Biblical Tombs Bombed, Called 'Places of Apostasy'

The Islamic jihadists who took over a big chunk of Iraq have now destroyed the historic tomb of the biblical prophet Jonah.

Residents of the Iraqi city of Mosul say the group called the Islamic State has destroyed a half dozen of the city's most revered mosques and shrines. They destroyed another mosque Sunday.

The IS has put in place a self-styled caliphate in territory they control in Iraq and Syria, imposing their harsh interpretation of Islamic law. They say the sites they've destroyed had become places of apostasy.

Last week, the group released video showing IS terrorists destroying a site said to be the burial place of Jonah, the famed prophet who was swallowed by a whale before finally obeying God's will to bring a message of repentance to Ninevah.

Muslims built a mosque at the location because, like the Bible, the Quran also includes Jonah and mentions how he was swallowed by a whale.

Another mosque destroyed in Mosul last week was said to have held the remains of Seth, the son of Adam and Eve.

Muslims revere Seth as a prophet, but they have rival traditions that claim his tomb is really located in other places like Lebanon, or a Palestinian town.

Since the Islamic State launched their blitz across Iraq, more than a million people have fled their homes, according to the United Nations. They have made a point of targeting Christians, killing some, robbing others, and driving them from their homes.