himself. He is called the Elkoshaite. In Arabic legend, Elkos is Al Ovosh, a village near present-day Mosul in Iraq. Byzantine authors (Eusebius and Jerome) believed that Nahum lived in Galilee. There is an opinion that the birthplace of the prophet is Capernaum (“the city of Nahum”) mentioned in the New Testament.

According to legend, he died at the age of 45 and was buried in his native village. According to some evidence, Nahum's tomb was located in Ain-Shifta, according to another opinion, it is located in Alkusha, where the Jews annually celebrate his memory for 14 days.

Book of the Prophet Nahum

The Prophetic Book of Nahum is a canonical book of the Old Testament, included in the collection of the Minor Prophets. Consists of 3 chapters and is a poem with many comparisons and metaphors. The literary merits of the book of Nahum are superior to any of the other minor prophets.

The book of the prophet Nahum is dedicated to the fall of the great city of the then Assyrian capital of Nineveh, located on the Tigris River, and with it the entire Assyrian kingdom. The prophet predicts the disasters that the righteous Lord will bring on this city and vividly depicts the final destruction of this great and strongly fortified city: “The Lord is good, a refuge in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an overflowing flood He will destroy Nineveh to its foundations, and darkness will overtake His enemies” (Nahum 1:7-8).

About a hundred years before the prophecy of Nahum, he went to Nineveh (about 824 - 783). Probably, Nahum’s words about God’s long-suffering are connected with this. Then the Ninevites repented of their sins and the city was saved.

First chapter is an acrostic psalm (though incomplete) praising God the Judge. This chapter exalts the Lord's mercy to His people and His faithfulness to His covenant.

Chapter two talks about the fall of Nineveh. It especially emphasizes that this is a great city, the capital of a powerful empire. It is compared to a lion's den (the lion is the symbol of Assyria).

Chapter Three continues this theme, again describes the picture of the death of the city, indicating the reasons for this: temple prostitution, greed, cruelty. The fall of Nineveh is compared to how the Assyrians captured other cities and countries.

Fall of the Assyrian capital Nineveh

For a correct understanding of the Holy Scriptures, and especially the Old Testament books, the thoughts that their creators wanted to convey to us, it is necessary to have historical information about the eras, kingdoms, events and personalities described there. The book of the prophet Nahum, according to Metropolitan Mitrofan (Simashkevich), the author of a detailed exegetical study of this book, generally cannot be correctly understood without knowledge of the history of Assyria.

The ancestor of the Assyrian people was Assur (Gen. 10:22), the son of Shem (Gen. 10:21). Those. The Assyrians were Semites. Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian state, was founded by Nimrod, who was of Kushite origin, and therefore a descendant of Ham (Gen. 10: 6-8). This was around 2230 BC.

Nineveh

Nineveh included not one, but four separate cities, united by one wall 30 meters high (like a ten-story building) and 15 meters thick. There were 15 gates in the wall. The towers erected on it reached 60 meters in height (like a twenty-story building).

Already around 2000, information appears about the power of Assyria. And in 1230 Assyria prevails over Asia. In the period from 860 to 761. this country is increasing its power.

With all this, Assyria stood at a high cultural level, even higher than Egypt. The country was distinguished by a well-thought-out state administration, the art of irrigating fields, unusual imagination in decorating houses, and rich trade. Nineveh's convenient position for trade at the crossroads of all trade and military routes of Europe, Asia and Africa allowed Nineveh to accumulate enormous wealth, which led to the corruption of the people (Jon. 1:2). The capital of Assyria amazed with its power; unlimited wealth from all over the earth flowed into the treasury of Nineveh. But the inhabitants of the city “lived carelessly, saying in their hearts: “ I, and there is no other but me"(Zeph. 2:15), therefore the prophet Nahum proclaims: because " If you plot against the Lord, He will carry out destruction, and the disaster will not happen again...»

