Memorial Day of the Prophet Nahum

The Orthodox Church celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Prophet Nahum on December 14 according to the new style or 1 according to the old style Nahum is one of the 12 minor prophets - messengers of the divine will Very little is known about the life of the prophet, there is no exact information about his place of residence, and his name, which can be literally translated as “consolation,” is more like a common noun But the prophetic book written by Nahum belongs to a true believer and educated person, worried about the fate of his native land and promising retribution to the offenders mired in sins The events described by Nahum took place in the 7th century BC, when the territories of Judea, Israel and many other states were under oppression by the Assyrians The prophet calls the capital of the Assyrian Empire Nineveh the city of blood, indicating how the prosperity of its inhabitants was achieved A century earlier, the prophet Jonah preached in the imperial capital; his messages spoke of the Lord's forgiveness of repentant sinners Jonah still hopes for the salvation of Nineveh, but for Nahum the fall of the city is already obvious The prophet mentions God's long-suffering, which was neglected by the Assyrian military power, and therefore the hour of its inevitable destruction is getting closer The prophecy was fulfilled exactly The Assyrian empire, weakened by the attacks of the Median and Babylonian kingdoms, was finally captured by warlike Syria In 612 BC, retribution overtook the luxurious bloody capital of Nineveh, which caused justifiable rejoicing among the oppressed states In folk tradition, quite a few signs and customs associated with Nahum have been preserved They are based on the ending of the prophet’s name - mind Hence the nickname of the prophet as a literate man and his relationship with learning, apprenticeship and mental abilities Those born on this day were destined to go into teaching And it was on December 14 that it was customary to give gifts to teachers and send children to learn to read and write For success in studies, one should turn with prayers to Nahum all year round, who, according to the saying, brought to mind There were also weather observations associated with the day of the ancient prophet: • large snow flakes on December 14 promised long-term bad weather; • the crackling of forest trees on Naumov’s day foreshadowed a strong wind; • if the clouds floating in the sky moved against the wind, they advised to prepare for a cold snap; • dully audible barking dogs were associated with the arrival of heavy snowfalls; • the north wind brought with it bitter frosts; • a clear sky with bright stars suggested an imminent blizzard; • the presence of morning frost indicated heavy dew in the summer