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a priest at the time of David and Solomon. I Sam. 15:34–37; I Kings 1:7, 8. (1.) A son of Ahitub, of the line of Eleazer (2 Sam. 8:17; 1 Chr. 24:3), high priest in the time of David (2 Sam. 20:25) and Solomon (1 Kings 4:4). He is first mentioned as coming to take part with David at Hebron (1 Chr. 12:27, 28). He was probably on this account made ruler over the Aaronites (27:17). Zadok and Abiathar acted as high priests on several important occasions (1 Chr. 15:11; 2 Sam. 15:24-29, 35, 36); but when Adonijah endeavoured to secure the throne, Abiathar went with him, and therefore Solomon "thrust him out from being high priest,"and Zadok, remaining faithful to David, became high priest alone (1 Kings 2:27, 35; 1 Chr. 29:22). In him the line of Phinehas resumed the dignity, and held it till the fall of Jerusalem. He was succeeded in his sacred office by his son Azariah (1 Kings 4:2; comp. 1 Chr. 6:3-9). (2.) The father of Jerusha, who was wife of King Uzziah, and mother of King Jotham (2 Kings 15:33; 2 Chr. 27:1). (3.) "The scribe"set over the treasuries of the temple by Nehemiah along with a priest and a Levite (Neh. 13:13). (4.) The sons of Baana, one of those who assisted in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem (Neh. 3:4).
Zara
See Zerah In Mormonism, Zarahemla refers to a large city in the ancient Americas which is described in the Book of Mormon. It also is used to refer to a large political division, and a minor character in the book. The Book of Mormon is revered by members of various Latter Day Saint churches as sacred scripture. Non-Mormon archaeologists and historians do not consider Zarahemla to be an actual place that existed in ancient America and dismiss the historical claims of the Book of Mormon. Zarahemla Narrative According to the Book of Mormon, the Nephite Mosiah and his followers “discovered that the people of Zarahemla came out from Jerusalem at the time that Zedekiah king of Judah, was carried away captive into Babylon” (about 587 B.C.) The Book of Mormon relates that the surviving seed of Zedekiah “journeyed in the wilderness, and were brought by the hand of the Lord across the great waters” to the Western Hemisphere. The book of Omni in the Book of Mormon tells how Zarahemla and his people came to settle the land of Zarahemla in the New World. Mosiah and his refugee people presumably united with the people of Zarahemla sometime between 279 and 130 B.C. “Mosiah was appointed to be their king.” Mosiah thereafter presided in the land of Zarahemla over a people called collectively “the Nephites”. The Land of Zarahemla was the Nephite capital for many years. Notable Book of Mormon descendents of the leader Zarahemla include Ammon the venturer and Coriantumr the dissenter. Ammon led a quest in search of a colony that had left the land of Zarahemla in order to resettle a city named Lehi-Nephi. The dissenter Coriantumr led the Lamanites in battle against the Nephites in the first century B.C. At some point before Mosiah discovered Zarahemla, the people of Zarahemla had discovered Coriantumr (not to be confused with the later Nephite dissenter of the same name). According to the Book of Mormon, Coriantumr was the last of a destroyed nation called the Jaredites. Coriantumr stayed with the people of Zarahemla "for the space of nine moons" (Omni 1:21) before dying and being buried by them (Ether 13:21). Benjamin succeeded his father Mosiah as the second Nephite king of Zarahemla. King Benjamin was victorious in driving Lamanites enemies from the Zarahemla region. At the time of the crucifixion of Christ, the Book of Mormon records that “there were exceedingly sharp lightnings, such as never had been known in all the land. And the city of Zarahemla did take fire.” "And it came to pass that there was a voice heard among all the inhabitants of the earth...'because of their iniquity and abominations...that great city Zarahemla have I burned with fire, and the inhabitants thereof...I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God.'" (3 Nephi, 9: 1, 2, 3, 15.) The Book of Mormon indicates that “the great city of Zarahemla” was rebuilt sometime in the first century A.D. As his doomed nation retreated northward from their enemies, the 4th century prophet and historian Mormon recorded that Nephite “towns, and villages, and cities were burned with fire.” The Book of Mormon does not indicate that the city of Zarahemla survived to be occupied by Lamanites after the destruction of the Nephite nation. Zarahemla In Mormon culture The name “Zarahemla” was given to a small Mormon settlement across the Mississippi River from Nauvoo. In August 1841 a conference was held there during which John Smith was sustained as president of the stake in Iowa, with David Pettigrew and M. C. Nickerson as his counselors. The stake was dissolved three years later; a second stake for Iowa would not be organized until 1966. In 2003, a board game, The Settlers of Zarahemla, was produced. This game was intended to be similar to The Settlers of Catan, another popular board game, but targeted at a Mormon audience and set in a Book of Mormon setting. It was published by Inspiration Games in conjunction with the German company that owns the rights to Catan. Zarahemla was also the original name of Blanchardville, Wisconsin, founded in the 1840s by Strangite Mormons. The village received its present name after it was platted in 1857. The name has also been adopted by Zarahemla Books, according to publisher/owner Christopher Bigelow, because it's "instantly recognizable to any Mormon insider, but it’s just an exotic-sounding name to any outsider."
Passage to Zarahemla is an adventure film directed and
written by Chris Heimerdinger. It tells the story of a young pair of
siblings seeking to find a new life following the abrupt death of
their mother. Their exploits lead them to a relative's home in Utah
and eventually a thrilling confrontation with their past and the
merger of time.
Zartosht See Zoroaster Zebulun was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. His mother was Leah, who also gave birth to Reuben, Judah, Simeon, Levi and Issachar. Zebulun is the ancestor of the Tribe of Zebulun. The tribe played an important role in the victory against Sisera's army at the brook of Kishon, and in Gideon's victory against the Midianites. One of the Judges of Israel, named Elon, and the prophet Jonah came from Zebulun. The tribe was renowned as seafarers. In Revelation 7:1-8, Zebulun is among the tribes who are promised the Seal of God for 12,000 of their members.
Zachariah, Zacharia, St. Zacharias
Zechariah could also refer to The Book of Zechariah
Zechariah was the son of Jehoiada,
the High Priest in the times of Ahaziah and Jehoash of Judah. Zechariah was a king of the northern Israelite Kingdom of Israel, and son of Jeroboam II. Zechariah became king of Israel in Samaria in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah, king of Judah. (2 Kings 15:8) William F. Albright has dated his reign to 746 BC – 745 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the dates 753 BC – 752 BC.[1] The account of his reign is briefly told in 2 Kings (2 Kings 15:8-12). Zechariah ruled Israel for only six months before Shallum murdered him and took the throne. This ended the dynasty of Jehu after four generations of his descendants, fulfilling the prophecy in 2 Kings 10:30.
