Nahum wrote about the final destruction of Nineveh, the capital of the great Assyrian empire. Ashurbanipal the king was at the height of his glory. Nineveh was a large city, and was then the center of the civilization and trade of the world. Jonah had given a warning, and Nahum was followed by Zephaniah, who also told about (Zephaniah 2:4–15) the destruction of the city. The book of Jonah shows us that God had a loving concern for the people of Nineveh, while Nahum tells about the righteousness and justice of God. He says God will punish the Assyrians because of "their cruelty" (Nahum 3:19). Nineveh was burned by fire around 625 BC, after which the Assyrian empire soon came to an end. That made big changes in the political and commercial fate of many in Asia.