Zadok or
Zadoq (
HebrewHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Culturally, it is considered a Jewish language. Hebrew in its modern form is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel while Classical Hebrew has been used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world for over...
: צדוק,
Tzadok meaning "Righteous") was an Israelite
High PriestA Kohen is a Jew who is in direct patrilineal descent from the Biblical Aaron, older brother of Moses, with an honored status in Judaism...
in the tenth century BC.
Zadok in the Bible
A son of
AhitubAhitub - brother of goodness = good. A few people in the Bible have this name: The son of Phinehas, grandson of Eli, and brother of Ichabod. On the death of his grandfather Eli he most likely succeeded to the office of high priest, and would have been succeeded by his son Ahijah...
, of the line of
EleazarEleazar , was a Levite priest in the Hebrew Bible. As the son of Aaron, he succeed his father as the second Kohen Gadol .-Life:...
(
2 SamuelThe Books of Samuel are part of the Tanakh and also of the Christian Old Testament. The work was originally written in Hebrew, and the Book of Samuel originally formed a single text, as they are often considered today in Hebrew bibles.Together with what is now referred to as the Book of Kings,...
8:17;
1 ChroniclesThe Books of Chronicles are part of the Hebrew Bible . In the masoretic text, it appears as the first or last book of the Ketuvim...
24:3), high priest in the time of
DavidDavid was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Bible. He is depicted as a righteous king, although not without fault, as well as an acclaimed warrior, musician and poet .The biblical chronology sets his life c.1037–970 BCE, his reign over Judah c.1007–1000 BCE,...
(2 Sam. 20:25) and
SolomonSolomon is a figure described in the Hebrew Bible as a King of Israel and later in the Qur'an, where he is described as a Prophet. The biblical accounts identify Solomon as the son of David...
(1 Kings 4:4) (1 Kings 4:2),
ZadokZadok or Zadoq was an Israelite High Priest in the tenth century BC.-Zadok in the Bible:...
is first mentioned as coming to take part with
DavidDavid was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Bible. He is depicted as a righteous king, although not without fault, as well as an acclaimed warrior, musician and poet .The biblical chronology sets his life c.1037–970 BCE, his reign over Judah c.1007–1000 BCE,...
at
HebronHebron is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south, 30 kilometers south of Jerusalem. It is home to some 166,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Israelis living in and around the historic Jewish Quarter. Hebron lies 930 meters above sea level...
(1 Chr. 12:27, 28). He was probably on this account made ruler over the Aaronites (27:17).
During the rebellion of
AbsalomAbsalom or Avshalom was the third son of David, king of Israel with Maachah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. describes him as the most handsome man in the kingdom...
, Zadok gained still greater prominence. He and the Levites wished to accompany the fleeing David with the
Ark of the CovenantThe Ark of the Covenant is a container described in the Bible as containing the Tablets of Stone on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments as well as Aaron's rod and manna. According to the Pentateuch, the Ark was built at the command of God, in accord with Moses' prophetic vision on Mount Sinai...
, but the king begged them to remain at Jerusalem, where they could do him better service (II Sam. xv. 24-29; comp. 35), so that it actually happened that Ahimaaz, the son of Zadok, and Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, brought the king an important message (ib. xvii. 21). In all these passages Zadok is mentioned before Abiathar.
Zadok and
AbiatharAbiathar , in the Bible, son of Achimelech or Ahijah, priest at Nob, the fourth in descent from Eli. The only one of the priests to escape from Saul's massacre, he fled to David at Keilah, taking with him the ephod...
acted as high priests on several important occasions (1 Chr. 15:11; 2 Sam. 15:24-29, 35, 36); but when
AdonijahAdonijah was the fourth son of King David according to the book of Samuel , which is contained in the Bible.-Life:After the death of his elder brothers Amnon and Absalom, he became heir-apparent to the throne, but Solomon, a younger brother, was preferred to him. Adonijah, however, when his father...
endeavoured to secure the throne,
AbiatharAbiathar , in the Bible, son of Achimelech or Ahijah, priest at Nob, the fourth in descent from Eli. The only one of the priests to escape from Saul's massacre, he fled to David at Keilah, taking with him the ephod...
went with him, and therefore
SolomonSolomon is a figure described in the Hebrew Bible as a King of Israel and later in the Qur'an, where he is described as a Prophet. The biblical accounts identify Solomon as the son of David...
