So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey across.
"Great city of three day's journey ..." The unanimous voice of the ancients attests the accuracy of this statement.  The subjective objections of some who would like to have it otherwise are not sustained by either fact or substance.  Excavations of the ancient fortifications of Nineveh are considerably smaller than the area indicated here; but the citadel should not be confused with the whole city.  All ancient, walled cities, were actually composed of a vast inhabited area outside the walls, and frequently at considerable distances beyond them, in addition to the comparatively small area encompassed by the walls proper.  Keil, quoting Niebuhr (p. 277), wrote: