We often read Bible stories without taking historical context into consideration. As a result, we become unaware of the historical validity of the story. In some cases, stories are used to share a moral concept or as a tool to teach a lesson. The Book of Jonah is an example that will be used to determine whether this particular story describes an accurate account of history or teaches readers a lesson. In the Book of Jonah, Jonah (the prophet) is told to go to a pagan city (Nineveh) to preach to the Ninevites, hoping that they will repent of their sins. However, he defies God and travels to Tarshish instead. Jonah receives the consequences of his actions and Nineveh is ultimately forgiven by God. Although the story of Jonah appears to imply a historically accurate event on the surface, it is, however, used to teach a lesson that God is the final decider of who is worthy of forgiveness. Analyzing the historical context, explaining the book's verses, and interpreting the book as a whole will allow for a clearer understanding of the true purpose of the Book of Jonah, which is to convey a satirical story with a very important lesson. Jonah is dated between 783 and 745 BC and is set in an ancient Assyrian city, Nineveh. During this particular period, the Assyrians were aggressive and often had internal conflicts which led to its rulers changing somewhat. However, time after time, the Assyrians “entrenched themselves in their old evil ways” (Judisch 154). The Assyrians would have intimidated and feared the Israelites, making it easier for Jonah not to worry about the city of Nineveh when God commanded him to help him preach to the Assyrians. Nineveh was accused of evils and the Ninevehs were... middle of paper....... 2013.Bolin, Thomas M. "Shouldn't I too pity Nineveh?" Divine Freedom in the Book of Jonah." Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 67 (1995): 109-120. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web. November 15, 2013. Cosby, Michael R. Interpreting Biblical Literature: A introduction to Biblical Studies. Grantham: Stony Run, 2009. Print.Judisch, Douglas “The Historicity of Jonah.” 2013. Limburg, James. A Commentary Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1993. Print.Martin, Hugh 4:5-7 and the purpose of the Book of Jonah." Bulletin for Biblical Research 2 (1992): 47-57. ATLA Religions Database with ATLASerials. Web. 14 November. 2013.