Floyd N. Jones suggests that
Zechariah may have reigned 12 years. He argues that 2 Kings 15:8 may
indicate that Zechariah did not begin reigning in the 38th year of
Azariah, but that in his final year he reigned six months into
Azariah's 38th year. Jones suggests that Zechariah most likely
reigned from 784 to 772 BC. The name Zechariah is derived from Hebrew: "YHWH has remembered". It is a theophoric name, the ending -iah being a short Hebrew form for the Tetragrammaton. Not much is known about Zechariah’s life other than what may be inferred from the book. It has been speculated that his ancestor Iddo was the head of a priestly family who returned with Zerubbabel (Nehemiah 12:4), and that Zechariah may himself have been a priest as well as a prophet. This is supported by Zechariah's interest in the Temple and the priesthood, and from Iddo's preaching in the Books of Chronicles. He was a prophet of the two-tribe kingdom of Judah, and like Ezekiel was of priestly extraction. He describes himself (Zechariah 1:1) as "the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo."In Ezra 5:1 and 6:14 he is called "the son of Iddo,"who was properly his grandfather. His prophetical career began in the second year of Darius, king of Persia (B.C. 520), about sixteen years after the return of the first company from their Babylonian exile. He was contemporary with Haggai (Ezra 5:1). In the New Testament Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is quoted as stating that Zechariah son of Barachiah was killed between the altar and the temple. A similar quotation is also found in the Gospel of Luke. Although there is an indication in Targum Lamentations that "Zechariah son of Iddo"was killed in the Temple, scholars generally understand this as a reference to the death of a much earlier figure, Zechariah ben Jehoiada.
On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical
calendar, his feast day is February 8. He is commemorated with the
other minor prophets in the calendar of saints of the Armenian
Apostolic Church on July 31. In the Qur'an, Zechariah (Arabic: Zakariya) plays a similar role as the father of John the Baptist and ranks him as a prophet alongside John and Jesus and his role as one of the men of God is frequently referenced in verses of the Qur'an. According to the Gospel of Luke, during the reign of king Herod, there was "a certain priest named Zecharias, of the course of Abia", whose wife Elisabeth was also of the priestly family of Aaron. The evangelist states that both the parents were righteous before God, since they were "blameless" in observing the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. When the events related in Luke began, their marriage was still childless, because Elisabeth was barren and they were both very old (Luke 1:5–7).
Zedekiah was a biblical character, said to be the last king of Judah before the destruction of the kingdom by Babylon. Zedekiah had been installed as king of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon, after a siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC, to succeed his nephew, Jeconiah, who was overthrown as king after a reign of only three months and ten days. William F. Albright dates the start of Zedekiah's reign to 606 BC, while E. R. Thiele gives the start in 597 BC. On that reckoning, Zedekiah was born in c. 627 BC or 618 BC, being twenty-one on becoming king. Zedekiah's reign ended with the siege and fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar II, which both Albright and Thiele agree took place in 586 BC, though more recent evidence dates the fall of Jerusalem to 587 BC. Zedekiah was the third son of Josiah, and his mother was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah, thus he was the brother of Jehoahaz (2 Kings 23:31, 24:17-18, 23:31, 24:17-18). His original name was Mattanyahu ("Gift of God"; traditional English: Mattaniah), but when Nebuchadnezzar II placed him on the throne as the successor to Jehoiachin, he changed his name to Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17). The prophet Jeremiah was his counselor, yet "he did evil in the sight of the Lord"(2 Kings 24:19-20; Jeremiah 52:2-3). He ascended the throne at the age of twenty-one and became a strong leader. The kingdom was at that time tributary to Nebuchadnezzar II. Despite the strong remonstrances of Jeremiah, Baruch ben Neriah and his other family and advisors, as well as the example of Jehoiachin, he revolted against Babylon, and entered into an alliance with Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt. This brought up Nebuchadnezzar, "with all his host"(2 Kings 25:1), against Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar began a siege of Jerusalem in January of 589 BC. During this siege, which lasted about thirty months, "every worst woe befell the devoted city, which drank the cup of God's fury to the dregs"(2 Kings 25:3; Lamentations 4:4, 5, 9). In the eleventh year of Zedekiah's reign, Nebuchadnezzar succeeded in conquering Jerusalem. The city was plundered and reduced to ruins. Zedekiah and his followers attempted to escape, making their way out of the city, but were captured on the plains of Jericho, and were taken to Riblah. There, after seeing his sons put to death, his own eyes were put out, and, being loaded with chains, he was carried captive (587 BC Albright; 586 BC Thiele) to Babylon (2 Kings 25:1-7; 2 Chronicles 36:12; Jeremiah 32:4,5; 34:2, 3; 39:1-7; 52:4-11; Ezekiel 12:12), where he remained a prisoner, how long is unknown, to the day of his death. After the fall of Jerusalem, Nebuzaradan was sent to carry out its complete destruction. The city was razed to the ground. Only a small number of vinedressers and husbandmen were permitted to remain in the land (Jer. 52:16). Gedaliah, with a Chaldean guard stationed at Mizpah, was left to rule over Judah (2 Kings 25:22, 24; Jer. 40:1, 2, 5, 6). Zedekiah in the Book of Mormon According to the Book of Mormon, Zedekiah's son Mulek escaped death and travelled across the ocean (Atlantic) to the Americas, where he founded a nation that later merged with another Israelite splinter group, the Nephites.
Zedekías
See Zedekíah a man of the tribe of Manasseh, and of the family of Gilead He died in the wilderness. Having left no sons, his daughters, concerned lest their father's name should be “done away from among his family,” made an appeal to Moses, who, by divine direction, appointed it as “a statute of judgment” in Israel that daughters should inherit their father's portion when no sons were left (Num. 27:1-11). But that the possession of Zelophehad might not pass away in the year of jubilee from the tribe to which he belonged, it was ordained by Moses that his daughters should not marry any one out of their father's tribe; and this afterwards became a general law (Num. 36).
See also Daughters
of Zelophehad
Zeno the son of Mnaseas, was born
in the Cypriot town of Citium and may have been part Semitic. His
education, however, was thoroughly Greek, and he went to Athens about
313 B.C., where he attended the lectures of various philosophers,
including Crates the Cynic, Stilpo, Xenocrates, and Polemo. Crates
was his most important early master, and his first book, the
Republic, was Cynic in inspiration and viewpoint. He took what he
thought was the best of his masters' teachings and developed a
complete philosophical system of his own. His followers were at first
called Zenonians, but the name Stoics, which derived from the Stoa
Poikile where Zeno taught, proved more popular. He was greatly
respected at Athens and was honored by the Athenians with a golden
crown and a bronze statue. He was also on good terms with the king of
Macedon, Antigonus Gonatas, and was invited to live at the court in
Pella. He declined the offer, although he did send two of his
followers. Diogenes Laertius, who wrote a biography of Zeno in the 3d
century A.D., preserves the titles of several of his works, although
all have perished. In addition to the Republic, these include Life
according to Nature, On Appetite (or The Nature of Man), On Becoming,
On the Doctrines of the Pythagoreans, On Problems Relating to Homer,
On Art, Memorabilia, and the Ethics of Crates. According to the Book of Mormon, Zenock was an old world prophet whose pre-Christian era writings were recorded upon the plates of brass. Zenock is quoted or paraphrased a number of times by writers in the Book of Mormon, including Nephi, Alma, son of Alma, Amulek, Nephi, son of Helaman, and Mormon. Zenock is reported to have written and prophesied about the divinity, death, and atonement of the coming Messiah. In the Book of Alma (chapter 33 verse 17), Alma the Elder reports that Zenock was stoned to death for preaching that the Messiah would be the "Son of God." Research on early manuscripts of the Book of Mormon suggests the name's intended spelling was "Zenoch" rather than "Zenock."
