A town in northern Mesopotamia near Mosul, on the east bank of the Tigris River; built by Nimrod after the flood. It was the capital of Assyria; the prophet Jonah preached against the town.
About Nineveh
One of the capitals of the Assyrian Empire and, at the height of that empire, one of the great cities of the world. Nineveh was situated in what is now northern Iraq and is represented today by the mounds of Kouyunjik and Nebi Yunus to the east of the Tigris River and opposite the main part of the city of Mosul.
The larger mound, Kouyunjik, to the northwest (approximately a mile by 650 yards [1.6 kilometers by 594.4 meters] in area and some 90 feet [27.4 meters] in height above the plain), is separated from Nebi Yunus by the Khosr River. A village, a cemetery, and a mosque said to contain the tomb of Jonah occupy Nebi Yunus, preventing extensive archaeological work.
Key References
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying,
Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
All Scripture References (30)
Genesis (2)
From that land he went forth into Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah,
and Resen, which is between Nineveh and the great city of Calah.
2 Kings (1)
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
Isaiah (1)
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
Jonah (8)
“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”
“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.”
This time Jonah got up and went to Nineveh, in accordance with the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey.
On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”
And the Ninevites believed God. They proclaimed a fast and dressed in sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.
When word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let no man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything at all. They must not eat or drink.
So should I not care about the great city of Nineveh, which has more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well?”
Nahum (14)
This is the burden against Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:
But with an overwhelming flood He will make an end of Nineveh and pursue His enemies into darkness.
From you, O Nineveh, comes forth a plotter of evil against the LORD, a counselor of wickedness.
The LORD has issued a command concerning you, O Nineveh: “There will be no descendants to carry on your name. I will cut off the carved image and cast idol from the house of your gods; I will prepare your grave, for you are contemptible.”
For the LORD will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and ruined the branches of their vine.
The river gates are thrown open and the palace collapses.
Nineveh has been like a pool of water throughout her days, but now it is draining away. “Stop! Stop!” they cry, but no one turns back.
“Plunder the silver! Plunder the gold!” There is no end to the treasure, an abundance of every precious thing.
She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and laid waste! Hearts melt, knees knock, bodies tremble, and every face grows pale!
The lion mauled enough for its cubs and strangled prey for the lioness. It filled its dens with the kill, and its lairs with mauled prey.
Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without prey.
because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.
Then all who see you will recoil from you and say, ‘Nineveh is devastated; who will grieve for her?’ Where can I find comforters for you?”
You too will become drunk; you will go into hiding and seek refuge from the enemy.
Zephaniah (1)
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.
Matthew (1)
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.
Luke (2)
For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.