ZERUBBABEL
(Hebrew transcription of the ac. “zerû Bãbili”, “offspring of Babylon”). Son of Pedaiah, he possessed the right to the throne of Judah (1 Chron. 3:17-19).
The other texts call him son of Salatiel (or Shealtiel). Shealtiel was the brother of Pedaiah (Ezra 3:2, 8; Neh. 12:1; Hag. 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2, 23; Mt. 1:12, 13; Luke 3:27) .
Salatiel left no children. There are two alternatives: (a) his nephew, legal heir, became called the son of Shealtiel (Ex. 2:10).
(b) Pedaiah married the widow of Shealtiel; The first born of this union would be considered the child of the deceased, based on the Law (Deut. 25:510; see MARRIAGE, f).
After the conquest of Babylon, Cyrus authorized the Jews to return to his country, and appointed Zerubbabel as governor of the colony.
This prince of Judah was then called Sheshbazzar, a name which had undoubtedly been given to him by the Babylonians. It is possible that he used it when he represented Cyrus (Ezra 1:8, 11; 5:14).
Led by Zerubbabel, the high priest Joshua, and other princes (Ezra 2:164; Neh. 7:5-7; 12:1-9), the Jews arrived in Jerusalem in 538 B.C. Joshua, the religious leader, and Zerubbabel, the political leader, erected the altar to Jehovah on its old base, and reestablished the cult (Ezra 3:1-9). Sheshbazzar, governor delegated by Cyrus, laid the foundation
of the Temple (Ezra 1:2; 5:16; 3:6, 10-13). The opponents of the Jews turned to the successive kings of Persia and managed to stop the works until the year 520 BC. (second year of Darius Hystaspes) (Esd. 4).
In this year, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah exhorted Joshua and Zerubbabel, governor under Darius, to resume the rebuilding of the Temple, which was completed in the early spring of 515 BC. (Ezra 6:14, 15; Hag. 1 and 2; Zech. 4).
This Temple was often called the Temple of Zerubbabel. This prince ruled Judah until at least 515 BC. Zerubbabel was a representative of the Davidic line (Hag. 2:20-23) and is listed among the direct ancestors of Christ (Mt. 1:12, 13; Luke 3:27).