Outside of the Book of Mormon,
there is no evidence that Zenock existed. However, there is evidence
that writings of, and references to several ancient Israelite
prophets were destroyed by the ruling class of the ancient Jews.
There is a reference in the Dead Sea Scrolls to an ancient prophet
known as the Teacher of Righteousness who was driven out of Jewish
society because he preached of the coming of a Messiah. Outside of
the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is no other reference to this person, and
until 1950, there was absolutely no record of his existence. The
scrolls state that the Teacher of Righteousness was descended from
another mysterious prophet named Zadok, which might have been a
transcribed or altered version of the Book of Mormon name Zenock.
Indeed, non-LDS scholars identify this Zadok as the priest who
anointed Solomon (1 Kings 1:39, 2:35) and whose dynasty officiated in
the office of High Priest around 1,000-700 BC, some 100–400
years just prior to the timeline found in the Book of Mormon. Not to be confused with Enos (Book of Mormon), Zenock, or Zenos Academy. This article improperly uses one or more religious texts as primary sources without referring to secondary sources that critically analyze them. Please help improve this article by adding references to reliable secondary sources, with multiple points of view. (October 2011) According to the Book of Mormon, Zenos was an old world prophet whose pre-Christian era writings were recorded upon the plates of brass. Zenos is quoted or paraphrased a number of times by writers in the Book of Mormon, including Nephi, Jacob, Alma, son of Alma, Nephi, son of Helaman, Samuel the Lamanite, and Mormon. Zenos is reported to have written on a variety of topics, including the signs to accompany the death of the Messiah, the Atonement of Christ, and the scattering and gathering of Israel. According to one Book of Mormon writer, Zenos was killed as a result of his preaching. Zenos and the Dead Sea Scrolls Connection Outside of the Book of Mormon, there is no direct evidence that Zenos existed. However, Some LDS scholars argue that Zenos' Book of Mormon hymn of thanksgiving and praise, which elaborates upon prayer, worship, and mercy, compares favorably in style and content with Hymn H (or 8) and Hymn J (or 10) of the Thanksgiving Hymns of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Additionally, there is evidence that writings of, and references to several ancient Israelite prophets were destroyed by the ruling class of the ancient Jews. The best known example of this is a reference in the Dead Sea Scrolls to an ancient prophet known as the Teacher of Righteousness who was driven out of Jewish society because he preached of the coming of a Messiah. Outside of the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is no other reference to this person, and until 1950, there was absolutely no record of his existence. However, certain identical components exist between allegories found within the Book of Mormon and those contributions found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The scrolls state that the Teacher
of Righteousness was descended from Zadok, which some LDS scholars
have argued might have been a transcribed or altered version of the
name Zenock, another prophet referenced only in the Book of Mormon.
Non-LDS scholars identify this Zadok as the priest who anointed
Solomon (1 Kings 1:39, 2:35) and whose dynasty officiated in the
office of High Priest around 1,000-700 BC. Thus, being descended from
Zadok more likely meant that the Teacher was a member of, loyal to,
or teacher of doctrines espoused by this Zadok. Zephaniah is the name of several people in the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh. His name is commonly transliterated Sophonias in bibles translated from the Latin Vulgate or Septuagint. The name might mean "Yah(weh) has concealed", "[he whom] Yah(weh) has hidden", or ""Yah(weh) lies in wait"". Zephaniah may refer to: Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah the priest Zephaniah The prophet, The most well-known Biblical figure bearing the name Zephaniah, the son of Cushi Zephaniah, a Kohathite ancestor of the prophet Samuel (1 Chr 6:36). Zephaniah, the father of Josiah, the priest who dwelt in Jerusalem when Darius issued the decree that the temple should be rebuilt ... (Zech 6:10). One of those who returned from the Babylonian Exile (Zech 6:10).
Zephaniah, Son of Tahath,
great-great-grandson of Korah and ancestor of Heman the singer. The son of Maaseiah, the "second priest" in the reign of Zedekiah, often mentioned in Jeremiah as having been sent from the king to inquire (Jer. 21:1) regarding the coming woes which he had denounced, and to entreat the prophet's intercession that the judgment threatened might be averted (Jer 29:25, 26, 29; 37:3; 52:24). He, along with some other captive Jews, was put to death by the king of Babylon "at Riblah in the land of Hamath" (2 Kings 25:21).
According to Jeremiah 21:2 King
Zedekiah sent him, along with Pashhur son of Malchiah to ask Jeremiah
the prophet to pray to the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar's siege of
Jerusalem be lifted. The parallel account in Jeremiah 37:3 names his
fellow messenger not as Pashhur but as Jehucal son of Shelemiah.
According to Jeremiah 29:25-29 it was to the same Zephaniah the
priest that the false prophet Shemaiah sent a letter from Babylon
complaining that Jeremiah had not been imprisoned for telling the
exiles to build houses and plant gardens and patiently await
deliverance from Exile (Jer 29:1-14). When Zephaniah read the letter
to Jeremiah (Jer 29:29), Jeremiah immediately experienced a divine
revelation (Jer 29:30), on the basis of which he announced that
Shemaiah's false prophecy would be punished by the latter's not
living to see the deliverance of Judah from Exile and by his being
denied any descendants. According to II Kings 25:18 and Jeremiah
52:24, Zephaniah, who was deputy high priest, was among the leaders
of Judah, whom Nebuzaradan brought to Riblah where Nebuchadnezzar put
them to death. Zephaniah son of Cushi, Cushi’s father was Gedaliah, Gedaliah’s father was Amariah, and Amariah’s father was Hezekiah. The LORD gave this message to Zephaniah when Josiah was king. Josiah was the son of Amon, who was the king of Judah. Zephaniah the prophetic author of the Book of Zephaniah (q.v.). It is generally accepted that this Zephaniah's ancestor Hezekiah was none other than King Hezekiah of Judah. Hence Zephaniah was a third cousin once removed of King Josiah during whose reign he prophesied. The most well-known Biblical figure bearing the name Zephaniah is the son of Cushi, and great-grandson of Hezekiah, ninth in the literary order of the minor prophets. He prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (B.C. 641-610), and was contemporary with Jeremiah, with whom he had much in common. The only primary source from which we obtain our scanty knowledge of the personality and the rhetorical and literary qualities of this individual is the short book of the Old Testament which bears his name. The scene of his activity was the city of Jerusalem. (Zeph 1:4-10; 3:1, 14) Under the two preceding kings of Judah, Amon and Manasseh, the cult of other deities (especially Baal and Astarte) had developed in the Holy City, bringing with it elements of alien culture and morals. Josiah, a dedicated reformer, wished to put an end to perceived misuse of the holy places. One of the most zealous champions and advisers of this reform was Zephaniah, and his writing remains one of the most important documents for the understanding of the era of Josiah. The prophet spoke boldly against the religious and moral corruption, when, in view of the idolatry which had penetrated even into the sanctuary, he warned that God would "destroy out of this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the ... priests" (Zeph 1:4), and pleaded for a return to the simplicity of their fathers instead of the luxurious foreign clothing which was worn especially in aristocratic circles (1:8). The age of Zephaniah was also a key historical period, because the lands of Anterior Asia were overrun by foreigners due to the migration of the Scythians in the last decades of the seventh century, and because Jerusalem was only a few decades before its downfall in 586. In light of these events, a message of impending judgment is the primary burden of this figure's preaching (1:7). In In Christianity, he is commemorated with the other Minor prophets in the Calendar of saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church on July 31. On the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar and in the Roman Martyrology, he is commemorated on December 3.
