Nineveh’s Reprieve

In 1853 a young archaeologist named Hormuzd Rassam discovered the palace of King Ashurbanipal, which was in Nineveh and is now surrounded by the city of Mosul, Iraq. Among many fascinating discoveries, Rassam found numerous clay cuneiform tablets which later were shown to contain the famous Assyrian Limmu lists. These tablets and the information they provide have proven to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries ever made regarding the dating of Biblical events.

The Limmu lists are a chronological account for each year in the history of Assyria. They were named after various officials whose names were given to the history, a different official for each year. The only problem was that even though the lists were in chronological order, they were based on the Assyrian calendar and there was no correspondence to our historical Gregorian calendar or to Biblical chronology.

However, a scholar discovered that during one of the years on the Limmu tablets there was a solar eclipse in Nineveh. Because astronomers can trace the paths and timing of solar eclipses back for thousands of years, it was determined that the eclipse occurred on June 15, 763 B.C. By knowing the year of that particular tablet, all of the lists could then be dated by year.

As a result several parallels were found between the history of Assyria and Biblical history. The Bible and the Limmu lists each confirmed the other, and the dating of Biblical events could be tied to the Gregorian calendar. Because of the reasonable accuracy of Biblical dating, it has been determined that Jereboam II, king of Israel (the northern kingdom) reigned from about 793 B.C to 753 B.C. This period of time included the 763 B.C. solar eclipse that overshadowed Nineveh.

This is fascinating, but there is no way of proving it. Jonah, son of Ammitai, prophesied during the reign of Jereboam II (II Kings 14:23-25). The account of Jonah, son of Ammitai (Jonah 1:1), being instructed by the Lord to go to Nineveh is a well known Sunday School story. We also know that Jonah was the only Old Testament prophet that predicted doom and the hearers of his prophecy listened and repented!

The Bible does not tell us this, but what if Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh that they had forty days to repent, and then sometime during those forty days, or even on the fortieth day, the sun unexpectedly darkened in the middle of the day. That would have gotten everyone’s attention, even the king (Jonah 3:5-6).

The Lord, who declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10) knew of the solar eclipse. In His great mercy, He may have provided a reprieve for Nineveh and its people, if they would repent. I pray that rebellious and sinful America will repent, from the great to the small. May the Lord, in His great mercy and grace, provide a reprieve for us.

Praise the Lord, for He is indeed merciful and gracious!

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