Is Jonah and the Whale a fictitious story?

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A few things to think about…
  1. If it weren’t true, why would Jesus reference a parable to prophesize about his death and resurrection?
Matthew 12:38-42

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher,* we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful* generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40** Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights,* so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.** 41 * At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. 42 At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.
  1. The story of Jonah has been misunderstood by many people, including myself, for a long time. Dr. Brant Pitre just wrote in his new book “The Case for Jesus” how his prophesy in Matthew lined up perfectly with Jonah, but most don’t see it because they think that Jonah lived in the whale for the days when in fact he died and was brought back to life to convert Ninevah. The same way Jesus died and came back to convert the world.
  2. If #2 is news to you, it’ll make sense when you read the original Hebrew text when it uses the word Hades (the place of the dead) to describe where Jonah went in Jonah 2:3. The word Hades was later replaced with the word Sheol when translated to Greek.
Jonah 2:3 (NABRE) Out of my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me; From the womb of Sheol I cried for help, and you heard my voice.
 
Galnextdoor said:
I have a Catholic children’s bible. At the end of each story, there is a commentary. My son was reading the story of Jonah and the Whale. The commentary stated that according to St. Gregory Nazianzen, the story of Jonah and the whale was a parable to encourage the Israelites to become missionaries. Has anyone heard of this before? Is it just a parable?
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Jonah bar Amitai was a real person.
 
I’ve always believed it to be meant to be taken for the moral of the story, and not so much an historical fact.
 
juliamajor said:
I have to say “Jonah” is one of my most favorite books in the OT.To bad it has become a ‘kids’ story-it’s not. It’s so deep and layered.My class went ga-ga over it.If it’s historical or not is really not important to me.The ‘moral’ of the story is what is the point and importance. Never expect God to do what you think He should do, love who He loves, or appoints as His messengers . God will do as He wants and to box Him into thinking like a human just won’t do.Actually reminds me a lot of Job when God speaks out of the whirlwind…another of my favorite books!
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Jesus told parables to make a point. He came from a people who were masters at parables. I love the story of Jonah. Jonah sitting beneath the tree whining because God did not destroy Nineveh captures human nature perfectly. It is not a children’s story. I believe that the book of Jonah is truth in the same way that the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan is truth. We recognize the truth of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. We are not bothered by the fact that they are parables. Having said that, it is quite possible we can take the story literally as well. Like you it is not important to me whether or not it is a historical event.
 
To the OP, I would answer: Both the creed of the Council of Trent and the First Vatican Council solemnly declare that Sacred Scripture must never be interpreted contrary to the consensus of the Fathers. Thus, even when the Church has not definitively pronounced anything on the subject, we are still bound by this Tradition (which by the way, must take priority over historical criticism, not that historical criticism is bad, but it must not be held to contradict the Sacred Tradition).

Now the fathers of the Church are unanimous in interpreting Jonah as historical, and thus I think we ought to as well.

It should be noted, though, that in purely scientific questions, or purely historical questions which do not pertain to the substance of the faith, they’re testimony need not be followed. The historicity of a whole book in Scripture, however, would seem to pertain to the substance of the faith (recalling St. Jerome’s statement, approved by Benedict XV in his 1920 encyclical Spiritus Paraclitus, that it’s as necessary to believe in the biblical narrative as it is in the doctrines of the faith), and thus the tradition must be held.

I hope this was helpful,
Benedicat Deus,
Latinitas
 
I see the point of the story being You can run but you can’t hide from God - you are going to do what he has willed for you like it or not. Jonah sure tried to run from God and ended up right back where God wanted him.
 
I believe Jonah was a real person and one of the Prophets.

The book of Jonah could describe a real voyage, I think. Something inexplicable happened to him, which could be explained in lyrical or metaphorical language. Or, he was swallowed and contained by a large sea-creature of some kind. The power of God and the miracles described throughout the Bible aren’t really limited. Did Balaam’s donkey talk? I like to think he did, and i confess I imagine him sounding like Eddie Murphy’s voice as the Donkey in Shrek.

The story could also be a parable and a teaching story, and Jesus might have cited it in this style (as he referenced the characters in his own parables, and as preachers cite the characters in Christ’s parables to teach moral truths, even if they may not have been literal, real people), as a way of using familiar references to teach His people. If all good things originate from God, and if metaphor and other literary tropes are good things (as I believe they are) and God-given, why would Jesus not be willing and able to use them?

I rather hope it is a literal, true story, but if not, it doesn’t affect my faith in the slightest and I welcome the moral message it teaches.

It’s also a drolly ironic and humorous tale - all the characters in the tale are likable (the pagan sailors, the king, the populace of Nineveh, even the animals). Only the sole Israelite - and a prophet, no less! - is described as rebellious, and trying to avoid his duty even as the people he is sent to convert urge him forward. Ultimately, God is shown as merciful to all.

As a side note, the Jerusalem Bible uses the translation “a great fish”. Jonah in that edition was translated by J.R.R. Tolkien, no less, who was brought on for his knowledge of ancient languages and his obvious literary skill. Sadly, that was the only book he had time to translate.
 
All stories are true — some stories actually happen.

Jonah is a story about Jesus Christ. To ask whether it actually happened or not is, IMHO, to miss the point.
 
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