Nineveh was the capital of the Assyrian Empire, known for its cruelty and wickedness. God sent the prophet Jonah to preach repentance to this city. When Jonah finally delivered God's message, the entire city—from the king to the animals—fasted and repented, and God spared the city. Later, the prophet Nahum prophesied Nineveh's destruction, which came in 612 BC.