Assyria

Mighty Assyria built its prosperity on the blood of many peoples. History shows that Nineveh pursued a state policy of robbery. The Assyrians usually went to war against a nation and, having defeated its army, resettled the defeated tribes to another land in order to tear the people away from their roots, to destroy, if possible, their sense of national identity, making them more pliable and resigned. It must be admitted that the Assyrians were great warriors who excelled in the art of robbery and robbery. At that time, in general, many peoples led a predatory lifestyle, attacking other lands and tribes, but the sons of Assur, apparently, succeeded in this best of all. Their entire well-being was completely based on robberies.

The prophet calls this city a city of blood, full of deceit and murder. Nineveh seems to personify the enemies of the Lord; she has become like a harlot of a pleasant appearance, who deceives the nations and seduces them into worshiping false gods. Nahum mentions that Assyria brought a lot of grief to the land of God's people. He predicts that everyone who heard the news of the shame of Nineveh will applaud with joy, because its malice continually extended to all nations.

At that time, the most dangerous enemies of Assyria were Egypt and Ethiopia (2 Kings 17:4), but to fight them (Isa.20:7, Isa.19:16-17) it was necessary to capture the strong fortifications of Jerusalem.

Having conquered many countries: Syria, Palestine, Babylon, Assyria devastated these lands, destroying dozens of cities and enslaving hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. They brutally destroyed the strongest of their opponents, who could pose a danger to their rule: they crucified, burned, cut off body parts, sawed, etc. This is how another Assyrian ruler describes one of his campaigns: “ From the ears of the young men I made a pile, and from the heads of the elders I made a tower. I burned the children, I ravaged and burned the city».

Soon all of Judea was already in the power of the Assyrian king, only Jerusalem remained. Therefore, the Assyrian king Sennacherib sent his forces there. Then the Jewish king Hezekiah turned to God for help, and He miraculously destroyed the enemy: “ And the angel of the Lord went out and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand people in the Assyrian camp. And they got up in the morning, and behold, all the bodies were dead", and Sennacherib left threateningly. But the Jews were afraid that Sennacherib, angry at the failure, would gather an army larger than before and appear again (2 Chronicles 32:2-8).

Since the Assyrian Empire sought to subjugate and subjugate the states around it, their inhabitants lived in the hope that one day Nineveh would fall and they would gain freedom.

To calm and encourage the Jewish people, the prophet Nahum made his speech in which he predicted the final destruction of Nineveh, which would be destroyed by a strong flood of water, and the treasures of the city would be plundered and destroyed by fire.

When Nahum revealed to the people of God the visions he had received from the Lord, Nineveh was at the zenith of its glory. At that time, Nineveh was the capital of the most powerful state entity on earth - the Assyrian Empire. Naturally, people were not inclined to believe the words of the prophet; they probably considered this turn of events too incredible.

However, historians of ancient times testify that 23 years after Nahum’s prophecy, Nineveh actually fell. At the same time, this prophecy about the destruction of Nineveh from water and fire was literally fulfilled. Nineveh, besieged by the Medes in alliance with the Babylonians (about 612 BC), steadfastly withstood the siege for three years, and only the flood of the Tigris River, which washed away the city walls, allowed the enemies to enter the city and destroy it to the ground.

Fall of Nineveh

King Sardanapalus of Nineveh, despairing of his salvation and fearing captivity, ordered a large fire to be built in the palace itself, collected all his treasures here and burned himself along with all his concubines. This is how the terrible words of Nahum and the other great prophet Isaiah were fulfilled (Is. 30:33).

After this, Nineveh was never rebuilt; its location was forgotten until 1845, when an archaeologist named Layard found its ruins.

The prophet Nahum predicted the destruction of Nineveh, as a punishment for its iniquities and especially for the destruction of the kingdom of Israel and for the blasphemy of the Assyrian king Sennacherib against God.

Having familiarized ourselves with the history of Nineveh, we have the right to ask ourselves the question: “ What does the Book of Nahum contain for our spiritual experience?»

This book reveals God's character traits. We learn a lot about God's wrath.

