GOVERNOR OF JUDAH · EXILE & RETURN

Zerubbabel. Led the first return and rebuilt the house of the LORD.

GOVERNEDi

Not given c. 538–515 BC (dates vary)

SEAT

Jerusalem

HOUSE

House of David (1 Chr 3:19; Matt 1:12) 3rd of 9 in Persia

SCRIPTURE SAYS

“The LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah", and the people came…”

PROPHETS

Haggai · Zechariah

PERSIA: 9 RULERS CYRUS → NEHEMIAH

AUTHORITY

Under whose authority

SUCCESSION

Before and after

WHAT SCRIPTURE SAYS

What Scripture says of him

  • "The LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah", and the people came and worked on the house. Haggai 1:14
  • "Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD." Haggai 2:4
  • "In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee" Haggai 2:23
  • "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts"; "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6 Zechariah 4:9

THE KINGDOM

Jerusalem and the places of the reign

Persia · tribe of Judah. Only places Scripture names are shown, each where the Atlas puts it.

EVENTS

Wars, works and turning points

Each mark sits at the year of the reign the Bible gives for it.

UNDATED IN SCRIPTURE

THE NATION

What the nation did

  • Under him and Jeshua the altar was set up, the foundation laid, and the house finished. Ezra 3:2 Ezra 3:8–10 Ezra 6:15

PROPHETS

Prophets of the reign

  • Ha Haggai “will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet”
  • Ze Zechariah “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts”

ON THE WORLD STAGE

The powers of the day

PERSIA

Darius · Cyrus

BEYOND THE RIVER (A PERSIAN PROVINCE)

Tatnai

TWO ACCOUNTS

Where the accounts differ

His father

EZRA · HAGGAI · MATTHEW

1 CHRONICLES

Who laid the foundation

EZRA · ZECHARIAH

EZRA

The list of those who returned

EZRA

NEHEMIAH

DATES DIFFER

When was it?

SCRIPTURE'S NUMBERS

No years given

He is named from the first return under Cyrus to the work of Darius's second year; Scripture gives no term of office.

FROM THE RETURN (538 BC OR SOON AFTER) TO THE TEMPLE'S COMPLETION (515 BC), ON PARKER AND DUBBERSTEIN'S TABLES

c. 538–515 BC[3]

These are the bounds of the events Scripture names: Cyrus's first year at Babylon began in 538, and Darius's sixth year ended early in 515. Zerubbabel is not named at the completion itself.

KEIL (1872): THE RETURN IN 536 BC

c. 536–515 BC[28][3]

Keil dates Cyrus's first year, and so the return, to 536; the end-point is Parker and Dubberstein's.

Yes: Sheshbazzar was Zerubbabel's Babylonian name

C. F. Keil (1873); H. E. Ryle (1893)

Sheshbazzar is the governor Cyrus appointed, who led the return and laid the foundation (Ezra 1:11; 5:14–16), the work Ezra 3 and Zechariah give to Zerubbabel. Keil compares the Babylonian names given to Daniel and his friends. Ezra 1:8 Ezra 5:14–16 Ezra 3:8 [29][33]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 12

1 Chronicles 3 Ezra 2 Ezra 3 Ezra 4 Ezra 5 Ezra 6 Nehemiah 7 Nehemiah 12 Haggai 1 Haggai 2 Zechariah 4 Matthew 1

PASSAGES · 12

1 Chronicles 3:17–19 Ezra 2:1–2 Ezra 3:1–13 Ezra 4:1–5 Ezra 4:24–5:17 Ezra 6:1–22 Nehemiah 7:7 Nehemiah 12:1 Nehemiah 12:47 Haggai 1:1–2:23 Zechariah 4:6–10 Matthew 1:12–13

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture does not say when Zerubbabel's governorship began or ended, or how he died.
  • Ezra does not name him at the temple's completion and dedication (Ezra 6:14–18).
  • Scripture does not say whether he was the unnamed "Tirshatha" of Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65, 70.

IDENTIFICATIONS THIS PAGE RELIES ON

  • From the textEzra, Nehemiah and Haggai call him "the son of Shealtiel"; 1 Chronicles lists him among "the sons of Pedaiah"; Matthew has "Salathiel begat Zorobabel". Ezra 3:2 Nehemiah 12:1 Haggai 1:1 1 Chronicles 3:19 Matthew 1:12
  • From the textLuke's genealogy also names "Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel"; the site keeps that verse on a separate person record. Luke 3:27
  • From the textThe site's record for him also holds Sheshbazzar's verses, following one view; this page shows that question as views, below. Ezra 1:8 Ezra 5:14

