Zechariah (Hebrew: זְכַרְיָה, Zekharyah, meaning “The Lord has remembered”) was one of the Twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. Born during the Babylonian exile into a Levite family, Zechariah began prophesying after returning to Jerusalem. He is the author of the Book of Zechariah, written around 518 BCE during the reign of Darius I or possibly in 252 BCE during the reign of Darius III. Among the Old Testament books, this text contains the highest number of messianic prophecies.

Zechariah highlights the significant figure of the high priest Joshua standing before God (Zech. 3:1–3) and foretells the suffering of Christ: “They will look on Me whom they pierced and mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zech. 12:10). He also vividly describes the joyous entrance of the Messiah-King into Jerusalem: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9).

Iconography

In Ukrainian iconography, the Prophet Zechariah is depicted in the prophetic row of iconostases and in icons of the Mother of God with the Praise. He is portrayed either as a beardless youth, a man with a short beard, or, less commonly, as an elder with a gray beard. During the 16th century, the most widespread depiction showed Zechariah wearing a red himation and a blue chiton, though some images feature him in rabbinic attire. Later, he is often portrayed in the vestments of a high priest. His attributes include a scroll bearing a quote from the Book of Zechariah and a lampstand, reflecting his visions and prophecies.

Mykhailo Skop