According to theGospel of Luke, during the reign of kingHerod, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the course ofAbia, whose wifeElizabeth was also of the priestly family ofAaron. Theevangelist 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 Elizabeth was "barren", and they were both "well advanced in years" (Luke 1:5–7).
The duties at thetemple in Jerusalem alternated between each of the family lines that had descended fromthose appointed by KingDavid (1 Chronicles 24:1–19).[4] Luke states that during the week when it was the duty of Zechariah's family line to serve at "the temple of the Lord", the lot for performing the incense offering had fallen to Zechariah (Luke 1:8–11).
The Gospel of Luke states that while Zechariah ministered at thealtar of incense, an angel of the Lord appeared and announced to him that his wife would give birth to a son, whom he was to name John, and that this son would be the forerunner of the Lord (Luke 1:12–17). Citing their advanced age, Zechariah asked with disbelief for a sign whereby he would know the truth of this prophecy. In reply, the angel identified himself asGabriel, sent especially by God to make this announcement, and added that because of Zechariah's doubt he would be struck dumb and "not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed". Consequently, when he went out to the waiting worshippers in the temple's outer courts, he was unable to speak the customary blessing (Luke 1:18–22). The time this occurred, according to theologian Adam C. English, "is September 24, based on computations from the Jewish calendar in accordance with Leviticus 23 regarding theDay of Atonement."[5]
After returning to his house in "Hebron, in the hillcountry of Judah",[6] his wife Elizabeth conceived. After Elizabeth completed her fifth month of pregnancy, her relativeMary was visited by the same angel, Gabriel. While still a virgin, Gabriel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.'" Joseph, to whom Mary was betrothed, found out that she was pregnant, was at first perplexed at the obviously disturbing news. Because he "was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.' Matthew 24: When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife."
Mary then traveled to visit her relative Elizabeth, having been told by the angel that Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy. Mary remained about three months before she returned to her own house (Luke 1:23–45;56).
Elizabeth gave birth, and on the eighth day, when their son was to becircumcised according to the commandment, her neighbours and relatives assumed that he was to be named after his father. Elizabeth, however, insisted that his name was to be John; so the family then questioned her husband. As soon as Zechariah had written on a writing table: "His name is John", he regained the power of speech, and blessed "the Lord God of Israel" with aprophecy known as theBenedictus or "Song of Zechariah" (Luke 1:57–79).
The child grew up and "waxed strong in spirit", but remained in the deserts of Judæa until he assumed the ministry that was to earn him the name "John the Baptist" (Luke 1:80;3:2–3;Matthew 3:1).
Origen suggested that the Zechariah mentioned inMatthew 23:35 as having been killed between the temple and the altar may be the father of John the Baptist.[7]
The martyrdom of Zachariah in theTemple during theMassacre of the Innocents; and theFlight of Elizabeth, as depicted in aminiature from theParis Gregory, a 9th-century manuscript codex
TheGospel of James, a 2nd-centuryapocryphal work, recounts that, at the time of themassacre of the Innocents, when KingHerod ordered the slaughter of all males under the age of two in an attempt to prevent the prophesied Messiah from coming to Israel, Zechariah refused to divulge the whereabouts of his son (who was in hiding), and he was therefore murdered by Herod's soldiers. This account is also present in subsequent Eastern Orthodox tradition.
The Catholic Church commemorates him as asaint, along with Elizabeth, on September 23[2] as it is believed that his temple duty before John the Baptist's conception took place on the Day of Atonement. He is also venerated as a prophet in theCalendar of Saints of theLutheran Church on 5 September. TheArmenian Apostolic Church venerates him on September 5th as well,[8] along with his wife Elizabeth. TheEastern Orthodox Church also celebrates thefeast day of Zechariahon September 5, together withElizabeth, who is considered a matriarch. Zechariah and Elizabeth are invoked in several prayers during the OrthodoxMysteryof Crowning (Sacrament of Marriage), as the priest blesses the newly married couple, saying "Thou who didst... accept Zechariah and Elizabeth, and didst make their offspring theForerunner..." and "...bless them, O Lord our God, as Thou didst Zechariah and Elizabeth...". In theGreek Orthodox calendar, Zechariah and Elizabeth are also commemorated on June 24.
