Zechariah | |
---|---|
Died | c. 6th century BCE |
Occupation | Prophet |
Known for | Author of the Book of Zechariah |
Father | Berechiah (likely) |
Zechariah[a][1] was a person in the Hebrew Bible traditionally considered the author of the Book of Zechariah, the eleventh of the Twelve Minor Prophets.
The Book of Zechariah introduces him as the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo.[2] The Book of Ezra names Zechariah as the son of Iddo,[3] but it is likely that Berechiah was Zechariah's father, and Iddo was his grandfather.[4] This is not the same person as Iddo the Seer, who lived during the reigns of King Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah[5] and is most likely the Iddo mentioned in Ezra 8:17.[6] His 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]
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[7] and, with the other Minor Prophets, on 31 July. The Roman Catholic Church honors him with a feast day assigned to 6 September.