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Zedad – Zuriel
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Zedad
One of the points mentioned in defining the northern border of the Promised Land in . and again in Ezekiel’s ideal picture, . The reading is uncertain; not improbably it should be Zerad. The place may perhaps be identified with Khirbet SerOda, N. of Abil, E. of Merj ‘AjOn, towards Hermon.
Zedekiah
1. Son of Chenaanah, and one of Ahab’s four hundred court prophets (, , , ). 2. A prophet deported to Babylon with Jehoiachln. He and another, named Ahab, are denounced by Jeremiah () for gross immorality as well as for falsely prophesying a speedy restoration from Babylon. It was probably their action as political agitators that brought on them the cruel punishment of being roasted in the fire by order of Nebuchadrezzar. 3. Son of Hananiah, one of the princes in the reign of Jehoiakim (). 4. A signatory to the covenant (). 6. See next article.
ZEDEKIAH, the last king of Judah before its fall at the hands of the Babylonians, is known to us not only from the historical books, but also from references in the Book of Jeremiah. He was the third son of Josiah to assume the royal title. Jehoahaz was deposed by the Pharaoh; Jehoiakim had a troubled reign of eleven years, and escaped the vengeance of Nebuchadrezzar by dying just before the Babylonian reached Jerusalem. The young Jehoiachln suffered for the sin of his father, being carried into captivity after three months of barren kingship. With him were carried away the chief men of Judah to the number of eight thousand, — Nebuchadrezzar thinking thus to break the seditious temper of the people. Over the remnant left behind Zedekiah was made king. His earlier name, Mattaniah, was changed to Zedekiah (meaning ‘righteousness of Jahweh’), to indicate that the Babylonian monarch, in punishing the treachery of Jehoiakim, had the God of Judah on his side (). We are told by Ezekiel (, ) that Zedekiah took an oath of allegiance to his suzerain. For Zarakes of 1 Esdras 1:38 see Zarakes.
Nebuchadrezzar’s confidence that the people would be submissive after the severe lesson they had received was disappointed. The new men who came to the front were as headstrong as, and even more foolish than, their predecessors. They were blind to the ludicrous insufficiency of their resources, and determined to play the game of politics against the great nations of the world. The court of Zedekiah was the centre of intrigues against the Babylonian power, and the plotters were led with promises from Egypt. Zedekiah showed himself a weak man, unable to cope with the situation. In his fourth year ambassadors appeared at Jerusalem from the surrounding nations, to concert common measures against the oppressor. The majority of the prophets encouraged the movement; only Jeremiah saw the madness of the undertaking, and declared against it. His bold declaration of the truth brought upon him the enmity of the courtiers. Zedekiah seems to have been called to account by the great king, to whom he made some explanation which satisfied him, or at least lulled suspicion for a time. The movement itself came to nothing at this time. But in Zedekiah’s ninth year renewed promises from Egypt induced the Jerusalemites to revolt, and Zedekiah was too weak to restrain them. Nebuchadrezzar replied promptly by marching in person against the rebels. Jerusalem was a stronghold in which the people had confidence, and they seem also to have believed fanatically that Jahweh would intervene to protect His Temple. This faith was raised to a high pitch by the approach of an Egyptian army under Fharaoh-hophra; for Nebuchadrezzar was compelled to raise the siege to meet the new enemy. The expression of the people’s confidence that they had got from Jahweh all that they desired is seen in the indecent haste with which they reduced again to slavery the servants whom they had set free in order to obtain His favour ( ff.).
The joy was short-lived. The Egyptians were hardly a serious problem to Nebuchadrezzar, and soon left him free to resume the siege, which he did with energy. The strongly fortified city was defended by its inhabitants with the courage of despair, and held out a year and a halt. During this time they suffered all the horrors of siege, famine, and pestilence. Jeremiah, who still predicted disaster, was arrested, and would have perished in his dungeon had it not been for the compassion of one of the king’s slaves (). Zedekiah, who believed in him, consulted him by stealth, but could not nerve himself to follow the advice he received. When at last the wall v/as breached, the king attempted to escape to the Jordan valley, hoping thus to gain the eastern desert. But he was overtaken and carried to Nebuchadrezzar. The victor, considering that forbearance had ceased to be a virtue, slew the captive king’s children before his eyes, then blinded the king himself and carried him away in chains to Babylon. The kingdom of Judah had come to an end ( ff.). H. P. Smith.