The wrath of God is the initially inherent attitude of a loving God towards that which destroys the object of His love. The wrath of God is a reaction of destruction when absolute holiness comes into contact with vice, or the destruction by a loving God of that which destroys the objects of His love. Of course, God is a loving God, but when the cup overflows, when unrighteousness, injustice, wickedness, sins greatly increase, then God moves on to express another aspect of His character and reveals His wrath. The book of Nahum shows the power of God's wrath, how terrible the wrath of God is.

The prophecies of Nahum sound like a threatening warning to those who destroy the object of God's love. Those who practice iniquity will experience a transition from the love of God to the wrath of the Lord.

Traditions in Rus' on the day of Naum

« Prophet Nahum will guide you"- they said in Rus'. And they called Nahum the Reader. They pray to the prophet both for the beginning of teaching and for help in comprehending science in general. It is remarkable that Nahum’s prayers for reason are in no way connected with his life and arise solely from associations with the name. It was on the day of the prophet Nahum (December 1, Old Style) that, according to tradition, they began to teach children to read and write.

In a Russian village, everything happened like this: the father of the family negotiated with the parish clerk. On the day of Nahum, the whole family went to church in the morning, where after mass a special prayer service was served, after which they asked for a blessing for the youth’s education. Then the teacher came to his parents’ house, where he was greeted with honor. Training could be quite harsh for a careless student (the saying did not come out of nowhere: “on Naum’s day, “az, beeches” - take the pointer in your hands, “fita, Izhitsa” - the whip is approaching”). Therefore, mothers usually lamented for their children who were going to study. The teachers were thanked for their work, treated and given gifts.

The youth was given a patterned bone pointer, which was guided along the lines of the alphabet. In the copybooks and alphabet books of the 17th century, a short prayer was given to the prophet Nahum for help in teaching: “Holy prophet of God Nahum, enlighten me and with your mercy instruct me to learn good leadership.” In the 18th century, they even baked special gingerbread alphabet books, which children used to learn to read and write.

Prophet Nahum, James Tissot

Troparion, tone 2
The memory of Your prophet Nahum, O Lord, is celebrated, so we pray to You: save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4
Enlightened by the Spirit, your pure heart, the prophecies become the brightest companion: see for what is real, existing far away. You tamed the lions and threw them into the ditch; For this reason we honor you, prophet of bliss, Nahum, the more glorious.

Material prepared by Svetlana Finogenova

Prophet Nahum, James Tissot

Holy Prophet Nahum - one of the twelve, so-called minor prophets, preached during the reign of the Jewish king Hezekiah, that is, between 727 and 698. BC e.

Name "Nahum" translated from Hebrew means "comforter". The name of the prophet was given to him by his pious parents during difficult times for the Jews as an expression of hope in God and faith in the promised Seed, which alone could console.

Book of the Prophet Nahum

The book of the prophet Nahum is dedicated to the fall of the great city of the then Assyrian capital of Nineveh, located on the Tigris River, and with it the entire Assyrian kingdom. The prophet predicts the disasters that the righteous Lord will bring on this city and vividly depicts the final destruction of this great and strongly fortified city: “The Lord is good, a refuge in the day of trouble, and He knows those who trust in Him. But with an all-sinking flood He will destroy Nineveh to the ground, and darkness will overtake His enemies.”(Nahum 1:7-8).

First chapter is an acrostic psalm (though incomplete) praising God the Judge. This chapter exalts the Lord's mercy to His people and His faithfulness to His covenant.

Chapter two talks about the fall of Nineveh. It especially emphasizes that this is a great city, the capital of a powerful empire. It is compared to a lion's den (the lion is a symbol of Assyria).

Fall of the Assyrian capital Nineveh

Nineveh

Already around 2000, information appears about the power of Assyria. And in 1230 Assyria prevails over Asia. In the period from 860 to 761. this country is increasing its power.

With all this, Assyria stood at a high cultural level, even higher than Egypt. The country was distinguished by a well-thought-out state administration, the art of irrigating fields, unusual imagination in decorating houses, and rich trade. Nineveh's convenient position for trade at the crossroads of all trade and military routes of Europe, Asia and Africa allowed Nineveh to accumulate enormous wealth, which led to the corruption of the people (Jon. 1:2). The capital of Assyria amazed with its power; unlimited wealth from all over the earth flowed into the treasury of Nineveh. But the inhabitants of the city “lived carelessly, saying in their hearts: "I, and there is no other but me"(Zeph.2:15), therefore the prophet Nahum proclaims: because “If you plot against the Lord, He will bring about destruction, and the disaster will not happen again...”

