Zephaniah, ninth of the Minor Prophets, lived toward the end of the 7th century B.C.E., and prophesied the downfall of Nineveh and the Assyrian empire. He warned the people that “a great and dreadful day of the Lord, a day of darkness and obscurity” would come upon them and they would be punished for evil-doing. After this punishment, salvation would come to Israel and to all the world.