Zeeb
See Oreb and Zbeb.
Zela
(H). A Benjamite city (), where was the family burying-place of Saul ( [here RV needlessly confuses by writing Zelaft]). Its site has not been discovered.
Zelek
One of David’s heroes ( ).
Zelophehad
A Manassite who died during the wilderness journeyings, leaving no male issue. His five daughters successfully asserted their claim to the inheritance of their father ( , . ).
Zelzah
In Samuel tells Saul that he will find ‘two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zdzah.’ No such place is known to us, and the reference is strange after the definite mention of Rachel’s sepulchre. The LXX does not regard it as a proper name, and tr. ‘leaping furiously’ ; and the Vulgate reads ‘in the south.’ Neither of these can be correct. Possibly the Greek of the LXX is a transliteration of some Heb. word, which was not understood and was then transformed into something significant in Greek. The meaning remains uncertain.
W. F. Boyd.
Zemaraim
A city of Benjamin, apparently in the vicinity of Bethel (). It prob. gave its name to Mt. Zemaraim, in the hill-country of Ephraira (). It is generally identified with es-Sumra to the north of Jericho.
Zemarite, the
A collective designation of one of the Canaanite communities In . named along with the Arvadite, and therefore presumably in Northern Phoenicia. It stands probably for the people of Simirra, an important city in the time of the later Assyrian empire and the seat of an Assyrian province. It seems to be mentioned also in the Amarna letters under the name Sumur. Perhaps we should compare the modern Sumra, between BuwOd (Arvad) and TarabulUs (Tripolis). J. F. McCtrRDT.
Zemirah
A son of Becher ().
Zenan
See Zaanan.
Zenas
A lawyer (i.e. learned in Jewish law, cf . v.’) whom St. Paul asks Titus to send to him from Crete, with Apoilos (). The name is perhaps a contraction from Zenodorus. A. J. Maclean.
Zephaniah
1. The prophet (see next art.). 2. A Kohathite (). 3. Son of Maaseiah the priest in Jerusalem in the time of Zekediah the king and Jeremiah the prophet ( , ). As next in rank to Seraiah, grandson of Hiikiah (). Zeph. is called second priest (). On the occasion of the final overthrow of Jerusalem he was put to death at Riblah ( ff.). 4. The father of one Josiah in Babylon (Zee , ).
Zephaniah
Zephaniah is the title of the Oth section of the Hebrew collection of prophetic literature, entitled ‘The Twelve Prophets,’ which was probably compiled in the 3rd cent. B.C. (see Micah (Book of]). Like other sections of this work, it contains both earlier and later materials, though these cannot always be separated from one another with certainty. In the main the Book of Zephaniah consists of a prophecy of judgment delivered by Zephaniah about B.C. 627.
1. The prophet.— According to the title of the book (1’), Zephaniah prophesied in the reign of Josiah (B.C. 639-608). Since the allusions in ch. 1 point to the continuance unchecked of false worships such as those of ‘the host of heaven’ which had prevailed in Judah under the previous kings Manasseh and Amon, we may infer that Zephaniah prophesied in the earlier part of Josiah’s reign, before the Reformation of the year 621, which enforced the laws of Deuteronomy. Two further inferences with regard to Zephaniah are justifiable if, as is probable, the great-great-grandfather of Zephaniah was king Hezekiah (1’, cf. Expositor, 1900 (July), pp. 76- 80): (1) Zephaniah was of royal descent; (2) like Jeremiah(Jer 1«), Zephaniah when he began to prophesy was a young man — say of some 25 years.
