Nahum - Summary

Title:	Named for it's author, Nahum
Author:	Nahum, like Micah is identified by where he is from rather than by his heritage  Nahum is from Elkosh.  The name Nahum in Hebrew means 'Comfort'.  Though we do not know for sure exactly where Elkosh was located, it is generally accepted that is was in Judah.
Date:	In his book, Nahum refers to the fall of Thebes as a historical event.  He also refers to the fall of Nineveh as a future event.  We know Thebes fell to Assyria in 664BC.  We know that Nineveh fell to the Medes and Babylonians in 612BC.  Consequently we can safely deduct this book was written somewhere between 664 and 612 BC, a potential period of about 52 years.
Main Theme	This message is very much like the message Jonah had given to Assyrian/Nineveh just a century before.  After Jonah's message, the king and the people of Nineveh repented, much to Jonah's displeasure.  This time the king and people of Nineveh would not repent, much to their own displeasure.  The Assyrian people were a very arrogant and violent people.  God would use them to punish the unfaithful people of Israel, then would punish them for their own arrogance and pride.
Location:	The events of the prophecy take place in Israel and Assyria.  The prophecy was written in Judah.
History	God sent Nahum as His messenger to let the people of Assyrian know that they were doomed to fall.  There would be a total defeat and overthrow of Assyrian and its leaders by the Medes and Babylonians.  As mentioned above, this is the second time the Assyrians had been warned by God of pending doom.  The first time by Jonah they had the chance to repent.  This time God is declaring their fate.
Major Characters:	Nahum