zacharias
     n 1: a hebrew minor prophet of the late 6th century bc syn: zechariah
     2: an old testament book telling the prophecies of zechariah
        which are concerned mainly with the renewal of israel
        after the babylonian captivity syn: zechariah, book of
        zachariah
see also:
zechariah book of zachariah 

zacharias
   1. a priest of the course of abia, the eighth of the
   twenty-four courses into which the priests had been originally
   divided by david 1 chr. 23:1-19. only four of these courses or
   "families" of the priests returned from the exile ezra
   2:36-39; but they were then re-distributed under the old
   designations. the priests served at the temple twice each year,
   and only for a week each time. zacharias's time had come for
   this service. during this period his home would be one of the
   chambers set apart for the priests on the sides of the temple
   ground. the offering of incense was one of the most solemn parts
   of the daily worship of the temple, and lots were drawn each day
   to determine who should have this great honour, an honour which
   no priest could enjoy more than once during his lifetime.
   
     while zacharias ministered at the golden altar of incense in
   the holy place, it was announced to him by the angel gabriel
   that his wife elisabeth, who was also of a priestly family, now
   stricken in years, would give birth to a son who was to be
   called john, and that he would be the forerunner of the
   long-expected messiah luke 1:12-17. as a punishment for his
   refusing to believe this message, he was struck dumb and "not
   able to speak until the day that these things should be
   performed" 20. nine months passed away, and elisabeth's child
   was born, and when in answer to their inquiry zacharias wrote on
   a "writing tablet," "his name is john," his mouth was opened,
   and he praised god 60-79. the child john the baptist, thus
   "born out of due time," "waxed strong in spirit" 1:80.
   
     2. the "son of barachias," mentioned as having been slain
   between the temple and the altar matt. 23:35; luke 11:51.
   "barachias" here may be another name for jehoiada, as some
   think. see zechariah.
   
see also:
zechariah