2. The book. — The Book of Zephaniah ought not to be read as a continuous whole. Ch. 3 is separated from chs. 1. 2 by a very marked break. Chs. 1 and 2 form not improbably a single prophecy, which, however, appears to have been more or less amplified by subsequent editors; certainly in some places, especially at the beginning of ch. 2, it has been rendered obscure by textual corruption. In its present form this prophecy predicts as near at hand a judgment that Is to involve the whole world (l^‘-; also v.", 11’ land’ should rather be translated ‘earth’); and it describes in detail how it will affect Judah (1<-" Phllistia (2’‘), Moab and Ammon (2«-‘«), Ethiopia (2") and Assyria (2"-"). The ground of judgment in the case of Judah is found in the prevalence of false worship (1*- ‘), of foreign fashions (1") and disregard of Jahweh (l’^); in the case of Moab and Ammon, In the contemptuous taunts with which they had upbraided Judah (2»-"i) (such taunts as, according to Ezekiel [25’-"], these peoples hurled at the Jews after the Fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.); in the case of Assyria, in her presumptuous arrogance and self-confidence (2"). According to the general opinion, Zephaniah, like Jeremiah, who was prophesying at the same time, expected the Scythians to be the instruments of this judgment: for at about this time hordes of these barbarians were pouring into Asia. According to Marti, Zephaniah’s original prophecy confined itself to a prediction of a destructive invasion by the Scythians, who, coming from the north, would first sweep through Judah, then southwards through Philistia to Ethiopia in the extreme south, and then, turning backwards, would overwhelm the Assyrian empire. The references to Moab and Ammon, and the touches which universalize the judgment, must in this case owe their insertion into Zephaniah’s prophecy to later editors. Many also think that the promises in chs. 1. 2 (see chiefly 2’- ‘) are later than Zephaniah.
Ch. 3 contains (1) a description of the sins of Jerusalem (3’-‘); this may be a second denunciation of Zephaniah’s, parallel to ch. 1 and particularizing rather different sins, or a prophetic description of Jerusalem at a later date; (2) a description of a universal judgment from which only the godly remnant of Judah will escape (38. 11-13; cf. 23); (3) a description of the glory of the Jews after Jahweh has delivered them from captivity (314-20). All of ch. 3 may be of post-exilic origin, and the third section can scarcely be pre-exilic. Inserted in the midst of the second section are two verses (3’-‘") which, like 2", predict that Jahweh will be universally worshipped; these also are probably of post-exilic origin.
It seems clear that Zephaniah, like the prophets of the 8th cent, and his own contemporary, Jeremiah, was, primarily, a prophet of judgment to come upon his own people. In this respect he differed from two prophets of the same generation — Nahum and Habakkuk, both of whom, however, probably prophesied after the Reformation of Josiah. Nahum is entirely concerned with judgment on Assyria; Habakkuk is perplexed by what to Zephaniah might have appeared the fulfilment of his prophecy — the present troubles of Judah. Zephaniah marks no new departure in prophetic activity or thought, but by his moral earnestness, and his insistence on the need for single-hearted devotion to the demands of Jahweh for righteousness, he performed for his own generation the service rendered a century earlier by Isaiah, whose influence on his thought and teaching is obvious (cf. particularly 1"-" with ff.).
Owing more especially to textual corruption, parts of the book, even in the RV, are unintelligible; see Dnver, Minor Prophets, vol. ii. (Century Bible); G. A. Smith, Book of the Twelve Proj)hets, vol. ii. pp. 35-74 (containing a translation from a critically emended text); see also A. B. Davidson’s Commentary on the AV in the Cambridge Bible.
G. B. Gray.
Zephath
See Hormah.
Zephathah
An unknown locality named only (if the text is correct) in <• .
Zephi
Zephi () or ZEPHO (, ). A son of Eliphaz, and one of the ‘dukes’ of Edom.
Zephon, Zephonites
See Zaphon.
Zer
A ‘fenced’ city of Naphtali (). It follows Ziddim (properly Hazziddim [with art.]), which may be the modern Hattin, N.W. of Tiberias. The identity of Zer is quite uncertain.
