ZERUBBABEL (ze-rtib'ba-bel), (Heb. zer-oob-baw-bel', sown in Babylon).
(1) Name. He is called also `Sheshbazzar, prince of Judah' (Ezra i :8). He was the sun (comp. I Chron. iii:i7) of Shealtiel (Ezra 8; v:2; Neh. xii :1 ; Hag. 12, 14; ii:2; Matt. i :12; Luke iii :27) of the royal house of David (7 Chron. iii:zo), and was the leader of the first colony of Jews that returned from captivity to their native land.
(2) Returns from Babylon. Cyrus committed to his care the sacred vessels of the Temple, with which he returned to Jerusalem (Ezra i:z1). He is always named first, as being chief of the Jews that returned to their own country (Ezra ii:2; iii :8 ; v :2).
(3) Rebuilds the Temple. With the aid of Joshua and his body of priests, Zerubbabel laid the foundations of the Temple (Ezra iii :8, 9; Zech. iv :9, etc.), beginning with the altar of burnt offerings, in order that the daily services might be resumed and the worship of the Lord and the usual sacrifices restored.
(4) Hindrances. The Samaritans, however, having been offended at being expressly excluded from a share in the land, did all they could to hinder the work, and even procured from the Persian court an order that it should be stopped (Ezra iv :2, 3). Accordingly, everything remained
suspended till the second year of Darius Hystaspis (A. C. 521), when the restoration was resumed and carried to completion, according to Josephus, owing to the influence of Zerubbabel with the Persian monarch (Antiq. xi. 3; Ezra v:2 ; Vi :22 ; Haggai i :1-i4 ; :1).
(5) Honored Before the Lord. When the Lord showed the prophet Zechariah two olive trees, near the golden candlestick with seven branches, the angel sent to explain this vision informed the prophet that these two olive trees, which supplied oil to the great candlestick, were Zerubbabel, the prince, and Joshua, the high priest, son of Josedech.
(6) Children. Scripture says nothing of the death of Zerubbabel, but it informs us (I Chron. iii:19) that he left seven sons and one daughter.
These were Meshullam, Hananiah and Shelomith, their sister ; Hashuba, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah and Jushabhesed. Matthew (i:13) makes the name of one of his sons to be Abiud, and Luke (iii :27) makes it Rhesa. Consequently, one of the sons of Zerubbabel, above enumerated, must have had more than one name.