The consensus of mainstream Biblical scholars holds that the contents of the Book of Jonah are entirely ahistorical.[81][82][3] Although the prophet Jonah allegedly lived in the eighth century BCE,[1] the Book of Jonah was written centuries later during the time of the Achaemenid Empire.[1][83] The Hebrew used in the Book of Jonah shows strong influences from Aramaic[1] and the cultural practices described in it match those of the Achaemenid Persians.[1][21] Many scholars regard the Book of Jonah as an intentional work of parody or satire.[4][5][84][85][86][87] If this is the case, then it was probably admitted into the canon of the Hebrew Bible by sages who misunderstood its satirical nature[88][86][87] and mistakenly interpreted it as a serious prophetic work.[88][86][87]