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The book tells the story of a righteous Jew of the Tribe of Naphtali named Tobit living in Nineveh after the deportation of the northern tribes of Israel to Assyria in 721 BC under Shalmaneser V. (The first two and a half chapters are written in the first person.) He was particularly noted for his diligence in attempting to provide proper burials for fallen Jews who had been slain by Sennacherib, for which the king seized all his property and exiled him. After Sennecharib's death, he was allowed to return to Nineveh, but again buried a dead man who had been murdered on the street. That night, he slept in the open and was blinded by bird droppings that fell in his eyes. This puts a strain on his marriage, and ultimately, he prays for death.
Meanwhile, in faraway Media, a young woman named Sarah prays for death in despair, because she has lost seven husbands to the demon Ashmodai (Asmodeus), with each husband killed on the wedding night, before the marriage could be consummated. God sends the angel RaphaelRaphael (Heb. is a Hebrew word that means "God is healing," thus Raphael is an archangel who heals the wounded physically and, modern Christians would add, psychologically. He is the main character in the Book of Tobit which is included in the Septuagint, disguised as a human, to heal Tobit and to free Sarah from the demon.
The main narrative is dedicated to Tobit's son, Tobiah or Tobijah (Greek: Tobias), of the Tribe of Naphtali, who is sent by his blind father to collect a sum of money that the latter had deposited some time previously in the far off land of Media. Raphael represents himself as Tobit's kinsman Azariah, and offers to aid and protect Tobijah on his journey. Under the guidance of Raphael, Tobiah makes the journey to Media. Along the way, he is attacked by a giant fish, whose heart, liver and gall bladder are removed to make medicines.
Upon arriving in Media, Raphael tells Tobiah of the beautiful Sarah, whom Tobijah has the right to marry, because she is in his family. He instructs the young man to burn the fish's liver and heart to drive away the demon when he attacks on the wedding night. The two are married, and the fumes of the burning organs drive the demon away to Upper EgyptJumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah ( In Detail) Official language Arabic Capital Cairo Largest City Cairo President Hosni Mubarak Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif Area Total % water Ranked 29th 1,001,450 kmē 0. 6% Population Total (2003) Density Ranked 15th 74,718,797, while Raphael follows him and binds him. Meanwhile, Sarah's father has been digging a grave to secretly bury Tobiah (whom he assumes will be dead). Surprised to find his son-in-law alive and well, he orders a double-length wedding feast (and has the grave secretly filled). Since he cannot leave because of the feast, Tobiah sends Raphael to recover his father's money. After the feast, Tobiah and Sarah return to Nineveh.
There, Raphael tells the youth to use the fish's gall to cure his father's blindness. Raphael then reveals his true identity and returns to heaven. Tobit sings a hymn of praise, and tells his son to leave Nineveh before God destroys it according to the prophecy of NahumThe book of Nahum is a book in the Bible's Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. Nahum prophesied, according to some, in the beginning of the reign of Ahaz ( 740s BC). Others, however, think that his prophecies are to be referred to the latter half of the reig. After burying his father, Tobiah returns to Media with his family, where he later learns that the destruction of Nineveh took place as his father predicted.