"thrust him out from being high priest," and Zadok, remaining faithful to
DavidDavid was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Bible. He is depicted as a righteous king, although not without fault, as well as an acclaimed warrior, musician and poet .The biblical chronology sets his life c.1037–970 BCE, his reign over Judah c.1007–1000 BCE,...
, became high priest alone (
1 KingsThe Books of Kings are books included in the Hebrew Bible. They were originally written in Hebrew and are recognised as scripture by Judaism and Christianity...
2:27, 35; 1 Chr. 29:22). In him the line of
Phinehas-Biblical figures:*Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the High Priest*Phinehas, son of the High Priest Eli. He was a priest at Shiloh, and died when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant-Other :*Pinchas, the 41st weekly Torah portion....
resumed the dignity, and held it till the fall of
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
. His sons were
AhimaazAhimaaz, "brother of anger", "irascible" in Hebrew. The father of Ahinoam, the wife of Saul . The son and successor of Zadok in the office of highpriest . On the occasion of the revolt of...
and Azariah, of whom it is unclear who was the next high priest.
Textual analysis
The attempt to trace his genealogy back to
EleazarEleazar , was a Levite priest in the Hebrew Bible. As the son of Aaron, he succeed his father as the second Kohen Gadol .-Life:...
, the third son of
AaronIn the Bible, Aaron , sometimes called Aaron the Levite , was the brother of Moses, and represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Hebrews...
, as opposed to Abiathar, his contemporary and colleague, who was regarded as a descendant of
EliEli or ELI may refer to:*Eli , a variant on the name of God as spoken in Hebrew and Aramaic. In people:...
and considered a member of the house of
IthamarIn the Torah, Ithamar is mentioned as the youngest son of Aaron the High Priest. After the death of his two eldest brothers Nadab and Abihu, Ithamar served as a priest along with his elder brother, Eleazar. During the travels of the Israelites in the desert, Ithamar stood at the head of the...
, was first made by the Chronicler (I Chron. v. 30-34 [A. V. vi. 4-8]; comp. vi. 35-38 [A. V. vi. 50-53]), thus assuring the preeminence of the Zadokites over the descendants of Eli. In the beginning of his career he was associated with Abiathar (II Sam. xx. 25) and with his son (ib. viii. 17; I Chron. xxiv. 3, 6, 31). The hypothesis has accordingly been advanced that Zadok officiated in the Tabernacle at Gibeon (I Chron. xvi. 39; comp. I Kings iii. 4), while the sons of
EliEli or ELI may refer to:*Eli , a variant on the name of God as spoken in Hebrew and Aramaic. In people:...
were stationed as high priests at Jerusalem or, more probably, at
ShilohShiloh, Shilo, or Silo may refer to:In religion:*Shiloh , a city in the Ephraim hill-country said to contain the Ark of the Covenant*Shiloh , a figure of contested meaning mentioned in the Hebrew Bible...
(comp. Keil on I Kings i. 8). Such a division of functions is very doubtful, however; and it is more plausible to suppose that Zadok gradually won equality of rank with the sons of Eli by his good fortune in gaining the favor of
DavidDavid was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Bible. He is depicted as a righteous king, although not without fault, as well as an acclaimed warrior, musician and poet .The biblical chronology sets his life c.1037–970 BCE, his reign over Judah c.1007–1000 BCE,...
.
According to the somewhat improbable statement of the Chronicler, a certain Zadok, as a young man, had been one of those who joined David at
HebronHebron is the largest city in the West Bank, located in the south, 30 kilometers south of Jerusalem. It is home to some 166,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Israelis living in and around the historic Jewish Quarter. Hebron lies 930 meters above sea level...
and helped him win the crown of all
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
, his house then including twenty-two captains (I Chron. xii. 29); and
JosephusJosephus , also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu and, after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus, was a first-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70...
expressly identifies this Zadok with the high priest of the same name ("Ant." vii. 2, § 2).
