Jonah the martyr of Esdraelon
This Judean is one of the twelve shepherds of the Nativity.
After the dispersion caused by the massacre of the innocents, he becomes overseer for Doras, a harsh Pharisee of Galilee who martyres him. He falls into slavery, like most of his other servants, because of the subtle and dishonest schemes of this cruel man:
"Doras, and he is not the only one in Israel, is used to doing this: when he sees a good servant, he makes him a slave by subtle cunning. He debits him with false amounts of money, which the poor man cannot pay, and when the sum is sufficient he says: “You are my slave by debt”. [...]
Yes, as long as Jonah had some savings, he was able to pay… then… one year there was a hailstorm, the next year a drought. Corn and vineyards yielded little and Doras multiplied the damage tenfold, and tenfold again… Then Jonah was taken ill through excessive fatigue. And Doras lent him the money for the cure, but he multiplied repayment twelve to one, and as Jonah could not pay, he added it to the rest. In short: after a few years there was a debt that made him a slave. And he will not let him go… He will always find other excuses and other debts…"[1]
Victim of systematic evil treatment: beaten because the harvests are exceptionally good while others were not. Beaten after each theft committed by nearby Samaritans. He quickly declines.
Jesus blesses Doras' lands to prevent heavy toil for the farmers.[2] The harvests then become abundant. Despite this, Doras knowingly deceives Jesus who comes to ransom old Jonas.[3] After several grave lies, including one invoking God (perjury), his lands are then cursed.
Jonas, ransomed at great cost and brought to Nazareth in Jesus' house, dies there as a blessed, in an angelic vision of the Nativity.[4]
Apostolic Journey
Witness of the Nativity.[5]
Despite this, Jonas had time to sow the good word among the peasants of the Esdraelon Plain (those of Johanan and those of Doras).[6] Like many shepherds, he had evangelized based solely on the beatific vision he had at the Nativity.
His Name
Jonas means "Dove." Historical reference: the prophet Jonas.
Where is he mentioned in the work?
GRM 30 GRM 75 GRM 77 GRM 88 GRM 89
GRM 103 GRM 104 GRM 109 GRM 110 GRM 112 GRM 136 GRM 190 GRM 191 GRM 194