Smith's Bible Dictionary.pdf - Online Christian Library

Smith's Bible Dictionary
in the history of the Jews. On no other occasion did an Israelite army meet an army of one of the
great powers and defeat it.
Zerahiah
(Jehovah has risen).
•A priest, son of Uzzi and ancestor of Ezra the scribe. (1 Chronicles 6:6,51; Ezra 7:4)
•Father of Elihoenai of the sons of Pahath-moab, whose descendants returned from the captivity
with Ezra. (Ezra 8:4)
Zered
(osier brook), (2:13,14) or Za’red, (Numbers 21:12) a brook or valley running into the Dead
Sea near its southeast corner, which Dr. Robinson with some probability suggests as identical with
the Wady el-Ahsy . It lay between Moab and Edom and is the limit of the proper term of the
Israelites’ wandering. (2:14)
Zereda
(the fortress) the native place of Jeroboam. (1 Kings 11:26) Zereda or Zeredah has been supposed
to be identical with Zeredathah and Zarthan or Zartanah; but the last two were in the valley of the
Jordan, while Zeredah was, according to the repeated statement of the LXX., on Mount Ephraim.
Zeredathah
[Zaretan, Or Zarthan, Zarthan]
Zererath
[Zaretan, Or Zarthan, Zarthan]
Zeresh
(gold), the wife of Haman the Agagite. (Esther 5:10,14; 6:13) (B.C. 475.)
Zereth
(splendor), son of Ashur, the founder of Tekoa, by his wife Helah. (1 Chronicles 4:7) (B.C.
1440.)
Zeri
(built), one of the sons of Jeduthun in the reign of David. (1 Chronicles 25:3) (B.C. 1043.)
Zeror
(a bundle), a Benjamite, ancestor of Kish the father of Saul. (1 Samuel 9:1) (B.C. about 1730.)
Zeruah
(full breasted), the mother of Jeroboam the son of Nebat. (1 Kings 11:26) (B.C. 973.)
Zerubbabel
(born at Babel, i.e. Babylon), the head of the tribe of Judah at the time of the return from the
Babylonish captivity in the first year of Cyrus. The history of Zerabbabel in the Scriptures is as
follows: In the first year of Cyrus he was living at Babylon, and was the recognized prince of Judah
in the captivity,—what in later times was called “the prince of the captivity,” or “the prince.” On
the issuing of Cyrus’ decree he immediately availed himself of it, and placed himself at the head
of those of his countrymen “whose spirit God had raised to go up to build the house of the Lord
which is in Jerusalem.” It is probable that he was in the king of Babylon’s service, both from his
having, like Daniel and the three children, received a Chaldee name, Sheshbazzar, and from the
fact that he was appointed by the Persian king to the office of governor of Judea. On arriving at
Jerusalem, Zerubbabel’s great work, which he set about immediately, was the rebuilding of the
temple. In the second month of the second year of the return the foundation was laid with all the
pomp which could be commanded. The efforts of the Samaritans were successful in putting a stop
824
William Smith