Zechariah (Hebrew prophet)
Biblical prophet
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Zechariah (/zɛkəˈraɪ.ə/; Hebrew: זְכַרְיָה, romanized: Zəḵaryā; Arabic: زكريّا, romanized: Zakaryā; Biblical Greek: Ζαχαρίας Latin: Zacharias) was a person in the Hebrew Bible traditionally considered the author of the Book of Zechariah, the eleventh of the Twelve Minor Prophets.
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Zechariah | |
|---|---|
Zechariah as depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel | |
| Died | c. 6th century BCE |
| Occupation | Prophet |
| Known for | Author of the Book of Zechariah |
| Father | Berechiah (likely) |
Zechariah 1:1 depicts the eponymous character as the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo. The Book of Ezra instead names Zechariah as the son of Iddo,[1] Targum Lamentations 2:20 names this Zechariah as a son of Iddo, as does the book of Matthew 23:35. This is not the same person as Iddo the Seer, who lived during the reigns of Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah,[2] and is most likely the Iddo mentioned in Ezra 8:17.[3]
Zechariah's prophetical career probably began in the second regnal year of Darius the Great, king of the Achaemenid Empire (520 BCE).[4] Zechariah's greatest concern appears to have been with the building of the Second Temple.[4] He features in chapters 1–8 of the book of Zechariah but he does not appear in the remaining chapters of the book (chapters 9–14).[5]
Prophet
The Book of Zechariah introduces him as the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.[6] The Book of Nehemiah identifies him as a Levitical priest.[7] The Book of Ezra names Zechariah as the son of Iddo,[8] but it is likely that Berechiah was Zechariah's father and Iddo his grandfather, a common use of "son" in biblical texts.[4] Targum Lamentations 2:20 also names this Zechariah "son of Iddo".[citation needed] This Iddo is not the same person as Iddo the Seer, who lived during the reigns of Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah,[9] but is the Iddo mentioned in Nehemiah 12:4,16, a priest who returned from the Exile with Zerubbabel and Joshua.[7] Zechariah's name means "Yah remembers".[10]
Zechariah's prophetical career probably began in the second year of Darius the Great, king of the Achaemenid Empire (520 BCE).[4] His greatest concern appears to have been with the building of the Second Temple.[4] He features in chapters 1–8 of the book of Zechariah but he does not appear in the remaining chapters of the book (chapters 9–14).[11]
Liturgical commemoration
On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, his feast day is 8 February. He is commemorated in the calendar of saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on the Tuesday after the fifth Sunday of Pentecost[12] and, with the other Minor Prophets, on 31 July. The Catholic Church honors him with a feast day assigned to 6 September.
See also
- Tomb of the Prophets
- Zechariah (given name) for the derivation and translations of his name
- Zechariah, father of John the Baptist, in the New Testament
