In the first half of the 8th century BCE, the prophet Jonah visited Ninevah. His preaching met with repentance from both the king and the people, and they were spared the wrath of God by God’s mercy.
In the last quarter of that century, God used Assyria to conquer rebellious Israel and take the people hostage to Assyria where they would be resettled and used as slave labor. But it was also in the last quarter of the century Assyria returned to Judah to conquer those people and failed miserably.
Now in chapters 2 and 3, Nahum described the complete destruction of Assyria and Ninevah that would happen in the last quarter of the 7th century BCE. It took less than a century after their defeat in Judah for that nation to disappear from the earth.
Why did this happen to such a great power? “All this because Ninevah sold herself to the enemies of God. The beautiful and faithless city, mistress of deadly charms, enticed the nations with her beauty, then taught them all to worship gods, bewitching people everywhere. ‘No wonder I stand against you,’ says the Lord Almighty; ‘and now all the earth will see your nakedness and shame. I will cover you with filth and show the world how really vile you are.’ All who see you will shrink back in horror: ‘Ninevah lies in utter ruin.’ Yet no one anywhere regrets your fate’!” (Chapter 3: 4-7).