His book is an inspiration for the
hymn, Dies irae. Zéra See Zerah
Zérach
See Zerah Zerah refers to several different people in the Hebrew Bible. The bible identifies Zerah as the name of the founder of one of the Simeonite clans.
Zerah the Cushite, is an individual mentioned by the Book of Chronicles as having invaded the Kingdom of Judah with an enormous army, in the days of Asa. According to the text, when Zerah's army reached that of Asa at Zephathah, Zerah's army was utterly defeated, by divine intervention, and Asa's forces collected a large volume of spoils of war. The invasion, and its implied time-frame, means that the traditional view was to consider this Zerah to have actually been Osorkon II or Osorkon I, both being rulers of Egypt. Osorkon II, is known to have entered the Kingdom of Judah, with a huge army, in 853BC; however, rather than attacking Judah, the army was just passing through, on its way to attack the Assyrian forces. In addition, Asa's reign is traditionally dated to have ended in 873BC, making it impossible for the biblical text to be accurate if Osorkon II was Zerah, since Osorkon II's reign hadn't even begun until one year later - 872BC. In the Book of Kings, which doesn't mention Asa's defeat of Zerah, Asa is described as being extremely weak from a defensive point of view, and Biblical scholars regard the idea that Asa could defeat an enormous Egyptian army to be untenable.
Furthermore, Cushite refers to
Kush (historic Ethiopia), and it is unclear why either Osorkon should
be described as a Cushite, since the assertion would be unjustified.
It is a possibility that Cushite is a typographic error for Kassite,
and that it consequently refers to a Babylonian (Kassite) invasion,
but it is considered far more likely that it refers to an invasion by
a marauding group of Arabs, whose numbers have been vastly exaggerated. Zerubbabelwas a governor of the Persian Province of Judah (Haggai 1:1) and the grandson of Jehoiachin, penultimate King of Judah. Zerubbabel led the first band of Jews, numbering 42,360, who returned from the Babylonian Captivity in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia (Book of Ezra). The date is generally thought to have been between 538 and 520 BC. Zerubbabel also laid the foundation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem the next year. Muslim historian Ya'qubi attributed the recovery of the Torah and the Books of the Prophets to him instead of Ezra. In all of the accounts in the Hebrew Bible that mention Zerubbabel, he is always associated with the high priest who returned with him, Joshua (Jeshua) son of Jozadak (Jehozadak). Together, these two men led the first wave of Jewish returnees from exile and began to rebuild the Temple (Ezra). John Kessler describes the region of Judah as a small province that contained land moving 25 km from Jerusalem and was independently ruled prior to the Persian rule. Zerubbabel was the governor of this province. King Darius I of Persia appointed Zerubbabel governor of the Province. It was after this appointment that Zerubbabel began to rebuild the Temple. Elias Bickerman speculates that one of the reasons that Zerubbabel was able to rebuild the Temple was because of "the widespread revolts at the beginning of the reign of Darius I in 522 BC, which preoccupied him to such a degree that Zerubbabel felt he could initiate the rebuilding of the temple without repercussions". Zerubbabel and the Davidic Line The Davidic line from Jeconiah had been cursed by Jeremiah, saying that no descendant of "Coniah" would ever sit on the throne again (Jer. 22:30). Zerubbabel was of the main Davidic line through Solomon and Jeconiah. The prophets Zechariah and Haggai both give unclear statements regarding Zerubbabel's authority in their oracles, in which Zerubbabel was either the subject of a false prophecy or the receiver of a divine promotion to kingship. He could also be viewed as a governor of a state within another nation and thus technically "not on the throne" of a nation. Either way, he was given the task of rebuilding the Temple in the second year of the reign of Darius I (520 BC), along with the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak. Muslim historian Ya'qubi attributed the recovery of the Torah and the Books of the Prophets to him instead of Ezra. The Seder Olam Zutta lists him as the Exilarch in Babylon to succeed Shealtiel. The texts are conflicting as to whether Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel or his nephew. His son Meshullam succeeded him as Exilarch, and was followed by another son Hananiah. His other sons were Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah and Jushab-hesed (1 Chronicles 3:20). He also had a daughter called Shelomith (1 Chronicles 3:19). The name Zerubbabel If the name Zerubbabel is Hebrew, it may be a contraction of Zerua' Ba-vel, meaning "the one sown of Babylon", and referring to a child conceived and born in Babylon; or perhaps even, Z?rûy Ba-vel, meaning, "the winnowed of Babylon", in the sense of being exiled in Babylon. If the name is not Hebrew but Assyrian-Babylonian, it may contract, Z?ru Ba-bel, meaning, "Seed of Babylon", the one conceived in Babylon. (Contrast the related Hebrew form for "Seed": Hebrew: Zera'.) Zerubbabel may have had a Babylonian style name because of his interaction with the Babylonian court. Sheshbazzar Ezra begins with Cyrus the Great entrusting the Temple vessels to Sheshbazzar (Hebrew: Modern Sheshbatsar, Tiberian Še-šbas.s.ár, "prince of Judah"; this apparently important figure then disappears from the story entirely (Ezra 1:8,11), and Zerubbabel is abruptly introduced as the main figure. Both are called governors of Judah and are both credited with laying the foundation of the Temple. A number of explanations have been proposed, including: (1) the two are the same person; (2) Sheshbazzar was in fact Shenazzar, Zerubabbel's uncle (mentioned in Chronicles); (3) Sheshbazzar began the work and Zerubbabel finished it. Zerubbabel in the Hebrew Bible Zerubbabel in In the Prophets (Nevi'im) Zerubbabel appears in the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah. Zerubbabel in The Prophecy of Haggai "'On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, I will take you Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, my servant, and wear you like a signet ring; for it is you whom I have chosen. This is the word of the Lord of Hosts'" (Hag. 2:23). This quotation from the Book of Haggai illustrates the messianic expectations that are often associated with Zerubbabel. The term, "my servant," describes Zerubbabel as God's servant. This term is often associated with King David. Walter Rose concludes that: "the epithet 'servant' is hardly ever used for kings after David may be related to the fact that most of them were disappointing in their performance as kings appointed by YHVH". Rose emphasizes that the author of the Book of Haggai is associating Zerubbabel with King David. Scholars have also analyzed the phrase "I will take you." Rose associates this term with a mission, change, or protection. For Zerubbabel, this mission was likely the rebuilding of the second Temple. The most widely debated part of this prophecy is the phrase, "wear you like a signet ring." A signet ring is an authoritative symbol that is associated with power. Rose interprets this passage by