Zerubbabel: Who was He?

"Zerubbabel Displays a Plan of Jerusalem to Cyrus the Great." Jacob van Loo. Musee de Beaux-Arts, Orleans.

Philip G. "Phil" Elam

Past High Priest, Keystone Chapter No. 146, Mehlville, MO

All Royal Arch Masons recognize the important role Zerubbabel plays in our ritual, but most of us (including the author) know very little about the man himself. We know our Chapters are "erected to God and dedicated to Zerubbabel" - but who was this man? Unfortunately, the Holy Bible provides scant information about the builder of the Second Temple. What little that is known, taken from our Volume of Sacred Law, is summarized on the following paragraphs.

The Temple that Zerubbabel built in Jerusalem in the sixth century BCE lasted longer than the Temples of Solomon and Herod combined. However, Zerubbabel disappears from the biblical narrative even before the Second Temple is dedicated. This has fueled speculation from leading theologians and biblical scholars that he was possibly executed for leading a messianic movement that would have crowned him king of an independent Jewish nation.

The prophets of his day certainly seemed to have messianic expectations of Zerubbabel as a direct descendant of King David. Haggai sad the first Jew who helped lead the first wave of his people home from exile in Babylon would be used by Yahweh to destroy other nations. "On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel to be my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and I will make you like a signet ring for I have chosen you, says the Lord of Hosts." The words "servant," "signet ring," and "chosen" indicate that Zerubbabel was most likely born during Judah's five-decade exile in Babylon. In fact, the name Zerubbabel itself means "seed of Babylon."