Zerah
1. One of the sons of Reuel (, . ). The name appears again as that of the father of Jobab, one of the early kings of Edom (. ). 2. The younger-born of the twin sons of Judah by Tamar his daughter-in-law (). He gives his name to the Zerahitea (). Of this family was Achan the son of Zabdi () or Zimrl (). Zerah’s sons are mentioned in . and Pethahiah () is one of his descendants. He flnds a place in the genealogy of our Lord (). 3. A son of Simeon, and the founder of a family of Zerahites within that tribe (. ) called also Zohar (. ). 4. A Levite name, borne by a Gershonite () and by a Kohathite (). 5. The name of the Cushite () who invaded Judah in the reign of Asa. ‘The story of this invasion is unknown to secular history, and rests solely upon the authority of the Chronicler. There has been much controversy as to its historicity, and the question is still involved in obscurity. In any case the numbers in the text of Chron. (580,000 men in Asa’s army, 1,000,000 in Zerah’s) are incredibly large.
Zerahiah
1. A priest, an ancestor of Ezra (1 Ch 6« bis. ", [1 Esdras 8:2 Zaraias, 2 Esdras 1:2 Arna]). 2. The father of Eliehoenai, [1 Esdras 8:34 Zaraias].
Zered
The torrent-valley (nachal) of Zered is named in the itinerary of Israel’s journeyings, . immediately prior to their crossing of the Arnon, and in as the point that marked the close of the 38 years’ wanderings. It is probably either the Sail Sa’ideh (the principal confluent of the Arnon from the S.E.) or the Wady Kerak.
Zeredah, Zererah
See Zabethan. ZERESH.— The wife of Haman (, ). ZERETH.— A Judahite (). ZERETH-SHAHAR.— A Reubenite town (). Its site has not been identified. ZERI.— See Izri. ZEROR.— An ancestor of Saul ().
Zeruah
The mother of Jeroboam ( 12Mb).
Zeru'bbabel
Zeru’bbabel (meaninguncertain,perhaps ‘offspring of Babel’; the form Zorobabel is used in the Apocrypha).— The son of Shealtiel, and related to the house of David. He was the leader of one of the bands that returned from the Captivity (. ). and was at one time pechah or ‘governor’ of Judah ( etc.). On the question of his identity with Sheshbazzar, see Sheshbazzar. As the servant of the Lord, and as His specially chosen one, he is designated as one who is to be specially honoured in the ‘day of the Lord,’ for which reason he is called the ‘signet’ (). Both Haggai and Zechariah point to Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua as those who are to re-build the Temple ( . Zee 4) this was done, though after consideraable delay owing to enemies of the Jews; it was only after a special appeal had been made to Darius that the work was proceeded with unimpeded ( ff.). From Zechariah’s fourth ‘night-vision’ (Zee ff.; esp. ) we learn that Zerubbabel was looked upon as the coming Messiah; in this night- vision it is pointed out that Joshua and his fellows are a pledge and an earnest of the near approach of the Messiah — the ‘Branch,’ as he is here called; the stone which is to adorn his crown is ready, and Jahweh Himself is about to engrave thereon a fitting inscription; when the Messiah comes, God will obliterate all guilt from the people, and peace shall rest upon the land (see Branch). Although Zerubbabel is not mentioned here by name, a comparison of the passages Zee makes it reasonably certain that he is intended.
This period of Jewish history presents not a few very difficult problems; one of the burning questions has reference to the respective parts played in the rebuilding of the Temple, and the re-organization of the Jewish State generally, by the returned exiles, and by the ‘people of the land’ who had been left behind when an important bearing on the subsequent history of Judaism. W. O. E. Oesterley.
Zeruiah
The mother of David’s officers Abiahai, Joab, and Asahel, who are always referred to as ‘sons of Zeruiah.’ The father’s name is never mentioned, and he may have died early; or the mother may have been so remarkable a woman that her husband’s name was not preserved; or we have a survival of the ancient custom of tracing kinship through the female line.
In Zeruiah and Abigail are called ‘sistera of the sons of Jesse, but in Abigail is called the daughter of Nahash. It seems more probable that for Nahash in 2 S IT^ we ought to read Jesse, than that Jesse’s wife had previously been married to Nahash the Ammonite. According to this view, Zeruiah would be the daughter of Jesse and sister of David. W. p. Boyd.
Zetham
A Gerahonite Levite ( ).
Zethan
A Benjamite ().
Zethar
A eunuch of king Ahasuerua ().
