the prophet was able to see all that happened in the waters, while the monster had in its interior a large jewel, luminous like the sun." In spite of all the entertaining experiences, Jonah soon tired of his travels, and wished to be released from the fish. He tried to pray, but he could not, for the waters would rush into his mouth should he open it. "He therefore used the animal's mouth, and it opened its jaws for the utterance of his prayer. As an artist extracts sounds from a musical instrument by striking its chords with the fingers," so the prophet played out his prayer by touching the vocal chords of the fish's throat. In the prayer Jonah says that the weeds were wrapped about his head. We are not to suppose that they were wrapped about the head of the prophet; the Jewish commentator says they were about the head of the fish which swallowed him.

The Biblical story does not inform us of the after-life of the sailors who cast

Jonah into the sea. The Jewish commentator says that they all became Jews, and at once repaired to Jerusalem, where the covenant of circumcision was performed. Other Jews say that they pledged themselves to give charity to the poor. Along with these ideas may be mentioned one related by Bochart, that the fish during the three days of Jonah's imprisonment swam around Africa, and landed the prophet in the immediate vicinity of Nineveh.

The size of Nineveh was, according to Yalkut, somewhat larger than the immense numbers given in the Biblical account. The city was forty days' journey in length, and consisted of twelve districts, each of which contained 120,000 myriads of men. The entire population of the city was, therefore, 14,400,000,000 men, or more than three times the present population of the entire world. In opposition to this view may be presented that by Harenberg, who believed that the

Nineveh of the Book of Jonah was the little town of Neve, in Menasseh, near Mt. Hermon. This little town had 2,400 inhabitants, who were divided into twelve clans. (Kalish, Bible Studies, ii.).

II.

SOME POPULAR IMPRESSIONS

DISCUSSED.

I-INCREASING MISTRUST IN THE STORY.

SINCE the first appearance of the story of Jonah, its truth has been called into question by some and accepted by others. Josephus, who wrote for the Gentiles during the first century of our era, really apologizes that he is to relate the logos, or story, which has been handed down in the Hebrew writings, as if expecting the readers of his book to ridicule it. Lucien saw in the story as great improbabilities as in any of the exaggerated tales of the travelers of his own day, and he wrote an expressive satire. After describing a long voyage in a perfect calm, he says: Suddenly, we perceived a considerable

number of whales and other huge creatures, the largest of which, a whale, was at least fifteen hundred stadia (188 English miles) long. This monster darted upon us with open jaws, showing enormous teeth pointed like stakes and white as ivory. It approached and gulped us down together with our ship. For it did not waste time to crush us with its teeth, but made the whole vessel glide through its yawning swallow." The people coming within the whale found large settlements and populations, and finally delivered themselves by setting fire to a vast forest, thus killing the whale (Var. Hist., i. 30 fol.).

Jerome also testifies to the early mistrust in the story, for he informs us that even some of the faithful found it beyond belief (vi. 406), and Augustine says that it was the occasion of scoffing. The Fathers, like most of the Jewish commentators, seem to have generally taken the story for true history. Indeed, the