Assyria

Mighty Assyria built its prosperity on the blood of many peoples.History shows that Nineveh pursued a state policy of robbery. The Assyrians usually went to war against a nation and, having defeated its army, resettled the defeated tribes to another land in order to tear the people away from their roots, to destroy, if possible, their sense of national identity, making them more pliable and resigned. It must be admitted that the Assyrians were great warriors who excelled in the art of robbery and robbery. At that time, in general, many peoples led a predatory lifestyle, attacking other lands and tribes, but the sons of Assur, apparently, succeeded in this best of all. Their entire well-being was completely based on robberies.

Having conquered many countries: Syria, Palestine, Babylon, Assyria devastated these lands, destroying dozens of cities and enslaving hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. They brutally destroyed the strongest of their opponents, who could pose a danger to their rule: they crucified, burned, cut off body parts, sawed, etc. This is how another Assyrian ruler describes one of his campaigns: “I made a pile from the ears of the young men, and a tower from the heads of the elders. I burned the children, I ravaged and burned the city.”

Soon all of Judea was already in the power of the Assyrian king, only Jerusalem remained. Therefore, the Assyrian king Sennacherib sent his forces there. Then the Jewish king Hezekiah turned to God for help, and He miraculously destroyed the enemy: “And the angel of the Lord went out and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the camp of Assyria. And they got up in the morning, and behold, all the bodies were dead.”, and Sennacherib left threateningly. But the Jews were afraid that Sennacherib, angry at the failure, would gather an army larger than before and appear again (2 Chronicles 32:2-8).

Since the Assyrian Empire sought to subjugate and subjugate the states around it, their inhabitants lived in the hope that one day Nineveh would fall and they would gain freedom.

Fall of Nineveh

After this, Nineveh was never rebuilt; its location was forgotten until 1845, when an archaeologist named Layard found its ruins.

***

Having familiarized ourselves with the history of Nineveh, we have the right to ask ourselves the question: “What does the Book of Nahum contain for our spiritual experience?”

This book reveals God's character traits. We learn a lot about God's wrath.

Traditions in Rus' on the day of Naum

“Prophet Nahum will guide the mind”- they said in Rus'. And they called Nahum the Reader. They pray to the prophet both for the beginning of teaching and for help in comprehending science in general. It is remarkable that Nahum’s prayers for reason are in no way connected with his life and arise solely from associations with the name. It was on the day of the prophet Nahum (December 1, Old Style) that, according to tradition, they began to teach children to read and write.

The memory of the prophet Nahum is celebrated in the Christian Orthodox Church December 1 (14) .

Material prepared by Svetlana Finogenova

Troparion, tone 2
The memory of Your prophet Nahum, O Lord, is celebrated, so we pray to You: save our souls.

Introduction.

Author.

Nothing is known about the author of this short prophecy except his name Nahum the Elkoshaite (Nahum 1:1). In Hebrew the name is "Nahum", or more precisely "Nahum", which means "comforter". This name perfectly suited the nature of the ministry of this prophet in Judea. On the pages of the Old Testament, proper names very often expressed the hope and religious aspirations of God's people. As for the names of those representatives of this people who were touched by the special election of God, their names often “contained”, as it were, a constantly sounding “sermon” about God and His works. The name Nahum expressed Israel's eternal hope for the mercy of God. Nahum's preaching about the impending destruction of Nineveh, that the day would come when this ruthless enemy himself would be seized with horror in the face of the “nations” advancing on him, could not but serve as a great consolation for Israel.

The “second part” of the prophet’s name, Elkoshaite, suggests that he was from the village of Elkoshi, or Elkesi, the location of which, however, is not known. According to Jerome, in his days in Galilee there were still ruins of a town that bore that name. The most likely assumption is that the city where Nahum was born was located in the southern part of Judea; This is most consistent with the feeling with which the prophet speaks of Judea (1:15), to which his message is addressed.