Zeus
See Jdpiter.
Zia
A Gadite ().
Ziba
A servant, probably a freedman, of Saul. Hebrews 90 before David (), poasessing 15 aona and 20 servants, and ia consulted as to the existence of any members of the house of Saul. He informs David of the retreat of Uephibosheth, to whom David restores the lands of his father and appoints Ziba steward. On David’s flight from Jerusalem () Ziba followed him with provisions, and accused Mephibosheth of treachery. He received a grant of his master’s lands, but on David’s return Mephibosheth was able to clear himself and was allowed to retain a half ().
W. F. Boyd.
Zibeon
See Anah.
Zibia
A Benjamite (). This and the name Zibiah may be connected with zebhl, fern. zeWyyah ‘gazelle,’ as totem.
Zibiah
The mother of Joaah of Judah ( <2) =2 Ch 24’). See alao Zibia.
Zichri
1. A grandson of Kohath (, misspelt in modern edd. of AV Zithri, although ed. of 1611 has correctly Zichri). 2. 3. 4. 5. Four Benjamites (, , , ). 6. An Asaphite ( [see Zabdi, No. 4]). 7. A descendant of Ellezer (). 8. A Reubenite (). 9. A Judabite (). 10. Father of a captain in Jeholada’s time (). 11. A mighty man of Ephraim (). 12. A priest ().
Zido
Zido m.— See Zeh.
Zidon
(NT Sidon). About midway between Beyrout and Tyre, on the edge of a fertile strip of plain stretching from the mountain to the shore, a airiall rocky promontory juts into the sea. Here stood the ancient city of Zidon. The site was chosen doubtless because of the excellent harbour formed by a series of small islets, a short distance from the shore, which protected shipping lying by the city. In old times the islets were joined together by artificial embankments. This harbour lay to the N.; on the S. was a second one, larger but less secure, known as the Egyptian harbour. Zidon appears in Scripture as the chief city of Phoenicia, giving her name to the whole people (On 10", etc.). What the title ‘Great Zidon’ ( etc.) signified, as distinguished from ‘Little Zidon,’ we cannot now say. They are mentioned together in the inscription of Sennacherib at a later period (Schrader, KAT^, 288f.). Zidon’s early pre-eminence was due no doubt to her success in commercial enterprise, the skill and intrepidity of her mariners and merchants, and the progress of her sons In arts and manufactures. They excelled In artistic metal work (Homer, II. xxill. 743-748, Od. iv. 613-619, xv. 460) enhanced by the famous dye, used first by the Zidonians, but, by a strange fortune, known to the later world as ‘Tyrian purple.’ The planting of colonies was a natural, and almost necessary, outcome of her commercial enterprise. If she did not found Aradus (Strabo, xvi. ii. 13) and Carthage (Appian, de Rebits Punicis, 1, etc.), she seems to claim on a coin to be the mother-city of Melita or Malta, aa well as of Citium and Berytus (Gesenius, Mon. Phoen. 276; Rawlinson, P?uien. 411). Prince Zimrida of Zidon appears in the Amarna tablets aa contesting with Egypt the lordship of the coaat lands. Zidonian ascendancy succeeded the decline of the Egyptian power after Rameses n. How long it lasted we do not know. It was marked by an unaucceasful conflict with the Philistines for the poaaession of Dor, which, however, did not necessarily involve her deposition (Rawlinson, op. cit. 417). Israel, who had not diapossesaed the Zidonians (), suffered oppression at their hands (). By the time of Solomon, however. Tyre, had assumed the hegemony (Jos. Ant. vm. v. 3, c. Apion, i. 18). In B.C. 877 Zidon, with other Phoenician cities, submitted to the Assyrian Aahur-nazir-pal and ‘aent him presents.’ Zidon suffered under Shalmaneser ii., Tiglath-pileser, Shalmaneser iv., and finally was aubdued by Sennacherib, who made Tubaal, a creature of his own, king. A revolt under Tubaal’s successor led to the utter destruction of the city, with circumstances of great severity, by Esarhaddon, who built a new city called by his own name. The native lips probably preserved the ancient name. ‘Zidon’ persists, ‘Ir Esarhaddon’ is heard of no more. The decline and fall of Assyria brought a period of reat to Phoenicia, and recuperation to her cities. The attempt to gain Judah tor the league against the growing power of Babylon brought an embaaay to Jerusalem, in which the king of Zidon was represented (). A revolt, apparently In b.c. 598, joined in by Judah, was stamped out by Nebuchadrezzar. Zidon’s swift submission was due to devasta^ ting pestilence ( ff.). The long resistance of Tyre led to her destruction and humiliation (), Zidon once more assuming the leadership.