According to the Masoretic Hebrew text of II Sam. xv. 27, David addressed the priest with the words "ha-Kohen ha-ro'eh attah," ("You are the seer-priest") and the Vulgate consequently regards Zadok as a seer, although this interpretation is regarded by many scholars as incorrect. These two difficult words are emended by Wellhausen to "ha-Kohen ha-Rosh Atta" ("You are the chief priest"), thus implying the promise of the high-priesthood to him. On the suppression of the rebellion, the king sent Zadok and Abiathar to the elders of Judah, urging them to hasten to bring the monarch back (ib. xix. 12). Zadok again manifested his loyalty to the king when he espoused the cause of Solomon against Adonijah (I Kings i. 8 et seq.), and in his gratitude the new king appointed him sole high priest (ib. ii. 35). In his account of this event
JosephusJosephus , also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu and, after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus, was a first-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70...
states ("Ant." viii. 1, § 3) that Zadok was a scion of the house of
Phinehas-Biblical figures:*Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the High Priest*Phinehas, son of the High Priest Eli. He was a priest at Shiloh, and died when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant-Other :*Pinchas, the 41st weekly Torah portion....
, and consequently a descendant of Eleazar.
Other theories
Some scholars have speculated that as Zadok does not appear in the text of Samuel until after the conquest of
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
, he was actually a
JebusiteAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Jebusites were a Canaanite tribe who inhabited and built Jerusalem prior to its conquest by King David; the Books of Kings state that Jerusalem was known as Jebus prior to this event...
priest co-opted into the
IsraeliteIn the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. They were divided into twelve tribes, each descended from one of twelve sons or grandsons of Jacob....
state religionA state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. Practically, a state without a state religion is called a secular state. The term state church is associated with Christianity, and is sometimes used to denote a specific national branch of Christianity...
. Harvard Divinity School Professor
Frank Moore CrossFrank Moore Cross, Jr. is a Professor Emeritus of the Harvard Divinity School, notable for both his work in the interpretation of the Dead Sea Scrolls as well as his analysis of the Deuteronomistic History ....
refers to this theory as the "Jebusite Hypothesis," criticizes it extensively, but terms it the dominant view among contemporary scholars, in
Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel.
Elsewhere in the Bible, the Jebusites are described in a manner that suggests that they worshipped the same God (El Elyon) as the Israelites (
see, e.g.,
MelchizedekMelchizedek is an enigmatic figure twice mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament. Melchizedek is mentioned as the King of Salem, and priest of God Most High, in the time of the biblical patriarch Abram. He brought out bread and wine, blessed Abram, and received tithes from...
). Further support for this theory comes from the fact that other Jebusites or residents of pre-
IsraeliteIn the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. They were divided into twelve tribes, each descended from one of twelve sons or grandsons of Jacob....
Jerusalem bore names invoking the principle or god
ZedekSydyk was the name of a deity appearing in a theogeny provided by Roman era Phoenician writer Philo of Byblos in an account preserved by Eusebius in his Praeparatio Evangelica and attributed to the still earlier Sanchuniathon...
(
Tzedek) (see, e.g., Melchizedek and
AdonizedekAdonizedek Adonizedek Adonizedek (variously transliterated as Adoni-zedec or Adoni-Zedek (in Hebrew, Adoni-Tzedek) was, according to the Book of Joshua, king of Jerusalem at the time of the Israelite invasion of Canaan (Josh. x. 1, 3)...
). Under this theory the Aaronic lineage ascribed to
ZadokZadok or Zadoq was an Israelite High Priest in the tenth century BC.-Zadok in the Bible:...
is a later, anachronistic interpolation.
The Zadokite dynasty
Reliable historical data show that the high-priesthood remained in the hands of the Zadokites from this time until the rise of the
MaccabeesThe Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who liberated Judea from the rule of the Seleucid empire...
