Jonah

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About this book

"Jonah" by Robert Nathan is a novel written in the early 20th century. It reimagines the biblical prophet as a gentle, idealistic young man whose desert-born faith collides with worldly priests, nobles, and a sudden love for a noblewoman. Blending fable, satire, and romance—complete with talking creatures and angels—it explores the tensions between prophecy and pragmatism, poverty and power, and the human longing for beauty and certainty. The opening of the novel places Jonah among Israel’s desert prophets, where an angel sends him to Bethel to promise victory over Hamath; the High Priest Amaziah deftly turns this into a war that Israel wins. Returning to his village, Jonah is welcomed by his practical mother Deborah, spars with his ambitious brother Aaron, and is counseled by his old teacher Naaman to keep to the desert.