In the beginning of the Persian period the PhcBnician cities enjoyed practical autonomy, and a time of great material prosperity. A friendly arrangement with Cambyaes perpetuated this state of things, and in the Greek wars most valuable assistance was given by the Phoenicians to the Persians. The revolt of the Phoenicians, headed by Zidon, about b.c. 351, was remorselessly crushed by Artaxerxes Ochus. Zidon was betrayed into his hands by the despairing king, Tennes. Tobit 9 the cruelties of Ochus, the inhabitants burned the city, more than 40,000 perishing in the flames. The treachery of Tennes was matched by that of Ochus, who, having no further use for him, put him to death (Diod. Sic. xvl. passim). The city roae again from its aahea, and regained something of its former prosperity. The son of Tennes became king, and retained the sceptre till the advent of Alexander. While Phoenicia then lost her predominance in the trade of the Mediterranean, Zidon retained considerable Importance as the possessor of an excellent harbour, and as a seat of Phoenician industry. Lying in the territory often in dispute between Syria and Egypt, in the following centuriea Zidon several times changed hands. Under the Romans ahe enjoyed the privileges of a tree city. Zidon figures in the Gospel narratives ( f. , etc.). Jesus poaaibly visited the city (). It appears in , and was touched at by St. Paul in his voyage to Rome (). It became the seat of a bishop. Zidon suffered heavily during the Crusades. Under the Druse prince; Fakhreddin (1595- 1634), its prosperity revived; but, in order to prevent the approach of the Turkish fleet, he caused the entrance to the harbour to be filled up, thus making it comparatively useless. The present walls of the city were built by Mohammed ‘Ah of Egypt (1832-1840). The fortress, Kal’at el-Bahr,’ Castle of the Sea,’ dating from the 13th cent., stands on the largest of the islands, which is joined to the mainland by a bridge of 9 arches. The present population is about 11,000. The chief occupations are fishing, and the cultivation of the gardens and orange groves for which modern Zidon is famous. While the oldest existing buildings date from the Middle Ages, there are many remains of great antiquity, traces of walls, hewn stones, pillars, coins, and the reservoirs cut out of the rock. The most important discoveries so far have been (1855) the sarcophagus of king Eshmunazar (early in the 4th cent, b.c), with the well-known inscription, now in Paris; and (1887) the tomb containing 17 Phoenician and Greek sarcophagi, highly ornamented; among them that of Tabnit, father of Eshmunazar, and the alleged sarcophagus of Alexander the Great. W. Ewino.
Ziha
A family of Nethinim ( 11=‘); called In 1 Esdras 5:29 Esau.
Ziklag
A town given by Achish king of Gath to the outlawed David ( ff.: . , ). In the national register of cities it is assigned to Judah () or to Simeon (), and is mentioned also in the post-exilic list (). it has been identified with Zuheiliqa, 11 m. S. E. of Gaza, and 20 m. S.W. from Eleutheropolis. H. L. Willett.
Zulah
See Adah, No. 1.
Zillethai
1. A Benjamite family (). 2. A Manassite who joined David at Ziklag ().
Zilpah
A slave-girl given to Leah by Laban, (P), and by her to Jacob as a concubine, (J); the mother of Gad and Asher, vv. (J), (all P). Cf. art. Tribes ov Israel.
ZmUAH.— A family of Gershonite Levites (1 Ch
(6). 12 (27), ).
ZIMRAN, — A son of Abraham and Keturah, =1 Ch . The ethnological signification of the word is doubtful. The name is derived from semer, ‘mountainsheep or -goat,’ this animal having doubtless been the totem of the clan.