Historical setting.

In essence, Nahum's prophecy focuses on the city of Nineveh (1:1). “The Prophecy of Nineveh” appears in the first sentence of the book; it is, as it were, an inscription to it. The word "prophecy" here, as in other prophetic books (see, for example, Zech. 9:1; 12:1; Mal. 1:1), translates the Hebrew word "mass", meaning literally "load", "burden" ", "burden". Jerome interpreted this word as an important message, fraught with difficulties. The Prophet Isaiah apparently used it in the sense of a menacing announcement of coming disasters and destruction (Isa. 13:1; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:11, etc.) In this case, “difficulties” and doom was announced to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh.

Nineveh is first mentioned in the book of Genesis (10:11-12). There (a few verses above) we read about Nimrod, who built several cities in southern Mesopotamia and, judging by these verses, was the founder of the ancient civilizations of Assyria and Babylon. From the surviving inscriptions it follows that around 2300 BC, a temple to the goddess Ishtar was built in Nineveh. Nineveh is also mentioned in inscriptions dating back to the time of the Babylonian king Hammurabi (approximately 1792-1750 BC).

The borders of this city were expanded by the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser I (1115-1071), who called himself “king of the world.” The Assyrian kings Ashurnazirpal II (883-859) and Sargon II (722-705) had their residences in Nineveh. In the ninth, eighth, and seventh centuries BC, the Assyrian Empire was quite powerful and constantly attacked the peoples living to the east, north, and west of it (including Israel).

Under Shalmaneser III (859-824 BC), Nineveh became the base and “starting point” for Assyrian military operations. During the reign of the mentioned king, the kingdom of Israel came into forced “contact” with Nineveh. An inscription carved on the orders of Shalmaneser states that he defeated a coalition of the king of Syria and other kings, including “Ahab the Israelite” (in 853 BC).

From a later inscription it follows that Shalmaneser was paid tribute by the Israeli king “Jehu, son of Omri,” who, by the way, is depicted on the so-called Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III. The Bible does not mention any of these events. It is known that Azariah, king of Judah (790-739 BC) paid tribute to Tiglath-palassar III (745-727 BC). The same goes for Menaim, king of Israel (752-742 BC); 2 Kings 15:14-23. During the reign of Asurdanil III (772-754), the prophet Jonah preached to the Ninevites.

In 731, Ahaz, king of Judah, became a vassal of Tiglath-pileser III; that same year the Assyrians took Damascus. Shalmaneser V (727-722) besieged Samaria and in 722 entered the capital of the Northern Kingdom, thereby putting an end to it (2 Kings 17:3-6; 18:9-10). Twenty-one years later (in 701), Sennacherib's troops (705-681) overran Judea and destroyed 46 cities and villages.

But 185 thousand of Sennacherib's soldiers died in one night after the Assyrian army besieged Jerusalem, and then Sennacherib returned to Nineveh (2 Kings 18:17-18; 19:32-36; Isa. 37:36). Assarhadon (681-669) considered Judea as a kingdom subject to him, as follows from the inscription discovered on the ruins of one building: “I called (commanded to appear before me) the kings of the Hittite land (Syria) and those who live overseas: Balu, king of Tire, and Manasseh king of Judah"

In 669, after his father Assarhadon, Asurbanipal inherited the Assyrian throne. He may have been the same king who delivered Manasseh, king of Judah (2 Chronicles 33:10-13). Asurbanipal defeated Egyptian Thebes (in 663) and took the treasures of this city, as well as Babylon and Susa, to Nineveh. He founded a large library in the Assyrian capital.

The city of Nineveh fell under the combined attacks of the troops of Babylon, Media and Scythia in 612 BC (according to other sources in 625).

Nineveh was located on the western bank of the Tigris River. Regarding the population of Nineveh, read the Introduction to the book of Jonah, as well as the commentary on Jonah. 4:11.