comparing it to the passage in Jeremiah 22:24, in through which he concludes that the King is a signet ring on God's hand. John Kessler interprets the idea of the nature of the Signet ring as such that "the real true figure of speech at issue is a personification of which the simile or metaphor is only a part. The real trope consists of the personification of Yahweh, who is likened to the owner of a signet" However, this word when in Hebrew has been translated as meaning both seal and signet ring. It is unclear whether Haggai's prophecy claims that Zerubbabel is going to be the King of the Land of Judah or if he is just to build the second Temple. Many scholars have interpreted the following passage from Haggai as identifying Zerubbabel as a king of the land of Judah, a continuation of the Davidic line: "Zerubbabel is to be made either the representative of YHVH, or the new king who will restore the monarchy, or the new world leader. One sometimes finds words like messianic or Messiah used to describe Zerubbabel's role". According to Peter Ackroyd, Zerubbabel was "'a royal representative of God'". Both historians' interpretations of the prophecy of Haggai appear to understand the term of the "signet ring" as being a metaphor for Zerubbabel attaining God's authority on earth. Not all Biblical scholars interpret Zerubbabel's authority in the same manner. Other scholars see it as a prophecy proclaiming that Zerubbabel will become king. According to Sara Japhet: "Haggai does not explain, however, for what Zerubbabel was chosen. From what is described in the prophecy—the overthrow of the kingdoms of the nations as the first stage in the choosing of Zerubbabel—we may conclude that Haggai sees Zerubbabel as a king, whose kingdom is made possible by a change in the political structure. ... [F]rom now on, since Zerubbabel has been chosen as a 'signet,' he will be 'sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah'. All this, however, is only hinted at in the prophecy of Haggai and not stated explicitly". A. Lemaire interprets the author of Haggai as wanting Zerubbabel to be appointed to a lesser role: "Haggai is expressing the hope of a change in status of the province of Yehud, and of Zerubbabel's emergence as a king of a vassal state within the Persian empire". John Kessler's interpretation agrees with Lemaire's: "The Promise of David&ldots;was now functioning in a new form, accommodated to the realities of the Persian period. Zerubbabel was not the ruler of a nation, but the governor of a province. Yet, such a provisional situation posed no inherent threat to the promise of the Davidic house". Some historians claim that Haggai's prophecy does not claim that Zerubbabel will become the King of the land of Judah. Rose's concludes that the imagery itself does not claim that Zerubbabel will be King of Judea. Rose also claims that "in Haggai's passage, one does not find a statement about Zerubbabel being YHVH's anointed, or about his autonomous rule (given by God), present or future, and there is no explicit promise that God will make the nations submit to his chosen one. One reads only about a mutual destruction of political and military forces masterminded by God. On the basis of these observations, I think it is safe to conclude that there is no reason to assume that divine intervention which does not mention autonomous rule or submission of the nations to Zerubbabel (Hag. 2) would necessarily imply a change of his position". Furthermore, Rose makes this claim because the prophecy does not claim that Zerubbabel will become king: "The absence of any reference to the Davidic line from which Zerubbabel came, and the failure to use words like "melech" &ldots; (related to the title of King)&ldots;point in a different direction". Zechariah and Zerubbabel Falling in line with the rest of the twelve prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible (the Nevi'im), the book of Zechariah describes a hope for a future king, beyond the current leader Zerubbabel, and further establishes a portrayal of this future king. Anthony Petterson argues that the standard explanation of Haggai and Zechariah's prophesies, in which Zerubbabel was supposed to be the restorer of the Davidic dynasty but never fulfilled these expectations, does not actually stand as an explanation of the final form of these texts. Zerubbabel's name is mentioned four times throughout Zechariah 1–8, and all of these instances occur in one short oracle written in chapter 4. Any other references to Zerubbabel throughout this book are guesses or theories as to his significance. Zechariah 4:1–3 gives a vision that was had by Zechariah of a lampstand with a bowl on it. Upon that are seven lamps, each with seven lips. There are two olive trees, one to the right of the bowl and one to the left. The explanation, told by the angel that Zechariah is conversing with, is as follows: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. ... The seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth ... the two olive trees ... are the two sons of oil (anointed ones) who stand by the Lord of the whole earth" (Zech 4:9–14). There is a debate in the Biblical scholarly community as to who the "sons of oil" is referencing. Though conventional wisdom often understood it to be Zerubbabel and Joshua, Boda argues that, because of the important role that prophets were said to play in the reconstruction of the Temple in Zech 8:9, Haggai and Zechariah are the sons of oil. The controversy regarding the prophesies about Zerubbabel relate back to this quote about Zerubbabel laying the foundation of the temple and eventually completing it. Zech 3:8 and 6:12 refer to a man called "The Branch." In Zech 6, the Lord tells Zechariah to gather silver and gold from the returned exiles (who had come back to Judah from Babylonia), and to go to the house of Josiah son of Zephaniah (members of the Davidic lineage). Then Zechariah is told to fashion a crown out of the silver and gold, set it on the head of Joshua son of Jehozadak, and tell him the following: "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch (Hebrew: Zemah): for he shall branch out in his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord ... he shall bear royal honor, and shall sit upon his throne and rule. There shall be a priest by his throne, with peaceful understanding between the two of them" (Zech 6:12–13). It is unclear whether or not "the Branch" refers to Zerubbabel. Should this have been the intention of the author, then the restoration of the Davidic line of kings would be imminent, as Zerubbabel is a member of the line of David (1 Chron 3:20). There is some evidence for this link, namely that Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah at the time of Zechariah, he was frequently associated with Joshua (Ezra 3:2, 3:8), and he is also described as the Temple builder (Zech 4:9). However, there are several reasons that complicate this association. The first is that Joshua is the one crowned, not the Branch. The next is that Zerubbabel is not mentioned. The third is that the references to Zemah appear to anticipate a future event, while Zerubbabel existed in the present. Zechariah neither proclaims that Zerubbabel with restore the monarchy, nor does he contradict the previous hopes for a Davidic king (Hag 2:23). Rather, Zechariah maintains hope for a Davidic king