His relics uncovering is commemorated byGreek Orthodox Church on 11 February, and on 1 December occurs commemoration of his,James andSimeon relics translation in 351, and 25 May is commemoration of their relics discover also in 351.[10]
In 2003, a 4th-century inscription on the so-calledTomb of Absalom, a 1st-century monument in Jerusalem, was deciphered as, "This is the tomb of Zachariah, the martyr, the holy priest, the father of John." This suggests to some scholars that it is the burial place of Zechariah the father of John the Baptist. Professor Gideon Foerster at theHebrew University states that the inscription tallies with a 6th-century Christian text by a pilgrim named Theodosius which states that Zechariah was buried with Simon the Elder andJames the brother of Jesus, and believes that both are authentic.[11][12] Zias and Puech suggest the inscription may refer to another 'Zekariah' mentioned byJosephus and theTalmud who was martyred in the time of Vespasian. They also suggest the inscription casts doubt on the tomb being Absalom's. Although it was referred to as such in the 1st century, Absalom had lived centuries earlier.[13]
Zakaria sawn in half afterIblis revealed the lappet of his garments peaking out from his hiding place.
Zechariah is also aprophet in Islam, and is mentioned in theQur'an as the father ofYaḥyā (John the Baptist). Zechariah is also believed by some Muslims to have been amartyr. An old tradition narrates that Zechariah was sawn in half,[14] in a death which resembles that attributed toIsaiah inLives of the Prophets.
Unificationist theologian Young Oon Kim wrote, and some members of the Unification movement believe, that Zechariah was the father of Jesus, based on the work ofLeslie Weatherhead, an English Christian theologian in theliberal Protestant tradition.[15][16][17]
^Abdullah Yusuf Ali,The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary, Note.905: "The third group consists not of men of action, but Preachers of Truth, who led solitary lives. Their epithet is: "the Righteous". They form a connected group round Jesus. Zachariah was the father of John the Baptist, who is referenced as "Elias, which was for to come" (Matt 11:14); and John the Baptist is said to have been present and talked to Jesus at the Transfiguration on the Mount (Matt. 17:3)."
^THE Dedication (Jesus' birth) "The priests serve 4 weeks per year: 1 week twice a year in courses, and the two week-long feasts, unleavened bread and tabernacles. Pentecost is a one-day observance, which would have come before Zacharias' (the 8th) course began, or at the latest, the 1st day of his course, which was from 12 thru 18 Sivan, or noon on the 19th, if Josephus is correct that courses changed at noon on the sabbaths." Josephus Antiquities b.7 ch.14 s.7 "eight days, from sabbath to sabbath." Josephus against Apion b.2 sect.8 "mid-day".
^English, Adam C. (October 14, 2016).Christmas: Theological Anticipations.Wipf and Stock Publishers. pp. 70–71.ISBN978-1-4982-3933-2.First, we should examine the biblical evidence regardingthe timing of the conception.[...] The angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, husband of Elizabeth and father of John the Baptizer, on the day he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense (Luke 1:9) Zechariah belonged to the tribe of Levi, the one tribe especially selected by the Lord to serve as priests. Not restricted to any one tribal territory, the Levite priests dispersed throughout the land of Israel. Nevertheless, many chose to live near Jerusalem in order to fulfill duties in the Temple, just like Zechariah who resided at nearby Ein Karem. Lots were cast regularly to decide any number of priestly duties: preparing the altar, making the sacrifice, cleaning the ashes, burning the morning or evening incense. Yet, given the drama of the event, it would seem that he entered the Temple sanctuary on the highest and holiest day of the year, the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. There, beside the altar of the Lord, a radiant angel gave news of the child to be born to Elizabeth. The date reckoned for this occurrence is September 24, based on computations from the Jewish calendar in accordance with Leviticus 23 regarding the Day of Atonement. According to Luke 1:26, Gabriel's annunciation to Mary took place in the "sixth month" of Elizabeth's pregnancy. That is, Mary conceives six months after Elizabeth. Luke repeats the uniqueness of the timing in verse 36. Counting six months from September 24 we arrive at March 25, the most likely date for the annunciation and conception of Mary. Nine months hence takes us to December 25, which turns out to be a surprisingly reasonable date for the birthday.[...] In Palestine, the months of November mark the rainy season, the only time of the year sheep might find fresh green grass to graze. During the other ten months of the year, animals must content themselves on dry straw. So, the suggestion that shepherds might have stayed out in the fields with their flocks in late December, at the peak of the rainy season, is not only reasonable, it is most certain.
^Weatherhead, Leslie D. (1965).The Christian Agnostic. England: Hodder and Stoughton. pp. 59–63. Archived fromthe original on April 6, 2016. RetrievedFebruary 8, 2021.
^Another Gospel: Cults, Alternative Religions, and the New Age Movement by Ruth A. Tucker 1989ISBN0-310-25937-1 pp. 250–251
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