JOMMELLI. 276 JONAH-CRAB. had so thoroughly ciilereil into his work that, iiotHilhstaiuliny its increased richness and power in orcliestralioii, it was no longer aeceptable to his own Najjles, and this neglect is said to have hastened his deatli. His lirst serious opera was Odoardo (1738). and allhuugh Meiope (1747) was the most po])ular. )iis best were Ar- mida (1770) mid I /iycnia in Aulide (1773). Of his saered compositions, the oratorio La I'annioiie (1748) is the most important. In 1749 he was chapelmaster of Saint Peter's, and the period of his activity there marks the zenith of his power as a Church composer, although by many his Miserere is considered his master work. His known compositions arc fortj' operas, five can- tatas, four oratorios, and thirty-four Church com- positions. His death occurred at Naples. JO'NAH (Heb. YOnah, dove). A Hebrew prophet. According to II. Kings xiv. 25, he was the son of Amittai, n native of (Jath-liepher, in Zebulon, and ]irophcsicd during the reign of Jero- boam II., King of Israel (B.C. 782-741). The subject of his prophecy was the deliverance of Israel from the JSyrian oppression. (See .Jkhoa- llAZ ; Jeuoho.vm II.) These prophecies must liave been delivered early in Jeroboam's reign. The fifth book of the minor prophets is ascribed to Jonah, but there are .serious objections to as- signing a preexilic date to this production. (See .To..ii. Book of.) Isa. xv.-xvi. 12 has been at- tributed to .Jonah, but the view is improbable and cannot be proved. JONAH, Book of. The fifth book of the mi- nor prophets. In the superscription the author- ship of the book is ascril)ed to .lonah. the son of Amittai. Considerations of language and style, however, the general thouglit and point of view, and ])articuhirly the psalm in chapter ji., which closely resembles other ])salins of late date, make it difficult to believe that the book was written as early as the time of .feroboam II. It can hardly date before the fifth century B.C., and the psalm in cliaplcr ii. may be nnicii later. The book consists of two sections: (1) The epi- sode of .lonah and the fish (chs. i., ii.) ; (2) the account of the repentance of Nineveh. Jonah's chagrin at finding his prophecies unfulfilled, and the divine rebuke in consctiuence (chs. iii., iv.). Chapter i. begins with God's command to .Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim its destruction. Jonah attem|)ts to evade the duty, and takes pas- sage on a ship going to Tarshish. A great storm arises on the voyage, interpreted by the sailors as a sign of divine displeasure. Jonah is chosen by lot as the guilty one. confesses, and is cast into the sea and swallowed by a great fish. After three days he is cast forth alive on the shore. Chapter ii. is a psalm of thanksgiving for this deliverance. In chapter iii. .Jonah obeys the di- vine command and preaches at Nineveh. In consequence the people of the city, at the com- mand of the King, rejient and observe a fast in sign of contrition. God then changes Jlis pur- pose, and .Jonah in consequence is greatly dis- pleased. God rebukes him in an emblematic way by means of a gourd which He causes to grow and furnish .shade to .Jonah against the heat of the sun for One day. When the gourd perishes .Jonah is in despair because of the discomfort he experiences. Thereupon the lesson' is made clear that if he experiences such deep regret for a mere gourd, which, moreover, he had no share in producing, (lod may have pity on a city like Nineveh, containing such a vast population, many of tlicm innocent and all God's creatures. Certain modern scholars think that the Book of .fonah is to be classed with the honiilclic lit- erature of the Jews, along with such books as Tobit and Susannah, which contain a narrative told for religious editication and in illustration of religious doctrines. From this jjoint of view the book emanates from those Jewish circles which did not altogether sympathize with the ex- clusive concc])tions dcvelojied by the doctrine of Israel's election, which, besides bringing about a total separation of the Hebrews from the "nn- tions,' placed the latter in the light of wicked people, merely because they were not Israelites. The Book of .Jonah protests against this view, and teaclies by means of a stoiy of a prophet sent against Assyria, a heathen nation, that even such an embodiment of wickedness as Assyria (according to the views of the pious Yahwists) could obtain the favor of God. The prophet him- self is held up in the light of one who was more concerned with maintaining his prestige than to have his lessons followed. lie urges upon God the destruction of Nineveh, despite the re- pentance shown by the latter. It is also the aim of the author, incidental to his main ]nirpi)sc. to hold the prophets up to ridicule, by repivsenting Jonah, the servant of God, as the one really dis- obedient to divine coiumand. He is the one held responsible for the terrific storm which expresses the divine dis])leasure, as he is the one who needs the lesson of chapter iv. That the book was ad- mitted to the canon is explained by the .sym- bolical intcrjiretation to which it easily lent it- self. Jonah as the 'dove' — the favorite bird of sacrifice — symbolized Israel (cf. Ps. Ixviii. 13). Nineveh was a disguise for .Jerusalem, and the lesson of the city's repentance was intended for the .Jews. In this way an interpretation for the book grew up which obscured its real and original purport. Concerning the historicity of the book opin- ions have varied widely. But whatever opinion may be held on this point, there can be little doubt that its main puri)Osc and aim was di- dactic. There is an old story of a man swal- lowed by a fish which appears in numerous forms among ancient nations — as, e.g. Bel and the dragon, Jlarduk and Tianiat. A story of a re- markable sea monster also appears to have some connection with the port of .Joppa. Consult the general commentaries on the minor prophets (q.v. ); Simpson, The Jonah Lcf/end (I.ondon. 18!l!l) : Cheyne. ".Jonah: . Study in .Jewish Folk-Lore and Religion," in the Theological Review (1877); Kalisch, Bible .S'/Hf/ics, vol. ii. (London. 1877-78),; Wright. BibK- ciil Essin/'i (London, 188C). JONAH-CRAB. The name in southern Mas- sachusetts of a crab {Cnnecr borealis) differing from the common roek-crab (q.v.) in being heav- ier, more massive, and in living at low water on exposed and rocky shores, being by its strong- er, more solid shell better calculated to with- stand the action of the waves : it also occurs as far down as 10 fathoms. It is supplied to the Newport markets in small quantities during the summer season, being considered by many as preferable to the blue or lady crab (q.v.).