in the future, without tying down the prophecy directly to Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel in the Writings (Kethuvim) References to Zerubbabel appear in the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 Chronicles. Zerubbabel in The Book of Ezra According to the Book of Ezra chapter 2, Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem in the first wave of liberated exiles under the decree of King Cyrus of Persia in 538 BCE. The mention of Zerubbabel in the book of Ezra primarily serves the purpose of describing the return to Judah following the exile from Babylon and the construction of the Second Temple. According to the authors of the Book of Ezra, "when the seventh month came&ldots; Jeshua son of Jozadak along with his fellow-priests, and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, with his colleagues, set to work to build the altar of the God of Israel". (Ezra 3:1–2) The Book of Ezra also gives a date for the beginning of the construction of the Temple: "In the second month of the second year, after they came to the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak began the work". (Ezr. 3:8) This passage describes how Zerubbabel was part of the group who began to build the second Temple of Jerusalem. According to the Book of Ezra, Zerubbabel is also under the authority of King Cyrus of Persia to build the Temple (Ezr. 4:3). The passages describing Zerubbabel do mention the prophecies of Haggai and of Zechariah concerning Zerubbabel's actions in the land of Judah. Regarding Sheshbazzar, he was appointed governor of Judah by the Persian King Cyrus in the year 538 BCE, and was given gold and told to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. According to a letter from Tattenai (the governor of the province Beyond the River) to King Darius I, Sheshbazzar started the Temple, but it lay under construction for a long time. It seems as though Zerubbabel picked up construction shortly afterwards, in the 2nd year of Darius' rule (August 29, 520 BCE) (see Zerubbabel in Haggai). This is a contradiction, however, as Zerubbabel was said in Zechariah 4:9 to have laid the foundations of the new Temple, while Tattenai's letter to Darius says that Sheshbazzar laid the foundations of the Temple (Ezra 5:16). According to the Letter written by King Darius I recorded in the Book of Ezra: "the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar carried away from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned; they are all to be taken back to the temple in Jerusalem, and restored each to its place in the house of God". (Ezr. 6:5) The final detail in the book of Ezra regarding Zerubbabel is a date for the completion of the second Temple. According to the Book of Ezra, "the house was completed on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius." In this passage, the word "house" refers to the second Temple. Zerubbabel in The Book of Nehemiah The reference to Zerubbabel in the Book of Nehemiah is rather brief. The author of the Book of Nehemiah only refers to Zerubbabel in passing when the author states that: "These are the priests and the Levites which came back with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua" (Neh. 12:1). The Book of Nehemiah provides no new information regarding Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel in 1st Chronicles The mention of Zerubbabel in 1 Chronicles only states Zerubbabel and his lineage and descendants. This passage states: "The sons of Pedaiah: Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam and Hannaniah; they had a sister Shelomith. There were five others: Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed" (1 Chronicles 3:19). Unlike the passages in Nehemiah, Haggai, and Ezra, 1 Chronicles appears to state that Zerubbabel is not the son of Shealtiel, but rather the son of Pedaiah. For a further explanation of this contradiction please see the section on Zerubbabel and his family. Zerubbabel and the Son of Shealtiel or Pedaiah The Hebrew Bible lists Shealtiel as the second son of King Jeconiah (1 Chronicles 3:17). The Neo-Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II exiled to Babylon Joconiah and Jeconiah's uncle King Zedekiah the last king of Judah and killed Zedekiah there. Potentially, Shealtiel became the legal heir to the throne, if the Davidic monarchy was restored. The Hebrew Bible has conflicting texts regarding whether Zerubbabel is the son of Shealtiel or of Pedaiah. Several texts (that are thought to be more-or-less contemporaneous) explicitly call "Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel" (Ezra 3:2, 8; 5:2, Nehemiah 12:1, 12, 14;&version=31; Haggai 1:1, 12, 14). The Seder Olam Zutta also supports that position. Surprisingly, 1 Chronicles 3:17–19 makes Zerubbabel a nephew of Shealtiel: King Jeconiah is the father of Shealtiel and Pedaiah, then Pedaiah is the father of Zerubbabel. Various attempts have been made to show how both genealogies could be true. One explanation suggests Shealtiel died childless and therefore Pedaiah, his brother, married his widow according to a Jewish law regarding inheritance (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). If so, Zerubbabel would be the legal son of Shealtiel but the biological son of Pedaiah. The other speculation suggests the title "son of Shealtiel" does not refer to being a biological son but to being a member in Shealtiel's "household" (Hebrew: bet). The Hebrew term "father" (Hebrew: ???, av) can refer to a father of a household, similar to the Latin term paterfamilias. In this sense, a man who is the "father" of a household can therefore be referred to as the "father" of his own biological siblings, nephews and nieces, or anyone else who cohabitates in his "household". Zerubbabel (and possibly his father Pedaiah) could be called a "son" if they lived in Shealtiel's household. Perhaps both speculations could be true. Zerubbabel could be the legal son of Shealtiel and therefore also a member of his household. Notably, if Shealtiel had no biological children, Zerubbabel as a legal son would have inherited Shealtiel's household and become its new "father" with authority over the other members of the household. Yet another speculation simply suggests that the text which identifies Zerubbabel as a son of Pedaiah could be a scribal error. It occurs in a part of the text where the Hebrew seems discongruent and possibly garbled (1 Chronicles 3:16-21). The expected mention of Shealtiel being a father seems accidentally omitted, and thus his children became confused with Pedaiah's. There may be other problems with these verses as well. In any case, those texts that call Zerubbabel "son of Shealtiel" have a context that is overtly political and seems to emphasize Zerubbabel's potential royal claim to the throne of the Davidic Dynasty by being Shealtiel's successor. Zerubbabel is understood as the legal successor of Shealtiel, with Zerubbabel's title paralleling the High Priest Jeshua's title, "son of Jozadak", that emphasizes Joshua's rightful claim to the dynasty of high priests, descending from Aaron. Therefore, with one descending from David and the other from Aaron, these two officials have the divine authority to rebuild the Temple. Zerubbabel in the New Testament In the New Testament, the name Zerubbabel appears in both versions of the genealogy of Jesus.
