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Table Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big Fish
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Table Base with Jonah Swallowed and Cast Up by the Big Fish

Date: early 4th century
Geography: Made in Asia Minor
Culture: Roman
Medium: Marble, white
Dimensions: Overall: 19 1/2 x 24 x 13 1/4 in. (49.5 x 61 x 33.7 cm) Base: 9 5/8 x 10 1/4 in. (24.4 x 26 cm) weight: 181lb. (82.1kg)
Classification: Sculpture-Stone
Credit Line: Gift of John Todd Edgar, 1877
Accession Number: 77.7
On view in Gallery 300
Label Object Information Related Objects Online Resources Video Audio
This table base displays the story of Jonah (Jonah 1:12–2:10), who is shown being swallowed by a ketos, a legendary sea monster of the classical world, and then being rescued. According to Matthew (12:40), the story of Jonah was a foretelling of the Resurrection of Christ. The ship is a rare detailed depiction of a Roman merchant ship. Tarsos, where the base was found, was the birthplace of Saint Paul and an important Christian city.
  • Provenance

    Found in 1876, at Tarsos (now Tarsus, southern Turkey); John Todd Edgar, US Consul at Beirut, Nashville (until 1877)

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