It was not difficult for the enemies of Nineveh to unite their forces to take possession of this city after the Kazr River flowing through it overflowed its banks (Nahum. 1:8; 2:6,8). The powerful and sinful city fell, devastated by flood and fire. Then rainstorms and sandstorms blowing in from the desert completed the work of its destruction, and already 200 years later its ruins were considered “nameless.” In the 1st century after the Nativity of Christ, only a small fortress stood in that place, called “Ninus”.

After that, hills grew over the ruins of the Assyrian capital, which were plowed by the Arabs every year and on which the Bedouins grazed their herds. Meanwhile, scientists have been arguing for a long time about where, in fact, the once formidable Nineveh was located. Little by little, French and English archaeologists began to discover it after 1841. Today the ruins of Nineveh are accessible to view.

Nineveh was the capital of one of the most powerful and cruelest empires of the ancient East. The immorality that reigned in her daily life was unparalleled, as was the boastful arrogance of her rulers. This is evidenced by Assyrian inscriptions discovered by archaeologists. Such an inscription, for example, compiled by order of Asur-Nazir-Khabal (859-824 BC) in honor of one of his victories, says: “I stormed the mountain peaks and took possession of them. In the heart of the mighty mountain I killed them, and with their blood I stained the mountain like wool... From the severed heads of their warriors I erected a pillar in front of their city, which towered above it; I burned their young men and maidens in the fire." And here is what this Assyrian king wrote about one of the foreign leaders he captured: “I tore off his skin and stretched it on the wall of the city.” The recording goes on to say that the arms and legs of ordinary prisoners were cut off, and the stumps of their bodies were also placed in “pillars.”

Shalmaneser II (859-824) boasted of his inhuman cruelty in one of his military campaigns: “I erected a pyramid of heads in front of his city. I burned their young men and women in the flames of fire.” In the following words he describes his treatment of the captive leader Asurbanipal (669-626 BC): “I pierced his chin with my sharp dagger. Through his jaw ... I passed a rope; I put him on a dog chain and ordered him to climb ...to the doghouse." Is it any wonder that Nahum called Nineveh “the city of blood” (3:1), whose malice continually “extended” to “all” (3:19).

To confirm that the kings of Assyria extolled themselves “above the heavens,” we will cite a few more inscriptions. This is how Asurbanipal wrote about himself: “I am a great king, a mighty king, the king of the universe, the king of Assyria... The great gods... magnified my name, they made my rule strong.” The inscription left by Esarhadson sounds even more boastful: “I am strong, I am omnipotent, I am a hero and a giant. I am a colossus, I am honored and glorified, and among the kings there is no equal to me, chosen by Assur, Nabu and Marduk.”

Idolatry flourished in Nineveh and throughout the empire. The religious cults practiced in Assyria originated from Babylon. For example, Nabu and Marduk were gods of the Babylonian-Assyrian pantheon. But Assur was the national deity of Assyria, which was represented on earth by the king, who was also its high priest.

Time to write.

The date of writing of the book, as well as the dates of the life of the prophet himself, can only be judged tentatively, on the basis of some internal evidence available in the book itself. Let us first designate the broadest time boundaries: from 722 BC, when the kingdom of Israel fell (for Nahum this event had already happened: 2:2) to the year of the fall of Nineveh itself (presumably 612), since this event is seen by the prophet in distant future.

In his days, we note, the prosperity of the empire and its capital was so indisputable that in support of the reality of his prediction, Nahum turns to the example of the great Egyptian city of Thebes (in the Russian text No-Ammon, 3: 8), which, however, was destroyed (according to available historical data by Asurbanipal). This event dates back to 663 BC, and, therefore, the Book of the Prophet Nahum was written later. The time frame for its writing is thus narrowed from 663 to 612.

Next: 1) What Nahum says about Nineveh in 1:12; 3:1,4,16 does not imply the gradual decline of the country under Asurbanipal's sons, Sarakus (626-623) and Sinsharishkun (623-612). 2) When Nahum prophesied, Judah was a vassal of Assyria (1:13,15; 2:1,3). This corresponded to the reign of King Manasseh in Judea (697-642). 3) Media as an independent state rose and strengthened around 645, and the birth of the New Babylonian Empire dates back to 626.

If Nahum had written shortly before the fall of Nineveh to the combined armies of these two countries, he would most likely have mentioned them. But since neither the Medes nor the Babylonians are mentioned in any way by Nahum, it is logical to assume that his prophecy was pronounced before 645. 4) The most important, however, seems to be the following circumstance: Thebes (No-Ammon), nine years after its destruction, was restored (in 654). The prophet's rhetorical question in 3:8 would hardly have sounded convincing (in this regard) if his book had been written after 654. Thus, the date of writing of the book is attributed to 663-654 BC.

Unity of the text and its literary features. The prophet's thought is remarkably logical in its movement, which explains the consistency and completeness in revealing the content of his book. The first chapter defines the theme of the book: God is omnipotent, absolutely righteous and just, He always ultimately fulfills His plans and intentions: He rewards those who obey Him with mercy, but the wicked are destined for a terrible fate. It is precisely this that awaits the arrogant and deeply immoral Assyrians, who do not know the true God, while the Jews, faithful to God, will be saved.

The second chapter consists of pictures contemplated by the spiritual eyes of the prophet: in them the execution of God's judgment over the Assyrian empire and its capital is revealed to him.

The third chapter contains the answer to a naturally arising question: what are the reasons for the death of a powerful monarchy that amazed the world with its beauty and grandeur? Why and how did this become possible? The reason is the vices that afflicted Assyrian society, the prophet answers. And also in the fact that Divine justice reigns over the whole world, knowing the beginning and end of all evil, knowing the times and timing.

Nahum's bold thought is clothed in vivid images. Experts in the ancient Hebrew language have always highly valued Nahum's language and style and the vividness of his presentation. The literary merits of his book are superior to any of the other minor prophets.

Historically, this book belongs to the so-called “Assyrian period” of Old Testament history, that is, to the time when the Assyrian Empire dominated the ancient East. The most ancient of the prophets belong to the same period (at least partially): Jonah, Joel and Amos, but most of all the following: Hosea, Isaiah, Micah.

Nahum, as it were, closes this series, since he pronounces the last prophecy about Nineveh. True, after him Zephaniah will also speak about the destruction of Nineveh, but he will live almost at this time. And his prediction (Zeph. 2:13-15) sounds as if in confirmation of what Nahum announced about this.

Fulfillment of Nahum's prophecies:

1. The Assyrian fortresses will fall with unexpected ease (3:12). According to the Babylonian Chronicle, the fortified cities in the vicinity of Nineveh, including Tabris (modern Sherif Khan), which was located a few kilometers northwest of Nineveh, began to “fall” one after another, starting in 614 BC.

2. The besieged Ninevites will make bricks to strengthen the city walls (3:14). In the History of Assyria, published by the University of Chicago, we read: “South of the gate, the fortress moat is still full of fragments of stones and bricks from which the walls were built.”

3. The city gates will be destroyed (3:13). We also read there: “The main attack was directed from the northwestern gate, and the main blow fell on the Khatamti gate... In the area within this gate there are declines of the second wall, which the city’s defenders hastily erected in extreme circumstances.”

4. Nineveh will be destroyed by flood (1:8; 2:6,8). Diodorus Siculus (about 20 BC) wrote that in the third year of the siege of Nineveh, due to heavy rains, a river flowing near the city overflowed its banks, flooded part of it, and destroyed part of the city wall. The Greek historian Xenophon wrote that the death of Nineveh was accompanied by terrifying peals of thunder. He also reported that the Kazr River, which flowed into Nineveh from the north-west, near the Ninlil gate, and flowed in a south-west direction, could overflow its banks due to the mentioned downpours (or the enemies destroyed the gateway built on it).

5. Nineveh will be destroyed by fire (1:10; 2:13; 3:15). The London publication "A Century of Exploration in Nineveh" says that during archaeological excavations of the Assyrian capital, charred pieces of wood, charcoal and ash were discovered. “Traces of fire, both in the temple and in Sennacherib’s palace, were undeniable: in some places the layer of ash on the south-eastern side reached approximately 5.”

