Dating the Book of Jonah - references

Prophet Jonah
Michelangelo Sistine Chapel, Vatican
Image wikimedia

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Set in the reign of Jeroboam II (786-746 BC), it was probably written in the post-exilic period, sometime between the late 5th to early 4th century BC.
wikipedia
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If Jonah is the same Jonah as in 2 Kings 14:25, the date of the book would be in early 8th century B.C.E. - at this time Assyria would be on the rise seeking to become a world empire.

Some scholars argue that book was written later

Reasons for

• References to Nineveh are vague
• Author used title "King of Nineveh" rather than "King of Assyria" which would have been more correct
• Nineveh not become capital of Assyria until long after time of Jonah mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25
• If reference to Nineveh is historical, city would be only the small capital of a small city-state and not huge capital of a world empire as is stated (1:1, 3:3)
• Language and customs of story are more appropriate for 5th and 4th centuries B.C.E.
• Author of 2 Kings seems not to have been aware of the story - one might argue back, however, that Kings is unaware of or unconcerned with most of the canonical prophets
• Opposes narrow nationalistic views of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zechariah so must have been composed after their time
• Those who are convinced by this evidence date the book to the 5th or 4th century B.C.E.

Sirach 49:10 and Tobit 14:4,8 in the Apocrypha mention Jonah so the book must have been written before the 2nd century B.C.E.

Cumberland College WebArchive
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F. Although some have dated the book late because of Aramaisms and expressions unfamiliar to Classical Hebrew, they are inconclusive and do not prove a post-exilic date 28

G. Although some date the book after the exile as a response to the ultra-nationalistic spirit of Ezra and Nehemiah, this universalistic emphasis also occurred during the eighth century in Isaiah 2:2ff 29
Bible.org
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Comments
Scholarly references to "ultra-nationalistic spirit" against which Book of Jonah could have been written in post-exilic period does not necessarily involve the "post-Holocaust" anger that I am suggesting in this blog.

Aramaic influence on the Hebrew language is important when trying to date the text. I need to study this more in detail.