ZADOK
Zadok and Abiathar were the two Levitical priests who became members of David’s royal court (2 Sam 8:17). At the time of Absalom’s rebellion, they helped David by remaining in Jerusalem to become spies on David’s behalf (2 Sam 15:24-37; 19:11). Later, however, in the palace conflict over David’s successor, Zadok supported Solomon, and Abiathar supported Adonijah. As a result Solomon promoted Zadok to chief priest and sent Abiathar into exile (1 Kings 1:5-8,43-45; 2:26,35). Since Zadok belonged to the line of chief priests that went back through Phinehas and Eleazar to Aaron (Ezra 7:2-5), his appointment to the high priesthood was in keeping with the plan and promise of God (Num 25:10-13). His descendants followed him as chief priests till the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC (2 Chron 31:10). Because they remained faithful to God throughout that period, they were designated the chief priests in the religious system that Ezekiel looked for in the rebuilt nation (Ezek 40:46; 44:15). History shows that after the reconstruction of Israel, descendants of Zadok continued to be the chief priests for several centuries. The Sadducees, who formed the priestly party that later became powerful in Israel, possibly took their name from Zadok (see SADDUCEES).
ZEALOT
In the opening years of the New Testament era, the Romans exercised their rule over Judea firstly through Herod the Great and then through Herod’s son, Archelaus. But in AD 6 the Romans replaced Archelaus with a governor sent out from Rome, and Judea for the first time came under direct Roman rule (cf. Matt 2:22). Since Rome could no longer collect Judea’s taxes through the Herods, it conducted a census of the province in preparation for collecting the taxes direct. A group of Jews, led by a man called Judas the Galilean, rebelled against this direct taxation, claiming that God’s people should not pay taxes to a pagan emperor.
Because of their zeal in trying to keep Israel free from pagan influence, they became known as Zealots (or Patriots). They formed a minor political party in Israel (Acts 5:37). One of the twelve apostles was possibly at some time a member of the Zealots (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). The Zealots maintained their opposition to Rome in spite of persecution and even the execution of some of their members. From time to time other anti-Roman extremists joined them. Among these was a group known as the Assassins, who hid daggers in their clothing and murdered any whom they suspected of being on the side of the Romans (Acts 21:38). In AD 66, bitter at the mismanagement of Jewish affairs by the corrupt governors of Judea, the Zealots led an open rebellion against Rome. The Jews were divided among themselves, with various extremists competing for leadership. Nevertheless, they held Jerusalem against the Romans for four years. During this time Rome had systematically conquered Galilee, Perea and Judea. Finally, in AD 70, they conquered Jerusalem, destroying the temple and most of the city. This marked the end of the national life of Israel.
ZEBULUN
The tribe of Zebulun was descended from the sixth son of Jacob and Leah (Gen 30:19-20). Jacob’s blessing of this tribe indicated it would inherit part of Canaan’s coastal region, but the territory it actually occupied was a few kilometres inland, in the hill country that rose from the coastal plain. Trade routes that passed through the region brought the tribe prosperity (Gen 49:13; Deut 33:18-19; Josh 19:10-16; for map see TRIBES). On occasions the men of Zebulun, along with those of neighbouring Naphtali, fought heroically for Israel (Judg 5:18; 6:35; 1 Chron 12:33-34,40). In New Testament times the territory that formerly belonged to Zebulun was part of Galilee and included within it the town of Nazareth. The glory of Zebulun was that from its territory came the Messiah, who brought God’s light into a dark world (Isa 9:1; Matt 4:12-16; see NAZARETH).
ZEDEKIAH
The most important of several biblical characters named Zedekiah was the man who became the last king of Judah. Others who bore the name Zedekiah were a prophet in the court of Ahab (1 Kings 2:11,24), an administrator in the government of Jehoiakim (Jer 36:12), a son of Jehoiakim (1 Chron 3:16) and a false prophet among the Jewish captives in Babylon (Jer 29:21-23). King of Judah Zedekiah the king was the third son of Josiah to sit upon the throne of Judah. He was known also as Mattaniah (2 Kings 23:30,34; 24:17). The king of Babylonian appointed him king after the former king and all Judah’s best people had been taken captive to Babylon (in 597 BC; 2 Kings 24:10-17). Little is known of the early part of Zedekiah’s reign, except that in his fourth year he paid a visit to Babylon (Jer 51:59). With all Jerusalem’s best administrators now captive in Babylon, Zedekiah’s government was immature and weak.
His officials encouraged him to seek help from Egypt and rebel against Babylon. Jeremiah, who had been bringing God’s message to Judah for more than thirty years, opposed this policy. He warned that it would lead only to the horrors of siege and destruction. He advised the people to submit to Babylon, and so at least soften the judgment that was to fall upon them (2 Kings 24:18-20; 2 Chron 36:11-14; Jer 27:1,12-15). Zedekiah, however, followed the advice of the pro-Egypt party and rebelled against Babylon. As a result he brought upon Jerusalem the besieging armies of Babylon (2 Kings 24:20b; 25:1; Jer 32:1-2). When he asked Jeremiah to pray that God would remove the Babylonians, Jeremiah replied that God would not remove them. The time of Jerusalem’s judgment had come. Jeremiah advised that it would be better to surrender and be taken captive to Babylon than to resist and die in the siege (Jer 21:1-10). He also warned Zedekiah of the judgment to fall on him personally (Jer 34:1-7). When Egypt came to Jerusalem’s aid, Babylon lifted the siege temporarily, but Jeremiah warned Zedekiah that Babylon would return and crush both Egypt and Judah (Jer 37:1-10).
