Nahum (Nahum 1:1)

A prophet of Judah whose name means “consolation” or “consoler.” This name fits his message. He wrote to encourage the people of Judah while the Assyrians oppressed them (Nahum 1:1). Nothing is known of Nahum, the prophet who wrote the book of Nahum, except that he came from the village of Elkosh. Its exact location is unknown, but four suggestions have been made:

• Alqush: Elkosh may be the town of Alqush, near Mosul on the Tigris River just north of Nineveh. A tradition says this is the site of Nahum’s tomb, but it is first mentioned by Masius in the 16th century. There is no historical physical evidence of the tomb or its location. Many people think this tomb is probably not real.