Jonah Swallowed by the Whale

In Girl in the Glass, when James and Declan are inside the dirigible, the airship’s vast inner cavern reminds the professor of the biblical tale of Jonah and the whale. Declan remarks:

“Must be karma for what the Clypeate did to that whale, because now I feel like Jonah, swallowed by one.” 

The biblical story of Jonah and the whale relates the story of the prophet Jonah, who initially disobeys God's command to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh. Instead, he attempts to flee in the opposite direction, leading to a perilous sea voyage, a violent storm, and ultimately, his being swallowed by a large fish. This event is described in Jonah 1:15-17, below:

15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. 17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

After three days and nights in the fish's belly, Jonah repents and prays for forgiveness, and the fish vomits him out onto dry land. God then repeats the command to go to Nineveh, which Jonah finally obeys, leading to the city's repentance and God's mercy.

It is also referenced in the New Testament, including 2 Kings 14:25,  Matthew 12:39-41 and 16:4, and Luke 11:29-32. In the New Testament, Jonah’s incarceration inside the whale is compared to Jesus’ death and resurrection three days later.

In the Bible, there’s no mention of what happens to the whale, hopefully it’s a better outcome than what’s planned for the Clypeate’s dirigible.

Jonah’s going to be a snack

Snack time!

Three days later…