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Sefer Yona 1:2 Why does Hashem send Yona to tell non-Jews to do teshuva (repentance)? I don't believe this was ever done before or since.

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Didn't G-d send Moshe to Pharaoh? – Menachem Aug 24 '12 at 21:39
@Menachem Concerning your edit, I'm assuming the author used the indefinite article to mean "a prophet," i.e. why G-d sent a prophet — in this case Yonah — though He never sent a prophet to other non-Jews, even not counting Yonah. – b a Aug 24 '12 at 22:14
@ba: that makes sense, – Menachem Aug 26 '12 at 2:01
Perhaps this was done before, but is irrelevant to Jewish learning. The exception being Yonah's story which contains ideas that are relevant to us. – YDK Aug 27 '12 at 4:10

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http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=47079&st=&pgnum=567

When Nimrod started doing Avoda Zara, the nation of Ashur had no interest in idolatry. The nation of Ashur left their homes and established a new city "Ninve". In that merit Hashem sent Yona to Ninve to tell them to do Teshuva. (Imrei Chein)

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