The son of Amathin, he came from the city of Gafhefira. His mother was the widow of Sarepta, who fed the prophet Elijah during the famine. In his childhood, Jonah died, but Elijah resurrected him. Upon reaching adulthood, Jonah fulfilled the commandments of the Lord and prophesied about the sufferings of the Lord and the desolation of Jerusalem.
Having received the gift of prophecy, Jonah continued the ministry of the prophet Elisha and foretold the successes of King Jeroboam in the war against the Syrians. Later, he was called to preach repentance in Nineveh, but fearing, he fled to Tarshish. A storm arose at sea, and Jonah was thrown into the sea, where he was swallowed by a whale. He spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, praying and repenting.
The Lord heard his prayer and commanded the whale to spit Jonah out onto dry land. After that, he went to Nineveh again and preached about the impending destruction of the city. The inhabitants of Nineveh, hearing his words, repented and fasted, and God spared them.
However, Jonah was saddened when he saw that Nineveh was not destroyed. The Lord admonished him, pointing to his sorrow over the withered plant, and explained that He was concerned for Nineveh, where there were many people and cattle. Jonah died peacefully and was buried in his hometown, where his tomb is venerated.
