(2.) A mount in the highlands of Ephraim, to the north of Jerusalem (2 Chr. 13:4-20). Here the armies of Abijah and Jeroboam engaged in a bloody battle, which issued in the total defeat of the king of Israel, who never "recovered strength again," and soon after died.

Zemarite - the designation of one of the Phoenician tribes ( Gen. 10:18) who inhabited the town of Sumra, at the western base of the Lebanon range. In the Amarna tablets (B.C. 1400) Zemar, or Zumur, was one of the most important of the Phoenician cities, but it afterwards almost disappears from history.

Zemira - vine-dresser, a Benjamite; one of the sons of Becher (1 Chr. 7:8).

Zenas - a disciple called "the lawyer," whom Paul wished Titus to bring with him ( Titus 3:13). Nothing more is known of him.

Zephaniah - Jehovah has concealed, or Jehovah of darkness. (1.) The son of Cushi, and great-grandson of Hezekiah, and the ninth in the order of the minor prophets. He prophesied in the days of Josiah, king of Judah (B.C. 641-610), and was contemporary with Jeremiah, with whom he had much in common. The book of his prophecies consists of:

(a) An introduction ( Titus 1:1-6), announcing the judgment of the world, and the judgment upon Israel, because of their transgressions.

(b) The description of the judgment ( Titus 1:7-18).

(c) An exhortation to seek God while there is still time ( Titus 2:1-3).

(d) The announcement of judgment on the heathen ( Titus 2:4-15).

(e) The hopeless misery of Jerusalem ( Titus 3:1-7).

(f) The promise of salvation ( Titus 3:8-20).

(2.) The son of Maaseiah, the "second priest" in the reign of Zedekiah, often mentioned in Jeremiah as having been sent from the king to inquire ( Jer. 21:1) regarding the coming woes which he had denounced, and to entreat the prophet's intercession that the judgment threatened might be averted ( Jer. 29:25,Jer. 29:26,Jer. 29:29;Jer 37:3;Jer 52:24). He, along with some other captive Jews, was put to death by the king of Babylon "at Riblah in the land of Hamath" (2 Kings 25:21).

(3.) A Kohathite ancestor of the prophet Samuel (1 Chr. 6:36).

(4.) The father of Josiah, the priest who dwelt in Jerusalem when Darius issued the decree that the temple should be rebuilt ( Zech. 6:10).

Zephath - beacon; watch-tower, a Canaanite town; called also Hormah (q.v.), Judg. 1:17. It has been identified with the pass of es-Sufah, but with greater probability with S'beita.

Zephathah - a valley in the west of Judah, near Mareshah; the scene of Asa's conflict with Zerah the Ethiopian (2 Chr. 14:9-13). Identified with the Wady Safieh.

Zerah - sunrise. (1.) An "Ethiopian," probably Osorkon II., the successor of Shishak on the throne of Egypt. With an enormous army, the largest we read of in Scripture, he invaded the kingdom of Judah in the days of Asa (2 Chr. 14:9-15). He reached Zephathah, and there encountered the army of Asa. This is the only instance "in all the annals of Judah of a victorious encounter in the field with a first-class heathen power in full force." The Egyptian host was utterly routed, and the Hebrews gathered "exceeding much spoil." Three hundred years elapsed before another Egyptian army, that of Necho (B.C. 609), came up against Jerusalem.

(2.) A son of Tamar ( Gen. 38:30); called also Zara ( Matt. 1:3).

(3.) A Gershonite Levite (1 Chr. 6:21,1 Chr. 6:41).

Zered - =Zared, luxuriance; willow bush, a brook or valley communicating with the Dead Sea near its southern extremity ( Num. 21:12; Deut. 2:14). It is called the "brook of the willows" ( Isa. 15:7) and the "river of the wilderness" ( Amos 6:14). It has been identified with the Wady el-Aksy.

Zereda - the fortress, a city on the north of Mount Ephraim; the birthplace of Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:26). It is probably the same as Zaretan ( Josh. 3:16), Zererath ( Judg. 7:22), Zartanah (1 Kings 4:12), or the following.

Zeredathah - a place in the plain of Jordan; the same as Zarthan (2 Chr. 4:17; 1 Kings 7:46). Here Solomon erected the foundries in which Hiram made the great castings of bronze for the temple.

Zererath - ( Judg. 7:22), perhaps identical with Zereda or Zeredathah. Some identify it with Zahrah, a place about 3 miles west of Beth-shean.

Zeresh - star of Venus, the wife of Haman, whom she instigated to prepare a gallows for Mordecai ( Esther 5:10).

Zeruah - stricken, mother of Jeroboam, the first king of the ten tribes (1 Kings 11:26).

Zerubbabel - the seed of Babylon, the son of Salathiel or Shealtiel ( Hag. 1:1; Zorobabel, Matt. 1:12); called also the son of Pedaiah (1 Chr. 3:17-19), i.e., according to a frequent usage of the word "son;" the grandson or the nephew of Salathiel. He is also known by the Persian name of Sheshbazzar ( Ezra 1:8,Ezra 1:11). In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, he led the first band of Jews, numbering 42,360 ( Ezra 2:64), exclusive of a large number of servants, who returned from captivity at the close of the seventy years. In the second year after the Return, he erected an altar and laid the foundation of the temple on the ruins of that which had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar ( Ezra 3:8-13; ch. 4-6). All through the work he occupied a prominent place, inasmuch as he was a descendant of the royal line of David.

Zeruiah - stricken of the Lord, David's sister, and the mother of Abishai, Joab, and Asahel (1 Chr. 2:16), who were the three leading heroes of David's army, and being his nephews, they were admitted to the closest companionship with him.

Zetham - olive planter, a Levite (1 Chr. 23:8).

Zethan - a Benjamite (1 Chr. 7:10).

Zia - fear, a Gadite (1 Chr. 5:13).

Ziba - post; statue, "a servant of the house of Saul" (2 Sam. 9:2), who informed David that Mephibosheth, a son of Jonathan, was alive. He afterwards dealt treacherously toward Mephibosheth, whom he slanderously misrepresented to David.

Zibeon - robber; or dyed. (1.) A Hivite ( Gen. 36:2).

(2.) A Horite, and son of Seir ( Gen. 36:20).

Zibia - gazelle, a Benjamite (1 Chr. 8:9).

Zibiah - the mother of King Joash (2 Kings 12:1; 2 Chr. 24:1).

Zichri - remembered; illustrious. (1.) A Benjamite chief (1 Chr. 8:19).

(2.) Another of the same tribe (1 Chr. 8:23).

Ziddim - sides, a town of Naphtali ( Josh. 19:35), has been identified with Kefr-Hattin, the "village of the Hittites," about 5 miles west of Tiberias.

Zidkijah - the Lord is righteous, one who sealed the covenant with Nehemiah ( Neh. 10:1).