, in about 167 BC. The descendants of Zadok increased in rank and influence, so that his son Azariah was one of the princes of Solomon (I Kings iv. 2), and the Ahimaaz who married a daughter of Solomon was probably another of Zadok's children (ib. iv. 15). Either Zadok himself or his grandson was the ruler of the Aaronites (I Chron. xxvii. 17), and Jerusha, the mother of Jotham, is apparently termed the daughter of Zadok to emphasize her noble lineage, since her father may have been a descendant of the first Zadok (II Kings xv. 33; II Chron. xxvii. 1). A Zadok is also mentioned in the genealogy of Joseph, the father of Jesus (Matt. i. 14).G. S. Kr. It is believed that the
SadduceesThe Sadducees were a group of Jews opposed to the Pharisees , founded in the second century BC. They ceased to exist sometime after the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem in 70AD....
(Hebrew "Tzedukim") derived the name of their faction from Zadok. A Rabbi Zadok is also mentioned as saved in
TalmudThe Talmud is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs, and history. It is a central text of mainstream Judaism....
(Bavli Gittin 56B) by Yohanan ben Zakkai, when he makes his deal with
VespasianTitus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian , was a Roman Emperor who reigned from 69 AD until his death in 79 AD...
. Many see this Rabbi Zadok as the correct descendant of the high priest clan.
The house of Zadok occupied the high priesthood through much of the Second Temple's time, from Jehoshua ben Jehozadak after the Exile, down to Simon II (much praised in
Ben SiraJesus ben Sira, Ben Sira, was the author of the deuterocanonical book Sirach. Ben Sirah, a Jew who had been living in Jerusalem, may have authored the work in Alexandria, Egypt circa 180–175 BC, where he is thought to have established a school....
50), his eldest son Onias III, and his usurping second son Jason (or Jehoshua), who introduced the programme of Hellenization that eventually let to the Maccabean Revolt. Josephus records that
Onias IVOnias IV is the designation given to the son of Onias III and the lawful heir of the legitimate high priests. He had reason to hope that the victory of the national party under Judas Maccabeus would place him in the office of his fathers; but being disappointed in his expectations by the election...
went to
LeontopolisLeontopolis or Leonto or Latin: Leontos Oppidum or Egyptian: Taremu, was an Ancient Egyptian city that is known as Tell al Muqdam today.-History:The city is located in the central part of the Nile Delta region...
in the Egyptian nome of
HeliopolisHeliopolis, meaning "sun city" in Ancient Greek, can refer to*Heliopolis , the ancient city in Egypt*Heliopolis , a suburb in modern Cairo, Egypt*Heliopolis style, the architectural style of the modern Heliopolis Cairo suburb...
with a significant following, and for lending military support to the Ptolemaic Pharaoh was given land to build a temple to rival the
Temple in JerusalemThe Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to a series of structures located on the Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, two temples were built at this location, and a future Temple features in Jewish eschatology. According to classical Jewish belief, the Temple acts as...
(although Josephus also ascribes this to Onias III, while dating the project so as to suggest Onias II). It has been suggested that Onias or members of his Zadokite house may have also founded the community at
QumranQumran is located on a dry plateau about a mile inland from the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea in the West Bank, just next to the Israeli kibbutz of Kalia...
. The
Dead Sea ScrollsThe Dead Sea scrolls consist of about 900 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible, discovered between 1947 and 1956 in eleven caves in and around the Qumran Wadi near the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea.The texts are of great...
suggest a central role for 'the sons of Zadok the Priests' within the community; the 'Teacher of Righteousness' (
Moreh Zedek) named as founder may point to a Zadokite.
See also
- Zadok the Priest
Zadok the Priest is a coronation anthem composed by George Frideric Handel using texts from the King James Bible. It is one of the four Coronation Anthems that Handel composed for the coronation of George II of Great Britain in 1727.[The other Coronation Anthems Handel composed...]
(coronation anthem by George Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-English Baroque composer, who is famous for his operas, oratorios, and concerti grossi. His life and music may justly be described as "cosmopolitan": he was born in Germany, trained in Italy, and spent most of his life in England...
)
- List of High Priests of Israel