6. Huge multitudes will be killed when Nineveh is taken (3:3). “In two battles that broke out on the plain in front of the city, the Assyrians were defeated. The number of killed was so great that the water in the river flowing nearby, mixed with blood, changed its color at a considerable distance downstream” (Diodorus, Historical Library).

7. The sack of Nineveh will be immense (2:9-10). The Babylonian Chronicle says that there was no number of spoils of war carried away from Nineveh. The city was like a mound made of ruins and debris.

8. The Nineveh commanders will lose heart and flee (3:17). It also says that “the army of Assyria fled ahead of its king.”

9. The idols of Nineveh will be broken (1:14). In "Excavations of the Temple of Ishtar at Nineveh" (a work kept in the British Museum) there is a report by R. K. Thompson and R. W. Hutchinson about the discovery of a headless statue of the goddess Ishtar in the ruins of Nineveh.

10. Nineveh will be destroyed once and for all (1:9,14). Many of the ancient eastern cities destroyed at different times were rebuilt and restored some time later, for example: Samaria, Jerusalem. This did not happen with Nineveh.

Book outline:

I. Heading (1:1)

II. God's judgment on Nineveh will be accomplished (1:2-15)

A. God will pour out His wrath on Nineveh and mercy on His people (1:2-8)

B. Nineveh's "schemes" against the Lord will be brought to an end (1:9-11)

C. With the destruction of Nineveh the suffering of Judah will end (1:12-15)

III. Description of God's judgment on Nineveh (chapter 2)

A. Enemy attack on the Assyrian capital (2:1-6)

B. Picture of the defeat of Nineveh in its sack (2:7-13)

IV. On the causes of the supreme judgment of Nineveh (chapter 3)

A. The violence and lies that reign in the Assyrian city will be put to shame (3:1-7)

B. Comparison of Nineveh's fate with that of Thebes (3:8-11)

C. Nineveh's efforts to defend itself will fail (3:12-19)

One of the 12 minor prophets, originally from Elkosh, a city in northern Palestine; preached during the reign of Hezekiah. The Old Testament book known by his name contains a vivid picture of modern religious, moral and political... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Nahum (Hebrew consolation) is a male name. Contents 1 Name day 2 Bearers 3 Other 4 Notes // ... Wikipedia

A, husband. Report: Naumovich, Naumovna; decomposition Naumych.Derivatives: Naumka; Nyuma; Nyoma.Origin: (Ancient Hebrew name Nahum comforting.)Name days: July 3, Aug. 9, Dec. 14. Dictionary of personal names. Nahum Consolation, comforter (Heb.). July 3 (June 20) – Venerable Naum... Dictionary of personal names

- (December 1; from this day children are sent to school). See GRADUATE...

- (they send children to school). See MONTHWORDS... IN AND. Dahl. Proverbs of the Russian people

- (patron of learning). See MIND IS STUPIDITY... IN AND. Dahl. Proverbs of the Russian people

The prophet, one of the 12 minor prophets (7th century BC), came from Galilee, from the village of Elkosha. According to legend, he died at the age of forty-five and was buried in his native village. The main content of the book of the prophet. Naum, part of the Old... ...Russian history

Nahum

Nahum Nahum- A prophet from Elkos, a settlement located, apparently, somewhere in Judea. Nahum prophesied, probably shortly before, in 612 BC. The Babylonians captured the capital of Assyria, Nineveh. Nahum predicted that Nineveh would be destroyed as punishment... ... Detailed Dictionary of Biblical Names

Books

, P.I. Kazansky. The work On the historical significance of the books of the minor prophets by Pyotr Ivanovich Kazansky P.I. Kazansky, a theologian, is one of his main works. In it the author speaks of the great importance of the Scriptures...
On the historical significance of the books of the minor prophets, P.I. Kazansky. The work “On the Historical Significance of the Books of the Minor Prophets” by Pyotr Ivanovich Kazansky [Kazansky P.I.], a theologian, is one of his main works. In it, the author talks about the great importance...