Nahum of Elkosh (Prophet of Retributive Justice)

Nahum (whose name signifies 'Consoler' or 'Comforter') produced some of the most vivid, thunderous, and sublime poetry in the ancient world. His prophecies were directed toward Nineveh, the imperial capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, whose mechanized cruelty, mass impalements, and enslavement had terrorized the Ancient Near East for centuries.

The Downfall of Imperial Cruelty

Nahum declared that unbridled militarism and exploitation cannot endure forever before the court of heaven. Describing Nineveh as a 'bloody city, all full of lies and robbery,' he depicted with cinematic precision the breaching of its water gates, the charging of red-shielded chariots, and the sudden silence of its imperial lion's den.

Herald of Peace upon the Mountains

To the traumatized captives of Judah and neighboring peoples, Nahum offered unshakeable assurance that the reign of fear had ended: 'Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!' His historic tomb in the ancient town of Alqosh, nestled against the mountains of northern Iraq, has been carefully preserved for thousands of years.