Sign of Jonah
In MatthewA tax collector who became one of Jesus' 12 disciples. 12:38-41 and 16:1-4 as well as LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul. 11:29-32, some of the leaders of the people ask JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. for a sign. Jesus tells them that no sign will be given to them except the sign of the prophet Jonah, who was in the whale for three days and three nights. (Mark 8:11-13 simply notes that no sign will be given without ever mentioning Jonah.) Matthew and Luke see this as a reference to Jesus’ three days and nights in the tomb.
Early Christian funerary art
Depictions of Jonah are abundant in early Christian art, particularly in funerary art such as catacomb walls and sarcophagi. In these works, Jonah is seen as a type of Christ and Jonah’s journey into and out of the belly of a big fish serves as representation of Christ’s death and resurrection. These artistic scenes often involve Jonah and the fish – either Jonah being thrown overboard into the mouth of the fish or being vomited onto land by the fish. The funerary art uses Jonah to make a Christian statement about resurrection.
Moby Dick
Herman Melville, who wrote the 19th century novel, Moby Dick, included several references to Jonah in the work. For example, Father Mapple, a character in the story, preaches a sermon interpreting Jonah as a tale of disobedience. Furthermore, the novel contains a chapter titled “Jonah Historically Regarded,” which surveys various attempts during Melville’s day to provide naturalistic and scientific explanations for Jonah’s journey into and out of the big fish.
