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==Author==
==Author==
Very little is known about Nahum, other than that his name means "compassion" or "comfort" and he identifies himself as an "Elkoshite". "Nowhere else in the canonical Scriptures does his name occur, and extracanonical Jewish writers are hardly less reticent."<ref>Souvay, Charles op cit.</ref> Rev. George McCurdy in his ''Minor Prophets: Major Messages'', summarizes Dr. Greg Herrick's four theoretical explanations:
*Some scholars have argued, on the basis of the etymology of ''Capernaum'' ("village of naum") that that was the city from which Nahum came (Caper-naum). Thus the city was named after its most celebrated citizen.
*Second, eastern medieval tradition has identified a site opposite the ruins of Nineveh on the Tigris River for both the birthplace and tomb of Nahum - though the evidence for this position is quite weak.
*Third, [[Jerome]] (ca 347-419) suggests that ''Elkosh'' was ''El Kause'' and is to be identified with Elkesi in [[Galilee]].
*Finally, there are still others who argue for a town in Judah called Elcesei - a town half way between [[Jerusalem]] and [[Gaza]]. This final interpretation has some merit for it seems that although the book of Nahum is directed against the Assyrians, it was written for the Jews in the south, in Judah. Further archaeological studies may confirm its location, but for now the information is too slight to be dogmatic.<ref>Herrick, G. quoted in McCurdy, op cit.</ref>