An allegorical interpretation of the Book of Jonah
There is an interesting but rather morbid allegorical interpretation of the Book of Jonah in the Zohar.
It says Jonah is every human being. Jonah goes down into the ship, symbolising man’s soul descending into his body. Turbulence hits the ship with Jonah in it because body and soul do not always work harmoniously.
Jonah falls asleep despite the raging storm and needs to be told to wake up and come back to God. He is asked, “What is your occupation?” in case it is in relation to his work that he has sinned; “Where do you come from?” because his lowly origin should make him humbler; “What is your country?” because one comes from dust and returns to dust, and “Of what people are you?” in case the merit of his ancestors can help him.
The sailors row hard to get the ship back to land, i.e. in the heavenly court the defence counsel look for arguments in the sinner’s favour, but they do not succeed, and the prosecution takes over and prevails. The torrent abates only when Jonah is cast out of the ship, i.e. when he dies and his soul departs his body.
