This series explores the story of Jonah and the various meanings that can be attributed to the story as well as the various lessons that can be learned.
Review of the previous post.
The previous post, post number of 9 of 14, discussed the concept of repentance in the context of the story of Jonah
Preview of this post.
This post, post number 10 of 14, explores how the story of Jonah fits the template of the basic monomyth.
- The story of Jonah as the monomyth
- The Hero With A Thousand Faces
In 1949, MJF Books of New York published a book by Joseph Campbell titled The Hero With A Thousand Faces (New York, NY MJF Books, 1949, hardback). This book explores the monomyth and its many manifestations. In this book, Mr. Campbell identified several indicia which are possessed by every great myth. The story of Jonah can be shown to follow this monomyth format. In fact, it may be that the monomyth was actually invented by the authors of the Bible and the myths suggested by Campbell copied the Bible’s format. The story of Jonah also can be read as following the monomyth format. Is this coincidence or was the monomyth invented, or at least used, by the authors of Jonah and the story of Jonah drafted so as to fit the template of the monomyth? Jonah will be left without any indication of what happened to him after this story thereby leaving the story oddly uncompleted. This raises questions as to what happened to Jonah. Did he return to his home? Did he wonder the land bringing the word of God to other pagans? Perhaps placing the story of Jonah into the template of the monomyth brings some light to these questions.
- Basic summary of the monomyth
(1) For the purposes of this essay, these indicia from the Campbell book will be summarized as follows:
The basic path the hero will take includes: separation-initiation-return.
(2) Steps
(a) Departure
(i) The call to adventure
The hero is away from home and is performing common day tasks when he receives a call to adventure. The call to adventure is from a supernatural source and signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and has transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of society to a zone of unknown.
(ii) Refusal of the Call
The hero initially refuses the call
(iii) Supernatural Aid
The hero receives aid from a supernatural power, often provided through an intermediary who acts as a protective figure who has or provides amulets against the dragon forces he is about to encounter,
(iv) The crossing of the first threshold
The hero then enters a region of supernatural power. Fabulous forces are encountered. However, having responded to the call and continuing to follow as consequences unfold, the hero finds that all the forces of nature support him.
The hero encounters a first threshold into the unknown which has a guardian who attempts to prevent passage.
A victory is achieved, often with the help of the supernatural protective figure and passes the threshold.
(v) The Belly of the Whale
The hero is swallowed up into the unknown that lies beyond the threshold and passes through the unknown. During this passage, the hero is transformed.
(b) Initiation
(i) The Road of Trials
The hero must undergo a series of tests during this passage. During this passage, the hero is aided by the advice, amulets and agents of the supernatural helper whom he met before his entrance into this region; or the hero may discover for the first time that there is a benign power everywhere supporting him during this passage. The hero, as aided by his helper, passes the tests.
(ii) The Meeting With the Goddess
This is the point when the hero experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her parent. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the hero finding the other that he or she loves most completely.
(iii) Woman as Temptress
This step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey.
(iv) Atonement With the Father
The hero must have atonement with the Father-Creator who, while wrathful, is merciful.
(v) Apotheosis
A period of rest, peace and fulfillment before the hero begins the return.
(vi) The Ultimate Boon
When the hero-quest has been accomplished, the hero must return with his life- transmitting trophy. The hero must now begin the labor of bringing the runes of wisdom back into the kingdom of humanity.
If the hero returns, he will do so supported by all the powers of his supernatural patron.
(c) Return
(i) Refusal of the Return
Having found bliss and enlightenment in the other world, the hero may not want to return to the ordinary world to bestow the boon onto his fellow man.
(ii) The Magic Flight
Sometimes the hero must escape with the boon. It can be just as adventurous and dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it.
(iii) Rescue from Without
Just as the hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, oftentimes he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience.
(iv) The Crossing of the Return Threshold
The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. This is usually extremely difficult.
(v) Master of Two Worlds
For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds.
(vi) Freedom to Live
Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live.
- The story of Jonah as applied to the monomyth template
Steps
(a) Departure
(i) The call to adventure
The hero is away from home and is performing common day tasks when he receives a call to adventure. The call to adventure is from a supernatural source and signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and has transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of society to a zone of unknown.
Jonah is instructed by God to “go at once to Nineveh and proclaim judgment upon it; for their wickedness has come before me.” Jonah 1:1
(ii) Refusal of the Call
Instead of obeying, Jonah attempted to flee to Tarshish by ship from Joppa (Jonah 1:3).
The hero initially refuses the call
(iii) Supernatural Aid
The hero receives aid from a supernatural power, often provided through an intermediary who acts as a protective figure who has or provides amulets against the dragon forces he is about to encounter,
(iv) The crossing of the first threshold
The hero then enters a region of supernatural power. Fabulous forces are encountered. However, having responded to the call and continuing to follow as consequences unfold, the hero finds that all the forces of nature support him.
