A Jewish man born in Babylon. He returned to Palestine in 538 BC to be the Persian-appointed governor of Jerusalem. His name likely means “seed [offspring] of Babylon,” indicating his birthplace in Babylon.
There is some uncertainty about Zerubbabel’s biological father. Most biblical references identify Shealtiel as his father (Ezra 3:2, 8; 5:2; Nehemiah 12:1; Haggai 1:1, 12–14; 2:2, 23; Matthew 1:12–13; Luke 3:27), making Zerubbabel the grandson of King Jehoiachin of the Davidic line. However, 1 Chronicles 3:19 names Pedaiah, Shealtiel’s brother, as his father.
Two possible explanations have been suggested:
Shealtiel died without having children, and Pedaiah fathered Zerubbabel with Shealtiel’s widow according to the levirate marriage law, where a brother would marry his dead brother's widow (Deuteronomy 25:5–10). In this case, Zerubbabel would be listed as Shealtiel’s son to preserve his lineage. However, the text does not strongly support this theory. The Chronicler does not mention this detail if it was meant to clarify Zerubbabel's parentage.
The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) 6lists Shealtiel as Zerubbabel’s father in 1 Chronicles 3:19. This aligns with the other references and may resolve the discrepancy.
Zerubbabel was of Davidic descent, whether his father was Shealtiel or Pedaiah. He was seen as a potential leader to restore the Israelite community.
In 538 BC, Cyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return home. He then appointed Zerubbabel as governor of Jerusalem. By around 529–520 BC, he began work on rebuilding the Jerusalem temple. However, progress was slow due to various setbacks, and significant progress did not occur until 520 BC.
The prophets Haggai and Zechariah show Zerubbabel's key role in the community. They viewed Zerubbabel and Jeshua (the high priest) as God’s chosen leaders for the task of rebuilding. Their support is evident in their writings (for example, Haggai 2:21–23; Zechariah 3:8; 4:6–7; 6:12), where the work of these two men is depicted as having messianic significance. This is clear in Zechariah's vision (Zechariah 4:11–14). Two olive branches beside the lampstand are "the two anointed ones who are standing beside the Lord of all the earth." These are Jeshua and Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel's work to rebuild Jerusalem's temple earned him great honor in Jewish tradition. Some scholars believe the Persians might have known Zerubbabel as Sheshbazzar.