These genealogies do not match the genealogy presented in 1 Chronicles; various explanations have been suggested. Zerubbabel in Apocrypha Zerubbabel is mentioned in both the books of Sirach and 1 Esdras. Sirach "How shall we magnify Zerubbabel? He was like a signet ring on the right hand" (Sirach 49:11) Zerubbabel is listed alongside Jeshua (Joshua) son of Jozadak and Nehemiah as a leader of the restoration of the Temple. Notably, Ezra is missing from this honor. This portion of the text of Sirach is a list and brief description of the famous rulers, prophets, and ancestors of the kingdom of Judah (beginning in chapter 44). 1st Esdras 1 Esdras 3–4 tells the story of a speech-writing competition between three bodyguards of Darius I, in which the winner would receive honor and riches from the King. The first two spoke about the strength of wine and the strength of kings, respectively, but the winner was the third bodyguard, who spoke about the strength of women and truth: "If she smiles at him, he laughs; if she loses her temper with him, he flatters her so that she may be reconciled with him. Gentlemen, why are not women strong, since they do such things?" (1 Esd 4:31–32). This speaker is told (in parentheses) to be Zerubbabel, but this detail was likely tacked onto a secular, Hellenized tale about the power of wine, kings, truth, and women. The author of 1 Esdras might have done so to glorify the power of Zerubbabel, the description of which is unparalleled in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Haggai, as the aforementioned books all discuss the power of Zerubbabel in accordance to the power of the high priest Joshua. After Zerubbabel wins the competition, he is given sanction to rebuild the Temple and return the sacred Temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar II had preserved after the conquest of Babylon. It is also probable that the author of 1 Esdras included this reference to Zerubbabel to alleviate any confusion about the difference between Zerubbabel and Sheshbazzar that was apparent in the original book of Ezra. The account of Zerubbabel in 1 Esdras is almost identical to the account of Zerubbabel in the Book of Ezra, included in the Kethuvim. This is because many scholars believe that 1 Esdras is a Greek version of the Book of Ezra. However, there are a few details that appear in 1 Esdras and not in the Book of Ezra. The first discrepancy is that 1 Esdras refers to Zerubbabel's son as Joakim (1 Esd. 5:5). However, this is not one of the sons included in the genealogy included in 1 Chronicles and the Book of Ezra makes no mention of Zerubbabel's son. The second discrepancy is that the author of 1 Esdras claims that it was "Zerubbabel who spoke wise words before King Darius of Persia" (1 Esd. 5:6). However, there is no passage similar to this in the Book of Ezra. Finally 1 Esdras mentions a person called Sanabassar as the Governor of Judah and that it was he who laid the foundation for the first temple (1 Esd. 6:18–20). Sanabassar may refer to Shashbazar. However, according to the Book of Ezra, Zerubbabel is the governor of Judah and he laid the foundation for the Temple. He was given sanction to rebuild the Temple and return the sacred Temple vessels that Nebuchadnezzar II had preserved after the conquest of Babylon. Zerubbabel in Freemasonry Though he is not mentioned in Craft Freemasonry, Zerubbabel is considered to be of great importance to a number of Masonic bodies. Within the Holy Royal Arch, and Royal Arch Masonry he is considered to be a ruling principal. In the Knights Templar his example of truth and fidelity is used as the foundation of the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross. And all three degrees of Knight Masonry deal specifically with the life and time of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel in other texts He is the receiver of an apocalypse in the seventh century Apocalypse of Zerubbabel, also known as Sefer Zerubbabel. This text contains a prophecy given to Zerubbabel from God. It is very similar to the style of the prophecy given in 1 Enoch. The prophecy contains messianic imagery and Zerubbabel is told the future of the city of Jerusalem.
He plays a large role in Sholem Asch's final work The
Prophet. He is announced as the Prince of Judah upon his return to
the Holy Land. One of the firm and long-standing followers and
friends of the Prophet Isaiah, and descendant of the Davidic Dynasty. Zeus is the "Father of Gods and men" who rules the Olympians of Mount Olympus, according to the ancient Greek religion. He is the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. Zeus is etymologically cognate with and, under Hellenic influence, became particularly closely identified with Roman Jupiter. Zeus is the child of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest of his siblings. In most traditions he is married to Hera, although, at the oracle of Dodona, his consort is Dione: according to the Iliad, he is the father of Aphrodite by Dione. He is known for his erotic escapades. These resulted in many godly and heroic offspring, including Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone (by Demeter), Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Minos, and the Muses (by Mnemosyne); by Hera, he is usually said to have fathered Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus. As Walter Burkert points out in his book, Greek Religion, "Even the gods who are not his natural children address him as Father, and all the gods rise in his presence." For the Greeks, he was the King of the Gods, who oversaw the universe. As Pausanias observed, "That Zeus is king in heaven is a saying common to all men". In Hesiod's Theogony Zeus assigns the various gods their roles. In the Homeric Hymns he is referred to as the chieftain of the gods. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. In addition to his Indo-European inheritance, the classical "cloud-gatherer" (Greek: Nephele-gereta) also derives certain iconographic traits from the cultures of the Ancient Near East, such as the scepter. Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek artists in one of two poses: standing, striding forward, with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or seated in majesty. Zeus in Myth Cronus sired several children by Rhea: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, but swallowed them all as soon as they were born, since he had learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was destined to be overthrown by his son as he had previously overthrown Uranus, his own father, an oracle that Rhea heard and wished to avert. When Zeus was about to be born, Rhea sought Gaia to devise a plan to save him, so that Cronus would get his retribution for his acts against Uranus and his own children. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Crete, handing Cronus a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he promptly swallowed. Infancy of Zeus Rhea hid Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete. According to varying versions of the story:
Zeus, King of the gods After reaching manhood, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge first the stone (which was set down at Pytho under the glens of Parnassus to be a sign to mortal men, the Omphalos) then his siblings in reverse order of swallowing. In some versions, Metis gave Cronus an emetic to force him to disgorge the babies, or Zeus cut Cronus' stomach open. Then Zeus released the brothers of Cronus, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, from their dungeon in Tartarus, killing their guard, Campe. As a token of their appreciation, the Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt, or lightning, which had previously been hidden by Gaia. Together, Zeus and his brothers and sisters, along with the Gigantes, Hecatonchires and Cyclopes overthrew Cronus and the other Titans, in the combat called the Titanomachy. The defeated Titans were then cast into a shadowy underworld region known as Tartarus. Atlas, one of the titans that fought against Zeus, was punished by having to hold up the sky. After the battle with the Titans, Zeus shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead (the underworld). The ancient Earth, Gaia, could not be claimed; she was left to all three, each according to their capabilities, which explains why Poseidon was the "earth-shaker" (the god of earthquakes) and Hades claimed the humans that died (see also Penthus). Gaia resented the way Zeus had treated the Titans, because they were her children. Soon after taking the throne as king of the gods, Zeus had to fight some of Gaia's other children, the monsters Typhon and Echidna. He vanquished Typhon and trapped him under Mount Etna, but left Echidna and her children alive. Zeus and Hera Zeus was brother and consort of Hera. By Hera, Zeus sired Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus, though some accounts say that Hera produced these offspring alone. Some also include Eileithyia and Eris as their daughters. The conquests of Zeus among nymphs and the mythic mortal progenitors of Hellenic dynasties are famous. Olympian mythography even credits him with unions with Leto, Demeter, Dione and Maia. Among mortals were Semele, Io, Europa and Leda (for more details, see below) and with the young Ganymede (although he was mortal Zeus granted him eternal youth and immortality). Many myths render Hera as jealous of his amorous conquests and a consistent enemy of Zeus' mistresses and their children by him. For a time, a nymph named Echo had the job of distracting Hera from his affairs by talking incessantly, and when Hera discovered the deception, she cursed Echo to repeat the words of others. Zeus in the Bible Zeus is mentioned in the Bible two times: First is in Acts 14:8-13: When the people living in Lystra, saw Apostle Paul heal a lame man, they considered Paul and his partner Barnabas to be gods, identifying Paul with Hermes and Barnabas with Zeus, even trying to offer sacrifices with the crowd to them. Two ancient inscriptions discovered in 1909 from close of Lystra testify to the worship of these two gods in that city. One of the inscriptions refers to the "priests of Zeus," and the other mentions "Hermes Most Great"” and "Zeus the sun-god." Another occurrence is in Acts 28:11: the name of the ship in which the prisoner Paul set sail from the island of Malta bore the figurehead "Sons of Zeus" aka Castor and Pollux.
Apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees 6:1, 2 talks of King
Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), who in his attempt to stamp out the Jewish
religion, directed that the temple at Jerusalem be profaned and
rededicated to Zeus (Jupiter Olympius). Zichri is the name of three biblical men&ldots; 1. A Benjamite chief (1 Chr. 8:19). 2. Another of the same tribe (1 Chr. 8:23).
3. The son of Izhar
Zichri was a son of Izhar of the house of Levi
according to Exodus 6:21, born in Egypt. He was a nephew of Amram and
a cousin of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses Personal name meaning, “shadow.” In Genesis 4:19,22-23 Zillah is was the second wife of Lamech and the mother of Tubalcain and Naamah.
Zilpah Meaning: drooping Leah's handmaid, and the mother of Gad and Asher (Gen. 30:9-13).
Zimri Zimri may refer to: Either of two characters in the Bible:
Not to be confused with Zimri (king). Zimri was the Prince of the Tribe of Simeon during the time of the Israelites in the desert. At Shittim (Num. 25:6-15) he took part in the Heresy of Peor, taking as a paramour a Midianite woman, Cozbi. Zimri openly defied Moses before the people who were standing at the entrance of the Tabernacle by going in to the Midianite, but Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, killed them both by impaling them on a spear. According to a midrash, Zimri was the same person as Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. In Islam, Zimri appears under the name Samiri. Islam assigns to him also a major role in the earlier affair of the Golden Calf, which is not attested in the Bible. The Islamic account attributes to Zimri/Samiri many to the actions which the Bible assigns to Aharon - thus exonerating the latter, Islam's Propehet Harun, from involvement in the sinful worship of the Calf. According to The Revelations of Saint Bridget, after his death, Zimri's soul was condemned to hell (Book 7, Chapter 19).
The modern Phineas Priesthood believe the story of
Phinehas and Zimri provides divine mandate for the murder of race
traitors; although the previous rebuke of Miriam in Num. 12 for
criticising Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman confounds this reading. Zimri or Zambri was a king of Israel for seven days. William F. Albright has dated his reign to 876 BC, while E. R. Thiele offers the date 885 BC. His story is told in 1 Kings, Chapter 16. He was a commander who murdered king Elah at Tirzah, as Elah was drinking in the house of Arza, his steward. Zimri succeeded Elah as king. However, Zimri reigned only seven days, because the army elected Omri as king, and with their support laid siege to Tirzah. Finding his position untenable, Zimri set fire to the palace and perished. Omri became king only after four years of war with Tibni, another claimant to the throne of Israel.
\The name Zimri became a byword for a traitor who
murdered his master. When Jehu led a bloody military revolt to seize
the throne of Israel, killed both Jehoram king of Israel and Ahaziah
king of Judah, and entered the citadel of Jezreel to execute Queen
Jezebel, she greeted him with the words: "Is it peace, Zimri,
you murderer of your master?" (2 Kings 9:31). In John Dryden's
Absalom and Achitophel, the character of Zimri stands for the Duke of Buckingham. Reuel's daughter, who became the wife of Moses (Ex. 2:21).
As a result of the event recorded in Exodus 4:24-26,
she and her two sons, Gershom and Eliezer, when so far on the way
with Moses
toward Egypt, were sent back by him to her own kinsfolk, the
Midianites, with whom they sojourned till Moses
afterwards joined them (Ex
18:2-6). Ziusudra of Shuruppak is listed in the WB-62 Sumerian king list recension as the last king of Sumer prior to the deluge. He is subsequently recorded as the hero of the Sumerian flood epic. He is also mentioned in other ancient literature, including The Death of Gilgamesh and The Poem of Early Rulers, and a late version of The Instructions of Shuruppak refers to Ziusudra. Akkadian Atrahasis ("extremely wise") and Utnapishtim ("he found life"), as well as biblical Noah ("rest") are similar heroes of flood legends of the ancient Near East.
Although each version of the flood myth has
distinctive story elements, there are numerous story elements that
are common to two, three, or four versions. The earliest version of
the flood myth is preserved fragmentarily in the Eridu
Genesis, written in Sumerian cuneiform
and dating to the 17th century BC, during the 1st Dynasty of Babylon
when the language of writing and administration was still Sumerian.
Strong parallels are notable with other Near Eastern flood legends, such
as the biblical account of Noah. The name of two biblical men and a piece of literature . . . 1. The father of Ephron the Hittite (Gen. 23:8). 2. One of the sons of Simeon (Gen. 46:10; Ex. 6:15).
3. The Zohar, the
foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known
as Kabbalah
Zohar or Zerah was a son of Simeon according to
Genesis 46:10, Exodus 6:15, and Numbers 26:13. He was one of the 70
souls to migrate to Egypt with Jacob. The father of Ephron the Hittite (Gen. 23:8).
(Genesis 23:2) After awhile, he stood up and spoke to
the "sons of Heth" and requested they give him a possession
as a "burying place", and they offered him his
"choice" of their sepulchres. And then in verse 7 he again
"stood up" to speak to them. Abraham
then requested that Ephron the Hittite, the son of Zohar, give him
the cave of Machpelah, in the end of his field, "for as much
money as it is worth". Gen
23:8
There are three individuals named Zoram in the Book
of Mormon, indexed in the LDS edition as Zoram¹,
Zoram², and Zoram³.
Zoram¹ was the servant of Laban,
a wealthy inhabitant of Jerusalem.
According to First Nephi, Zoram led Nephi,
disguised as Laban, into Laban's treasury. Nephi, speaking "in
the voice of Laban" (1 Nephi 4:20)
commanded Zoram to take the brass plates
containing "a record of the Jews" (1
Nephi 3:3) to his brethren. Zoram, "supposing that [he]
spake of the brethren of the church" (1
Nephi 4:26) took the plates and carried them to where
Nephi's brothers were waiting. When he discovered the truth, Zoram
was frightened so Nephi promised to spare his life if Zoram swore
allegiance to them (1 Nephi 4:32),
and was permitted to accompany Nephi and his brethren.
Nephite military leader Preceded by Alma, son of Alma Succeeded by Captain Moroni Zoram² was a chief captain of the Nephite army, mentioned in only two verses in the Book of Mormon (Alma 16:5, 7). He sought the guidance of Alma, the high priest, in locating Nephites that had been captured by the Lamanites, his son Lehi joining him. He also won a victory over the Lamanites after crossing the river Sidon. (Alma 16:7) Zoram³ was a Nephite apostate, mentioned only briefly (Alma 30:59, Alma 31:1), but notable as the leader of the Zoramites, an apostate group. In reaction to the possibility of his people joining the Lamanites (Alma 31:4), Alma the younger led a missionary effort to bring back the people (Alma 31:5 - 7). Zoram was cited for leading the people to bow down to idols (Alma 31:1). Zoroaster (Latinized from Greek variants) also referred to as Zartosht, Zarathustra Zoroaster was an ancient Iranian prophet and religious poet. The hymns attributed to him, the Gathas, are at the liturgical core of Zoroastrianism. Persian religious leader, lived ca. 600 BC. founded Zoroastrianism, a religion whose central belief is the eternal struggle between Good and Evil, or Truth and Falsehood.
is a Biblical name and Biblical place:
[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z]
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