The hero encounters a first threshold into the unknown which has a guardian who attempts to prevent passage.
A victory is achieved, often with the help of the supernatural protective figure and passes the threshold.
God caused a mighty wind and tempest to engulf the ship and endangered the ship that it might break up (Jonah 1:4). The sailors prayed to their own god and threw ship’s cargo overboard. Meanwhile, Jonah slept in the hold (Jonah 1:5).
The sailors cast lots to find out on whose account the misfortune that has come upon them, and the lot fell upon Jonah (Jonah 1:7) after which Jonah confessed that he was fleeing from an order from his God (Jonah 1:9). Jonah then told the sailors that the way to calm the sea was to cast him overboard (Jonah 1:12). The sailors tried to row to shore, but failed and cried out to God: “Oh, please, Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life. Do not hold us guilty of killing an innocent person! For You, O Lord, by Your will, have brought this about.” (Jonah 1:14). They cast Jonah overboard, and the sea stopped raging (Jonah 1:15).
(v) The Belly of the Whale
The hero is swallowed up into the unknown that lies beyond the threshold and passes through the unknown. During this passage, the hero is transformed.
The Lord then provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah remained in the fish for three days and three nights and prayed all the while (Jonah 2:1-3). During the prayers, Jonah repented and agreed to carry out his mission (Jonah 2:10). God then had the fish deposit Jonah onto dry land (Jonah 2:11).
(b) Initiation
(i) The Road of Trials
The hero must undergo a series of tests during this passage. During this passage, the hero is aided by the advice, amulets and agents of the supernatural helper whom he met before his entrance into this region; or the hero may discover for the first time that there is a benign power everywhere supporting him during this passage. The hero, as aided by his helper, passes the tests.
God again instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh “and proclaim to it what I tell you.” (Jonah 3:1-2). Jonah complied stating “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4). The people of Nineveh believed and complied: “They proclaimed a fast, and great and small alike put on sackcloth.” (Jonah 3:6) Even the king “rose from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he had the word cried through Nineveh: ‘By decree of the king and his nobles: No man or beast – of flock or herd – shall taste anything. They shall not graze and they shall not drink water! They shall be covered with sackcloth -man and beast – and shall cry mightily to God. Let everyone turn back from his evil ways and from the injustice of which he is guilty. Who know but that God may turn and relent? He may turn back from His wrath, so that we do not perish.” (Jonah 3:7-9).
God renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon them, and did not carry it out (Jonah 3:10).
Jonah was displeased by God’s action of renouncing punishment and asked God to take his life (Jonah 4:1). God then asked Jonah: “Are you that deeply grieved?” (Jonah 4:4). There is no answer from Jonah.
Jonah was resting at a place east of the city and made a booth and sat under it in the shade to see what would happen to the city (Jonah 4:5).
(ii) The Meeting With the Goddess
This is the point when the hero experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her parent. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by the hero finding the other that he or she loves most completely.
(iii) Woman as Temptress
This step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his or her quest, which does not necessarily have to be represented by a woman. Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust from his spiritual journey.
God provided a ricinus plant to shade Jonah and Jonah was happy for the shade (Jonah 4:6). However, the next day at dawn, “God provided a worm, which attacked the plant so that it withered.” (Jonah 4:7). The sun then punished Jonah and he (again) begged for death (Jonah 4:8). God said to Jonah: “Are you so deeply grieved about the plant?” and Jonah replied “Yes” “so deeply that I want to die.” (Jonah 4:9).
(iv) Atonement With the Father
The hero must have atonement with the Father-Creator who, while wrathful, is merciful.
(v) Apotheosis
A period of rest, peace and fulfillment before the hero begins the return.
(vi) The Ultimate Boon
When the hero-quest has been accomplished, the hero must return with his life- transmitting trophy. The hero must now begin the labor of bringing the runes of wisdom back into the kingdom of humanity.
This time, God replies to Jonah with instructions: “You cared about the plant, which you did not work for and which you did not grow, which appeared overnight and perished overnight. And should not I care about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons wh do not yet know their right hand from their left, and many beasts as well!” (Jonah 4:10-11). There is no reply from Jonah.
If the hero returns, he will do so supported by all the powers of his supernatural patron.
However, the story ends here, so we are left to speculate about the remainder of the story and wonder if Jonah returns to his prophesizing, or leaves it to us to interpret the story as we see fit, such as reading it on Yom Kippur to illustrate God’s mercy and the concepts of repentance, even for pagans.
Preview of the next post.
The next post, post number 11 of 14, discusses the story of Jonah as an allegory for the nation of Israel before the destruction of the Temple.