ZmRI. — 1. A prince of the tribe of Simeon, slain by Phinehas (, 1 Maccabees 2). 2, Son of Zerah, and grandfather or ancestor of Achan () called Zabdi in . 3. A Benjamite ( ). 4. See next article. 5. ‘AU the kings of Zimri’ are mentioned In the same verse, . with those of Elam and the Medes as among those who were to drink the cup of the fury of the Lord. There is considerable doubt as to what place is meant, or even as to the genuineness of the phrase.
ZnURI seized the throne of Israel by the murder of his king Elah, but held it only seven days before Omri, another general of the army, asserted himself as claimant. Omri, as is well known, was the stronger, and established himself after disposing of two opponents. The characterization of Zimri, as one who caused Israel to sin by following in the ways of Jeroboam, is due to the author’s desire to pronounce judgment on all the kings of the Northern Kingdom (). H. P. Smith.
Zm ( , , ). — A region passed through by the Israelites in their journeyings. The most exact indication of its position Is given in and . In ‘the wilderness of Zin’ is named as the southern limit from which the spies began to search the land. In It Is given as one of the stations in the journeyings. The brief note, ‘the same is Kadesh,’ serves to explain the following verse (‘And they journeyed from Kadesh’ . . .). records the arrival of the children of Israel ‘In the wilderness of Zin’ in the first month [the year Is not stated], and the following vv. relate the events which took place at Merlbah. The remaining two passages, and , which are duplicates, refer to the punishment of Moses for his offence at ‘the waters of Merlbah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.’ Hence it may be inferred (a) that the Wilderness of Zin formed part of the southern boundary of Judah at its eastern end towards the Dead Sea; (b) that Kadesh was included within its limits.
The close similarity between the events recorded in and , and other points of resemblance between occurrences before and after Sinai, suggest the question whether Sin and Zin, the Sin of the pre-Sinai and the Zin of the post- Sinai narrative, may be variations developed in the course of tradition. The hypothesis does not appear improbable, but the narrative in its present form indicates two regions bearing different names. Cf . Paran, Sin [Wilderness of].
Zina
See Zizah.
Zion
See Jerusalem, esp. II. 1.
Zior
A town in the hill-country of Judah (). . It is prob. to be Identified with the modern village Sa’ir, about 6 miles N.N.E. of Hebron.
Ziph
1. A son of JehaUelel (). 2. A city of Southern Judah (). Its site has not been recovered. 3. A city In the hill-country of Judah ()) fortified by Rehoboam (). The wilderness of ZIph was one of the refuges of David when fleeing from Saul ( The gentilic name Ziphites occurs in , [lxx onijl . title, ziph Is Tell Zlf, S.E. of Hebron.
Ziphah
A son of Jerahmeel (1 Chronicles 44).
Ziphion
See Zaphon.
Ziphron
An unknown point on the northern frontier of Canaan ( f.) perhaps the same as Sibraim of .
Zippor
Father of Balak (, , " . , ). The name, which doubtless in this case and in that of Zipporah has a totemistic significance, means ‘sparrow.’
Zipporah
One of the daughters of the priest of Midlan, , (j), wife of Moses and mother of Gershom. According to (E), she had Another son. For the incident of ff. see Moses, p. 632’.
Ziv
See art. Time.
Ziz
The ascent of ZIz Is mentioned in as the way by which the allied Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunim made their way up from En-gedl to attack Jehoshaphat at Jerusalem. It has been Identified as an ascent near En-gedi from the plain of the Dead Sea to the tableland of Judah. The Roman road from En-gedi to Jerusalem followed this track. H. L. Willett.
Ziza
1. A Simeonlte chief (). 2. A sod of Rehoboam ().
Zizah
A Gershonite Levlte (). The name, prob. by a copyist’s error, appears In v." as Zina,
Zoan
A city In the N.E. of Lower Egypt (Egyp. Zani, Gr. Tanis). — It Is now San el-Hagar, one of the most important of the ancient sites in Lower Egypt, with ruins of a great temple. The 21st Dyn. arose In TanIs, and it was probably a favourite residence of the Pharaohs, though It Is now in the midst of a barren salt marsh, with only a few fishermen as Inhabitants. Ramasses 11. placed In the temple a colossus of himself in granite, the greatest known, which Petrie calculates from the fragments to have measured 92 feet in height. Zoan Is not mentioned In Genesis, but elsewhere(Ps 78’2- ", , ) It appears as almost or quite the capital of Egypt, perhaps as being the royal city nearest to the frontier. Tanis was very ancient: the curious reference to Its building In cannot be explained as yet. F. Ll. GmrFiTa.
