Jonah's Journey Poem by Tan Pratonix

We are talking about a little book in the Bible;
The book of Jonah, just three pages long.
There are seven miraculous events in that book.
Others say ten - well, neither is wrong!

One miracle is Jonah's submarine journey
In the belly of a great fish - probably a sea-monster or a whale.
But I am more interested in the geography,
The distances and logistics of this wonderful tale.

Jonah's destination was Tarshish,2500 miles west of Joppa,
From where his journey began. Then followed
A series of strange events: God sent a great storm;
Jonah was cast into the sea, and swallowed

By this great fish, which took him on a journey
Back to the East Mediterranean shore.
Not to Joppa, from where he started,
But to some Levantine port, close to Aleppo.

It must have been Iskenderun, near the Belen Pass,
Where the Pillar of Jonah testifies
That this was a historical fact, endorsing God's Word.
From Aleppo to Nineveh is 340 miles as the crow flies.

It took three weeks for Jonah to reach Nineveh by road,
Which gave him time to reflect over his ‘experience of the cross'.
He had paid his fare to Tarshish, and caused loss to the ship,
But God brought him to Nineveh (near Mosul) free of cost.

The Underwater Express, travelling 20 miles an hour,
Directed by God to vomit its prey on to land -
A disobedient prophet and an obedient fish -
The creature willingly obeyed the Creator's command.

So Jonah landed at Iskenderun, took a day to reach the Belen Pass,
Then went on to Aleppo, where the news spread fast
That a strange prophet had risen from the sea
And was going to judge Assyria's capital city.

Nineveh got the news by horse, pigeon or runner post
(Being 400 miles from the Great Sea coast)
So when Jonah arrived with his skin bleached white
It must have presented an astounding sight.

His message was brief, direct and bold,
It cut through the hearts of young and old
'Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! '
And from greatest to least everyone mourned.