Third Objection: Implausible Travel Distance to Nineveh
Sag-Harbor raises the geographical objection: Jonah was swallowed in the Mediterranean Sea but vomited up within three days’ journey of Nineveh, a city on the Tigris located much more than three days’ travel from the nearest Mediterranean coast.
Cape of Good Hope Alternate Route and Its Flaws
One might propose the whale carried Jonah around the Cape of Good Hope, but this theory fails on multiple counts: it would require circumnavigating all of Africa in three days, and the Tigris waters near Nineveh are too shallow for any whale. This explanation would also rob Bartholomew Diaz of credit for discovering the Cape.
Critique of Sag-Harbor’s Skepticism and Supporting Jonah Narrative Accounts
Despite these objections, Sag-Harbor’s arguments reveal foolish pride in reason, particularly reprehensible given his limited education. A Portuguese Catholic priest actually proposed the Cape of Good Hope route as a magnification of the miracle’s greatness. Furthermore, devout Turks still believe in the historical Jonah, and an English traveler documented a mosque honoring Jonah containing a miraculous oil-less lamp.
第八十四章 Pitchpoling.
This chapter details the dangerous whaling maneuver of “pitchpoling,” in which Stubb, through remarkable skill and composure, darts a lance at a fast-swimming whale to secure the kill.
Boat Anointing
To ensure speed and agility on the water, whalers engage in the practice of anointing their boats—rubbing grease onto the bottom of the hull. This technique reduces friction, allowing the vessel to slide swiftly through the sea.
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