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

  • R. W. Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament (1912), pp. 380–384 (the Cylinder of Cyrus, lines 12–35).
  • R. F. Harper (ed.), Assyrian and Babylonian Literature: Selected Translations (1901), pp. 168–171 ("The Annals of Nabonidus").
  • R. A. Parker and W. H. Dubberstein, Babylonian Chronology 626 B.C.–A.D. 45 (Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 24; dates cited as facts only) (1942), pp. 11–15 (kings' reigns) and the tables of years.
  • L. W. King and R. C. Thompson, The Sculptures and Inscription of Darius the Great on the Rock of Behistûn in Persia (1907), Persian text, §§ I–IV and X–XIII, pp. 1–13.
  • A. Cowley, Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C. (1923), No. 6, pp. 15–16 (introduction and translation).
  • A. Cowley, Aramaic Papyri of the Fifth Century B.C. (1923), No. 30, pp. 108–114 (introduction and translation).
  • Herodotus, tr. G. C. Macaulay, The History of Herodotus, vol. 1 (1890), Book I §§191, 214.
  • Herodotus, tr. G. C. Macaulay, The History of Herodotus, vol. 1 (1890), Book III §88.
  • Herodotus, tr. G. C. Macaulay, The History of Herodotus, vol. 2 (1890), Book VII §§4, 61, 114; Book IX §§109–112.
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Darius", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections (1)–(3).
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Ahasuerus", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections 1, 2 and 4.
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Artaxerxes", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections (1)–(3).
  • T. G. Pinches, "Cyrus", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections 9, 10, 12 and 14.
  • Burton Scott Easton, "Xerxes", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915).
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Zerubbabel", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections 1, 3 and 4.
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Tirshatha", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915).
  • R. Dick Wilson, "Nehemiah", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), sections 3 and 5.
  • James Crichton, "Gedaliah", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), (1), sections 2–3.
  • John Urquhart, "Vashti", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915).
  • John Urquhart, "Esther", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915).
  • George L. Robinson, "Isaiah", International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (1915), the sections on chapters 40–66 and on the critical view.
  • Gerson B. Levi, Kaufmann Kohler and George A. Barton, "Ahasuerus", Jewish Encyclopedia vol. 1 (1901), biblical data and critical view.
  • Emil G. Hirsch and Isaac Broydé, "Ezra the Scribe", Jewish Encyclopedia vol. 5 (1903).
  • Joseph Jacobs, M. Seligsohn, Morris Jastrow Jr. and D. S. Margoliouth, "Ezra, Book of", Jewish Encyclopedia vol. 5 (1903).
  • James Ussher, The Annals of the World (English translation of the Annales) (1658), The sixth Age of the World, pp. 108–112 and 118 (read from the page scans, leaves 59–64).
  • L. McFall, "A Translation Guide to the Chronological Data in Kings and Chronicles", Bibliotheca Sacra 148 (facts only) (1991), numbered texts 1–68; page numbers of the author's PDF.
  • W. F. Albright, "The Chronology of the Divided Monarchy of Israel", Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 100 (facts only) (1945), Chronological table, pp. 20–22.
  • C. F. Keil, tr. M. G. Easton, Biblical Commentary on the Book of Daniel (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on Dan 9:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. S. Taylor, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Keil and Delitzsch) (1873), note on Ezra 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. S. Taylor, The Books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther (Keil and Delitzsch) (1873), note on Ezra 6:14 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. A. Harper, The Books of the Chronicles (Keil and Delitzsch) (1872), note on 1 Chr 3:17–19 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. F. Keil, tr. D. Patrick, The Prophecies of Jeremiah (Keil and Delitzsch) (1880), note on Jer 41:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. E. Ryle, The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1893), note on Ezra 1:8 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. E. Ryle, The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1893), note on Neh 2:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • C. J. Ellicott (ed.), Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers: 1 Chronicles (c. 1878–1884), note on 1 Chr 3:19 (read on Bible Hub).
  • S. R. Driver, The Book of Daniel (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1900), note on Dan 5:31 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), Pulpit Commentary: Daniel (1880–1897), note on Dan 6:28 and the "Excursus on Darius the Mede" (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), Pulpit Commentary: Esther (1880–1897), note on Esth 2:6 (read on Bible Hub).
  • A. W. Streane, The Book of Esther (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1907), note on Esth 2:6 (read on Bible Hub).
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1748–1763), note on Esth 2:6 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), Pulpit Commentary: Jeremiah (1880–1897), note on Jer 41:1, reporting H. Graetz (read on Bible Hub).
  • A. W. Streane, The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges) (1881), note on Jer 41:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818), note on Jer 41:1 (read on Bible Hub).
  • H. D. M. Spence and J. S. Exell (eds.), Pulpit Commentary: Isaiah (1880–1897), note on Isa 44:28 (read on Bible Hub).

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