Jonah, Robinsons and Unlimited Gods: Re-reading Jonah as a Sea Adventure Story

Abstract

The plot of the book of Jonah combines the motifs of a hero swallowed by a sea-monster with a hero rescued by a fish. The hero has to cross and survive the sea (as sphere of danger and death). In this article it is argued that the Book of Jonah belongs to a certain type of adventure stories, in which the hero not only survives his adventures but also experiences an intensive encounter with God.