- ZACHARIAH, Son of Baruch1, was a great Enemy to all Injustice and Evil, and the greatest Stickler for the Liberty of his Country. The Zealots being resolved to make away with him, as being a great Opposer of their Designs, and being also very rich and very powerful, they would however observe some sort of Formality in his Condemnation; they convened seventy Judges of the most considerable of the People, to compose a kind of Tribunal or Sanhedrim, where they made Zachariah the Son of Baruch appear before them, and accused him of a Design of delivering up the City to the Romans. But of this Conspiracy they could produce neither Proofs nor Tokens.
Zachariah seeing that his Accusers were resolved upon his Destruction, and that he could by no means escape out of their Hands; instead of being discourag’d by the Danger he was in, he found himself more than ordinarily animated. And first having briefly confuted the Accusations of his Enemies, he then began to lay open their Iniquity, and to shew what they were doing to disturb the publick Tranquillity. At this the Zealots were incensed with Rage, and could hardly contain themselves. But thinking it best to hold out to the end, that they might give this Trial some Appearance of Justice, they suffer’d the seventy Judges to pronounce their Sentence. This they did by unanimously acquitting Zachariah.
At these Words the Zealots cry’d out with Rage and Fury, and two of those Wretches flying upon Zachariah, kill’d him in the midst of the Temple, insulting over his dead Body with these Words, “ Receive now this Absolution that we “ give thee, which is much more safe “ than the other.” Then they threw forth his Body into the Valley that was below the Temple. This happen’d in the 67th Year of the Vulgar Æra, three Years before the taking of Jerusalem, and the Destruction of the Temple.
Many learned Commentators2 have thought, that this was the Zachariah, Son of Barachiah, mention’d by Jesus Christ in the Gospel; where he tells the Jews, that he should send them Prophets and wise Men, whom they should slay and crucify. - - - That the blood of all the righteous men, from the blood of Abel to that of Zachariah, whom they slew between the temple and the altar, should fall upon them. Christ spoke in the manner of the Prophets, and us’d the time past instead of the future. This Account seems the most probable of any that have been proposed for the explaining this Passage.
It is objected against the Opinion of those who think this to be the Person of whom our Saviour speaks in St. Matthew, Unto the Matth. xxiii. 35.blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar: First, That our Saviour foretels to the Jews, that they shall bear the blame of the Death of these just Men. But God does not punish for a Crime before it is committed. The Jews to whom he spake not knowing this Zacharias, and being ignorant of his Death that was to come, it would be impertinent to menace them upon this account. In this Passage of St. Matthew, he spoke only of such Offences as were already past, and of what had happen’d before his coming. Secondly, Zachariah the Son of Baruch, kill’d by the Zealots, was a Jew, and, according to all Appearances, an unbelieving Jew. Josephus says not one word that insinuates he had embraced Christianity. The old Ecclesiastical Writers did not own him as such. The Zealots that put him to death had no regard to his Religion, but to his great Riches. They were afraid that by his great Interest he might drive them away, and therefore accused him of keeping Correspondence with the Romans. The new Christians at Jerusalem were hardly in a Condition of provoking Jealousy, or of giving any Disturbance to the Malecontents; either because of their Substance, or their great Authority in the City. They look’d upon themselves happy enough, if they could avoid Persecution. Thirdly, The Christians of Jerusalem had made their Escape out of the City, and were retired to Pella beyond Jordan, as is thought, about the Year 66 of the Vulgar Æra. If Zacharias had been of their Number, it is not probable that he would have been in the City a Year afterwards; that is, in the Year 67 of the same Æra, in which he was put to death by the Zealots.
These Reasons however are reply’d to, as well as those which have prevail’d with some learned Men to believe, as we have taken notice already, that this Zachariah was he, of whom Jesus Christ speaks in the Gospel. ‘Tis allow’d, that Men cannot ordinarily be threaten’d with Crimes which are not yet committed; but it is no rare thing to observe in the Prophets, that the Destruction of a City is foretold, the Calamity of a People, the Death of a Prince, as if their Crimes were already come to their full Measure, altho’ they may not yet be arrived to the Height of their Iniquities, and their Punishment be still at a Distance. It is true indeed, that neither Josephus, nor any other antient Writer has said, that Zachariah was a Christian; neither have they said the contrary. Josephus speaks of St. James Minor put to Death by Amanus, as a Jew. At that time Christians were look’d upon as a Sect of Jews. Though generally Christians were neither rich, nor powerful, nor in Credit; yet however there were some, even in the Life-time of Jesus Christ, who had much Wealth, and who had considerable Employments; as Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, Gamaliel. And lastly, Tho’ the Christians of Jerusalem might have begun to withdraw themselves to Pella, about the Year 66 of Jesus Christ, and four Years before the Siege of that City; yet it was time enough to do it in the Year 67, two Years before the City was invested. So that hitherto nothing can hinder, but that Zachariah, Son of Baruch, might have been a Christian, and that Jesus Christ might have mention’d him as the last of those just Men that were put to death in Jerusalem, and in whom the Measure of their Iniquities was now full.
In the Valley of Jehoshaphat, over-against Jerusalem, is to be seen a Monument, which is said to be the Tomb of Zachariah. It is cut in a Rock; has four Pillars on each Side, which bear upon their Capitals a Roof rising to a Point, and which makes a kind of Pyramid. This Monument is square, and is fourscore Feet in Circumference. There is a little Window behind, through which there are seen within only a few Stones upon one another.
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