Zoar
See Plain [Cities op the]. Lot.
Zobah
An Aramsean community, the moat powerful of the coalition of ‘Syrian’ States which made Ammonites (). The exact location Is uncertain; but this whole group oJ Aramaean settlements lay between Damascus and the entrance to Ccele-Syria. Zobah was certainly east of Jordan, and probably the most southerly of the kindred peoples. . which states that Saul fought against Zobah, is probably based on a confusion with the wars of David. J. F. McCuEDy.
Zobebah
A Judahite ().
Zohar
1. Father of Ephron the Hlttite ( 25"). 2. A Simeonite family (, ) called in and Zerah. 3. A Judahite family, according to the Keri of . which was followed in AV of 1611. The Kethlbh is incorrectly reproduced In modern edd. of AV as ‘Jezoar,’ and in RV as ‘Izhar.’
Zoheleth, Stone of
An object mentioned In connexion with the attempt of Adonijah upon the throne of Israel (). It was near the spring En-rogel, which is supposed to be the ‘Virgin’s Fountain’ in the Kidron valley. Its name (‘serpent’s stone’ or ‘brilliant stone’) has not been explained, but it was evidently a sacred rock or stone. H. L. Willett.
Zoheth
A descendant of Judah ().
Zophah
An Asherite ().
Zophai
An ancestor of Samuel ( = Zuph of v.» «o) and .
Zophar
The third in order of Job’s three friends, described in the LXX as ‘king of the Minseans’ () ; probably the chief of a tribe on the borders of Idumsea. Cf. art. Job, esp. 2 (8).
Zophim
The ‘field of Zophlm’ was one of the spots to which Balak took Balaam to view Israel, (JE). It is questionable whether we have here a proper name; the Heb. expression means literally • field of viewers or lookers out.’ Such ‘places of watching’ were naturally situated frequently on the tops of hills. On the impossible combination Ramathaim-zophim of see Bamah, 4.
Zorah
A town allotted to Judah, according to ; but elsewhere spoken of as Danite (. , , ); specially noted as the home of Samson (, ), who was burled between Zorah and Eshtaol (). It was fortified by Rehoboam (), and the Captivity. The gentilic name Zoratiiites occurs In and prob. (where read Zorathites for Zorites). Zorah is the modern Sur’ah on the northern side of Wady es-Surar (the Valley of Sorek) opposite ‘Ain SheTna (Beth-shemesh), which lies on the southern side.
Zorites
See Zobah.
Zoroastrianism
See Magi.
Zorobabel
See Zercbbabel.
Zorzelleus
Zorzelleus (AV Berzelus, 1 Es so^Barzillai of and ). — A daughter of his, named Aiigia, is mentioned as married to Addus, the ancestor of a priestly family, who could not trace their genealogy at the return under Zerubbabel.
Zuar
Father of Nethanel the head of the tribe of Issachar ( ).
Zuph
1. An ancestor of Samuel (. ; called in v." Zophai). 2. The land of Zuph () probably derived its name from having been originally settled by the family of Zuph. The gentilic name Zuphite probably underlies the name Ramathalmzophim of . No known site can be said to contain any certain trace of the name Zuph.
Zur
1. A MIdianite prince slain by the Israelites ( , ). 2. A Glbeonlte family settled at Jerusalem (, ).
Zuriel
A Merarlte chief (). ZURISHADDAI.— Father of Shelumiel, the chief of the tribe of Simeon ( , ).
James Hastings (ed.), with John A. Selbie and John C. Lambert, Dictionary of the Bible (Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1909). Public domain. Scan of Cornell University Library’s copy from the Internet Archive; text from its OCR, with the Bible references read again from the page images.