Historical Background of the book of Nahum

The Book of Nahum (נחום / Nakhum in Hebrew) is the seventh of the twelve Minor Prophets. It follows the Book of Jonah, which declares forgiveness for Nineveh, and precedes the Book of Micah, which addresses the discipline of Judah. Nahum delivers a message of comfort to God’s people by announcing the final judgment on Nineveh, the very city God had previously used to discipline His people. Though short in length, Nahum’s prophecy is captivating. The book has a distinctive style—concise yet forceful, rich in detail, full of emotion, dramatic in tone, dignified in wording, clear in imagery, and vivid in expression.

During the reign of King Jeroboam II of Northern Israel (c. 793-753 BCE), the Neo-Assyrian Empire experienced a 39-year period of decline marked by internal strife and limited royal power, which temporarily halted its expansion. During this time, the prophet Jonah went to Nineveh to proclaim judgment. The city repented, and God “did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened” (Jonah 3:10). However, God’s plan was not finished. He still intended to use Assyria as a tool to discipline His people (Isaiah 10:5). 

Assyria would repeatedly attack both Northern Israel and Southern Judah. Although they were instruments of God’s discipline, their motive was to “conspire against the Lord” (Nahum 1:9) and destroy the “priestly kingdom” God had established. After Assyria completed its task, God declared, “I will punish the king of Assyria for his arrogant heart and for his conceited look” (Isaiah 10:12). In 612 BCE, the capital city of Nineveh was conquered and destroyed by a Babylonian-led coalition, and the once-mighty Assyrian Empire disappeared from history.

For centuries, many scholars doubted the existence of Nineveh and, by extension, the authenticity of the Book of Nahum. The Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the 5th century BCE, had no knowledge of its location. However, in 1843, French archaeologist Paul-Émile Botta discovered the ruins of a palace in what is now Mosul, Iraq. It was later confirmed to be Nineveh. The discovery unearthed numerous artifacts and provided archaeological evidence that substantiated the biblical account of the city.