The Rogation of Nineveh: A Syriac Fast of Repentance for the West

A Modern Syriac Icon of the Calling and Ministry of St. Jonah to the Ninevites

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West)

Introduction 

In the ancient city of Nineveh, the call to repentance once thundered from the reluctant lips of the prophet St. Jonah, a man swallowed by the sea and delivered from the deep by the mercies of God, and horrified at the thought of his enemies repenting and being reconciled to God. His voice, at first unwilling and then unrelenting, pierced the great city’s heart: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). The people, from peasant to king, clothed themselves in sackcloth, covered their heads in ashes, fasted from food and water, and turned from their wicked ways. And God, seeing their repentance, relented from the disaster He had spoken. 

The Rogation of Nineveh, known in the Syriac tradition as “Ba‘utha d-Ninwaye”, commemorates this great fast of the Ninevites and has remained an enduring practice in the Oriental Orthodox, the Eastern Syriac churches, and the Ancient Church of the West. Instituted as a three-day period of prayer, fasting, and supplication, it stands as a solemn reminder that “a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise” (Psalm 51:17). 

Origins and Development

While the biblical account of Nineveh’s repentance under St. Jonah forms the theological foundation of this observance, the historical Rogation fast arose in the late 6th century, when a devastating plague ravaged the lands of Mesopotamia. The faithful of the Church of the East, seeking deliverance, turned to prayer and fasting, invoking the penitential model of Nineveh. According to tradition, the people - led by their bishops and clergy - processed through the streets with fervent lamentations, beseeching God’s mercy. The plague, like the impending doom of old, was stayed, and from that time forward, the Rogation was established as an annual fast, occurring three weeks before the beginning of Great Lent. 

An Ancient Byzantine Icon of the Rogation of the Ninevites

Adopted also by the Syriac Orthodox Church and then by the other Oriental Orthodox communities, such as the Copts and Malankara Orthodox, “Ba‘utha d-Ninwaye” remains one of the most solemn fasts of the year, often observed with the same rigor as Great Lent itself. No meat, wine, sweets, dairy, or even fish is consumed, and in many places, the faithful abstain from food and drink entirely from morning until evening, a precursor to the Islamic tradition of Ramadan. The prayers of these days resound with deep compunction, as people weep and mourn for their sins, pleading for the same divine mercy shown to Nineveh in ages past. 

Liturgical Hymns of Repentance

The Syriac tradition is rich in hymns of contrition, and the Rogation of Nineveh is no exception. Among the most beloved are the “Madrashe” (hymns) of St. Ephrem the Syrian, whose words weave a poetic lament for the sins of the people and an urgent plea for divine forbearance: 

Stretch forth Thy hands, O Lord, 

And accept the tears of Thy servants, 

For the flood of our transgressions 

Threatens to drown us in the depths of judgment.

Another well-known hymn, sung in processions during the Rogation, recalls both the repentance of Nineveh and the power of prayer: 

The Ninevites turned from their evil ways, 

And the Lord turned from His wrath. 

Let us too bow in sackcloth and ashes, 

That He may turn His face upon us in mercy.

The melodies of these hymns, often sung in the haunting tones of the Syriac “maqam” or “qalah” tradition, carry the sorrowful weight of a people crying out to their Creator, trusting in the hope of His unfailing compassion. 

Theological Themes and Spiritual Application

The Rogation of Nineveh is more than a commemoration of a past event; it is a living call to conversion, repentance, confession, penance and newness of life. The Church, in her wisdom, places this fast just before Lent as a prelude to the greater season of repentance. It serves as an awakening, a moment to recall the fleeting nature of life and the urgency of turning back to God. 

An Assyrian Rogation Cross

Like the Ninevites, we stand before God as a people in need of mercy. Like St. Jonah, we too are often reluctant to heed His call. And yet, the lesson of Nineveh is one of hope: no sinner is beyond redemption, no city beyond salvation. As St. Ephrem writes, “Repentance is the key that unlocks the treasury of God’s mercies.” As St. Isaac the Assyrian said, “Life is given for repentance: do not waste it on any other thing.” 

Let this fast, then, be for us a time of earnest supplication, of renewed fervor in prayer, and of turning from sin. And may the God who spared Nineveh in ancient days look upon His people with favor once more, forgive our sins, and reconcile us to Himself. 

COLLECT 

O Almighty and most merciful God, who didst send Thy prophet Jonah to call the great city to repentance, and didst in Thy loving-kindness turn away from them the wrath which they had justly deserved: Grant that we, following their example, may with true contrition of heart bewail our iniquities and turn from our evil ways, that so, being spared by Thy mercy, we may walk in newness of life and evermore rejoice in Thy salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end. Amen.