Most people are familiar with the story of Jonah and the Whale.
The Book of Jonah is the fifth of the Minor Prophetic Books and the thirty-second book in the Bible. It was written by the prophet Jonah, who is also mentioned in II Kings as serving during the time of King Jereboam II of Israel c.786-746 BC.
Jonah is commanded by God to preach to a Gentile (non-Jewish) nation and to show that God's grace is not reserved for the Jews, but is given to every nation on earth.
"Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
Nineveh was the capital city of Israel's enemies, the Assyrians. It was possibly the largest city on earth at the time and was located close to Mosul in modern day Iraq