Meanwhile in Babylon, Ezekiel likewise warned of the increased suffering that Zedekiah’s rebellion against Babylon would bring upon Jerusalem (Ezek 17:12-21). Back in Jerusalem, the pro-Egypt party accused Jeremiah of being a traitor and had him imprisoned. The weak Zedekiah easily gave in to Jeremiah’s opponents (Jer 37:15; 38:5-6), but then was just as easily persuaded by a friend of Jeremiah to change his mind (Jer 38:7-10). Zedekiah had secret meetings with Jeremiah in the hope of receiving better news, but Jeremiah merely repeated his former announcements (Jer 37:16-21; 38:14-28). After eighteen months of siege, the Babylonian army broke through the walls of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:1-4; Jer 39:1-3). Zedekiah tried to escape by night, but enemy soldiers quickly captured him. They then executed his sons in front of him, blinded him and took him in chains to Babylon, where later he died (2 Kings 25:4-7; Ezek 12:10-13; 21:25-27). Jerusalem was destroyed, its remaining people and treasures taken to Babylon, and the kingdom of Judah brought to an end (2 Kings 25:8-21; 587 BC).
ZERUBBABEL
When Persia conquered Babylon in 539 BC, the Persian king Cyrus released the captive Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem. The original leader of the Jews was Sheshbazzar (Ezra 1:8; 5:14), but his leadership was soon replaced by the joint leadership of the governor Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua (Ezra 2:2; Hag 1:1). (An alternative view is that Sheshbazzar was another name for Zerubbabel.)
Rebuilding the temple
The year after they arrived in Jerusalem, the Jews began rebuilding the temple. Within a short time they met opposition from the local non-Jewish people, with the result that they became discouraged and the work stopped (Ezra 4:24). For about sixteen years no work was done, though the people still had time and money to build costly houses for themselves. It seems that Zerubbabel was as much at fault as the common people in this. Only when Haggai and Zechariah began their stirring preaching in 520 BC did Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the people get to work again (Ezra 5:1-2; Hag 1:1-6,14-15). Much of Haggai and Zechariah’s preaching was designed to challenge and encourage Zerubbabel and Joshua (Hag 2:4). Zerubbabel, having control of the work, was told that through God’s power he would overcome the mountain of obstacles he faced. As his hands had begun the work on the temple, so his hands would finish it (Zech 4:6-10). The promise was fulfilled four and a half years after the prophets began their preaching (Ezra 6:15).
Ancestor of the Messiah
Zerubbabel was a direct descendant of David in the line of kings that had reigned in Jerusalem before its destruction by Babylon (Matt 1:6-12). He was entitled to the throne of Israel, but since Israel was still under Persian rule, he could be no more than governor. When the Israelites held a symbolic coronation ceremony during the rebuilding of the temple, they were careful to avoid any suggestion of treason. They therefore placed the crown on Joshua instead of on Zerubbabel; but the words used in the ceremony referred to Zerubbabel. As a descendant of David, Zerubbabel was like a new ‘branch’ springing from the ‘tree’ of David’s dynasty, a ‘tree’ that Babylon had earlier ‘cut down’ (Zech 6:11-13; cf. Isa 11:1). ‘The Branch’ was a name that Israelites used of the great descendant of David who would come as their Messiah (Isa 4:2; 11:1; Jer 23:5; 33:15). The name was freely applied to Zerubbabel because, as leader of the rebuilt nation, he was part of the fulfilment of the promise given to David. Through him the Messiah would come (Hag 2:21-23; Zech 3:8-10; Matt 1:6,12,16; cf. 2 Sam 7:16).
ZIN
Much of southern Palestine was a dry region known as the Negeb. Within this region lay the barren Wilderness of Zin. It lay south-west of the Dead Sea, between the Dead Sea and Kadesh-barnea (Num 20:1-2; 27:14; 33:36; 34:3-5). (For map and other details see PALESTINE, sub-heading ‘Negeb’.)
ZION
Mount Zion was the name given to that hill section of Jerusalem that lay inside the city wall along the eastern side. A Canaanite fortress on the southern part of this hill had enabled the inhabitants of Jerusalem to withstand enemy attacks for centuries. When David conquered the city he determined to build a temple for God on Zion, though the site chosen was to the north rather than the south (2 Sam 5:6-9; 24:18-25; 2 Chron 3:1; Ps 78:68-69; Isa 8:18; for map see JERUSALEM). The temple was built during the reign of David’s son, Solomon (1 Chron 22:8-10).
Since the temple was God’s symbolic dwelling place, Israelites regarded Zion as a holy hill and Jerusalem as a holy city (Ps 2:6; 9:11; Isa 52:1). They often used the name Zion figuratively to refer to both the temple and the city (2 Kings 19:31; Ps 9:14; 51:18; 87:1-3; Matt 21:5; see JERUSALEM; TEMPLE). Because of the people’s wickedness and idolatry, Jerusalem, far from being a holy city, was a sinful city (Isa 1:21; 10:11; Micah 3:10). Nevertheless, Zion was the location of God’s symbolic dwelling place, and psalmists and prophets mentioned it repeatedly. To them it spoke of God and his salvation of Israel (Ps 20:1-2; 53:6; Isa 28:16; Micah 4:2,7; cf. Rom 11:26). New Testament writers used Zion as a symbol of a far greater salvation, a salvation that is not limited to one city, one nation, one people or one era. To them it spoke of the heavenly Jerusalem, whose citizens are those ‘born from above’ (Heb 12:22-24; Gal 3:26-29; 4:26-28; Rev 3:12; 21:1-4).
ZOAN
The city of Zoan was one of Egypt’s great cities (Ezek 30:14). It was located in the Nile Delta (Ps 78:12), was very old (Num 13:22), and for several hundred years was Egypt’s capital (Isa 19:11). It was probably the city earlier known as Rameses (see EGYPT; RAMESES).