Zacchaeus | |
|---|---|
 The Tax Collector and Bishop of Caesarea | |
| Bishop ofCaesarea | |
| Hometown | Jericho |
| Residence | Caesarea |
| Died | 1st or 2nd century Caesarea |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church Orthodox Church |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Feast | 20 April |
| Attributes | Bearded man holding asycamore branch |
Zacchaeus (sometimes spelledZaccheus;Ancient Greek:Ζακχαῖος,Zakchaîos;Classical Syriac:ܙܰܟ݁ܰܝ,romanized: Zakay, "pure, innocent")[1] is a character in theGospel of Luke, a chieftax-collector atJericho. His story includes his faith in climbing asycamore tree to seeJesus and also his generosity in giving away half of all he possessed.[2]
Tax collectors were despised as traitors (working for theRoman Empire, not for their Jewish community), and as beingcorrupt.
Because the lucrative production and export ofbalsam was centered in Jericho, such a position would have brought both importance and wealth.[3][4] In the account, he arrived before the crowd who were later to meet withJesus, who was passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. He was short in stature and so was unable to see Jesus through the crowd (Luke 19:3). Zacchaeus then ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree along Jesus's path. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up at the sycamore tree (actually a sycamore-figFicus sycomorus[5]), addressed Zacchaeus by name, and told him to come down, for he intended to visit his house. The crowd was shocked that Jesus, a religious teacher and prophet, would sully himself by being a guest of a sinner.
At Er-riha (Jericho) there is a large, venerable looking square tower, which by tradition is named the House of Zacchaeus.[citation needed][dubious –discuss]
Clement of Alexandria refers once to Zacchaeus in a way which could be read as suggesting that some identified him with apostleMatthew orMatthias.[6] However, Luke indicates that Matthias was with Jesus in the beginning since the baptism of John (Acts 1:21–22).Because John preached the giving away of one's excess possessions in Luke 3:7–14, this could explain the generosity of Little Zacchaeus. John also told us that later, many of Jesus' disciples turned back and no longer followed him (John 6:60–66). The laterApostolic Constitutions identify "Zacchaeus the Publican" as the first bishop ofCaesarea (7.46).
Medieval legend identified Zacchaeus withSaint Amadour, and held him to be the founder of the French sanctuary,Rocamadour.
InEastern Orthodox andGreek-Catholic Churches, the Gospel account of Zacchaeus is read on the penultimate Sunday of thePre-Lenten Season preceding the startGreat Lent, for which reason that Sunday is known as "Zacchaeus Sunday". It is the first commemoration of a newPaschal cycle. The account was chosen to open the Lenten season because of twoexegetical aspects: Jesus's call to Zacchaeus to come down from the tree (symbolizing the divine call to humility), and Zacchaeus's subsequent repentance. On years when Pascha, and hence Lent, falls very early the Sunday of the Canaanite woman is dropped and the Sunday of Zaccheaus falls immediately before Great Lent. However in some Eastern churches of the Greek tradition, Zacchaeus Sunday is instead dropped and does not form part of the Lental cycle for that year. In the Russian tradition, Zacchaeus Sunday always immediately precedes Great Lent having exchanged places with the Sunday of the Canaanite Woman.
In Western Christianity, the gospel pericope concerning Zacchaeus is the reading for aDedication of a Church or its anniversary. In SouthernBavaria, a red banner with a white cross may be flown outside a Church on itsanniversary, which is consequently called the Zacchaeus flag.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Zacchaeus".Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.
Media related toZacchaeus at Wikimedia Commons| Preceded by none | Bishop of Caesarea ? | Succeeded by Cornelius (possiblyCornelius the Centurion) |
