Zrubavel (Hebrew: זְרֻבָּבֶל, Zərubbāvel; traditional English: Zerubbabel; Greek: ζοροβαβελ, Zŏrobabel) was 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 (Ezra). Zerubbabel is also noted for laying the foundation of the Second Temple in Jerusalem the next year. Outside these important events, little else is known about him. Hebrew redirects here. ... Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin, Joachin, and Coniah) was king of Judah. ... Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malḫut YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ YÉ™hûḏāh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah... Main article: Jew Jewish religion Etymology of Jew  · Who is a Jew? Jewish leadership  · Jewish culture Jewish ethnic divisions Ashkenazi (German and E. Europe) Mizrahi (Arab and Oriental) Sephardi (Iberian) Temani (Yemenite)  · Beta Israel Jewish populations Germany  · France  · Latin America Britain  · Famous Jews by country Jewish languages Hebrew: (Biblical / Modern... Cyrus the Great (Old Persian: KuruÅ¡,[1] modern Persian: کوروش - KuruÅ¡; ca. ... The Book of Ezra is a book of the Bible in the Old Testament and Hebrew Tanakh. ... Drawing of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the time of Herod the Great A stone (2. ...

If the name Zerubbabel is Hebrew, it likely contracts, Zərua‘ Bāvel (Hebrew: זְרוּעַ בָּבֶל), meaning "the one sown of Babylon", and referring to a child conceived and born in Babylon; or perhaps even, Zərûy Bāvel (Hebrew: זְרוּי בָּבֶל), 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, Zəru Bābel, meaning, "Seed of Babylon", the one conceived in Babylon. (Contrast the related Hebrew form for "Seed": Hebrew: זֶרַע, Zera‘.) Hebrew redirects here. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Hebrew redirects here. ...

Zrubavel in the Hebrew Bible

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 Shealtiel and his brother 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. 11th century manuscript of the Hebrew Bible with Targum This article discusses usage of the term Hebrew Bible. For the article on the Hebrew Bible itself, see Tanakh. ... Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin, Joachin, and Coniah) was king of Judah. ... Nebuchadnezzar (or Nebudchadrezzar) II (ca. ... Babylon was a city in Mesopotamia, the ruins of which can be found in present-day Babil Province, Iraq, about 50 miles south of Baghdad. ... Zedekiah or Tzidkiyáhu (צִדְקִיָּהוּ Righteous of/is the LORD, Standard Hebrew Ẓidqiyyáhu, Tiberian Hebrew Ṣiḏqiyyāhû; BoM Arabic صدقيا Ṣidqiyyā) was the last king of Judah. ... Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malḫut Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ Yəhûḏāh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah...

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, Haggai 1:1,12,14). Surprisingly, one text makes Zerubbabel a nephew of Shealtiel (1 Chronicles 3:17-19): King Jeconiah is the father of Shealtiel and Pedaiah, then Pediah is the father of Zerubbabel.

Various methods have been holden to suggest 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. Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ...

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: בית, bet). The Hebrew term "father" (Hebrew: אב, 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. Hebrew redirects here. ... Hebrew redirects here. ...

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, Zerubabbel as a legal son would have inherited Shealtiel's household and become its new "father" with authority of 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)).^[1] 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 Zerubabbel'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 Highpriest Jeshua's title, "son of Jozadak", that emphasizes Jeshua's rightful claim to the dynasty of highpriests, 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. Aaron (אַהֲרֹן, a word meaning bearer of martyrs in Hebrew(perhaps also, or instead, related to the Egyptian Aha Rw, Warrior Lion), Standard Hebrew Aharon, Tiberian Hebrew ), was one of two brothers who play a unique part in the history of the Hebrew people. ...

Sheshbazar?

Whether the identity of Zerubbabel with Sheshbazzar, "the prince of Judah" and leader of the first great band of exiles returning to Jerusalem is correct is discussed in the Jewish Encyclopedia.

Zrubavel in other texts

He achieved legendary status in Post-Exilic times, mentioned in Ecclesiasticus of Sirach (49:11) among the famous men of Israel. The Wisdom of Ben Sirach, (or The Wisdom of Joshua Ben Sirach or merely Sirach), called Ecclesiasticus by Christians, is a book written circa 180 BCE in Hebrew. ... The Wisdom of Ben Sirach, (or The Wisdom of Joshua Ben Sirach or merely Sirach), called Ecclesiasticus by Christians, is a book written circa 180 BCE in Hebrew. ...

Zrubavel in the New Testament

In the New Testament, Zerubbabel is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew's version of the Genealogy of Jesus, as "Zorobabel"); he is alternately said to be the son of Shealtiel (or Salathiel), according to Matthew. John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... Lukes genealogy of Jesus, from the Book of Kells transcribed by Celtic monks circa 800 The genealogy of Jesus through either one or both of his earthly parents (Mary and Joseph) is given by two passages from the Gospels, Matthew 1:2–16 and Luke 3:23–38. ... Shealtiel (Hebrew: , Shə’altî’ēl) or Greek-derived variant Salathiel (Greek: σαλαθιηλ, Salăthiēl) is a significant but problematic member in the genealogies of the kings of Yehuda (Judah), all of who belong to the Davidic Dynasty being the descendents of King David through his son King Solomon. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

External links

• Easton's Bible Dictionary: Zerubbabel
• Jewish Encyclopedia: Zerubbabel
• Loeb Family Tree: Zerubbabel
• Zerubbabel As A Potential Messiah