Christianity: Details about 'Zacharias'
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In the GospelZacharias (common modern English spelling: Zechariah), spoken of in the Gospel according to Luke 1:5-25, 39-40, 57-79, 3:2, was a priest of the course of Abia (alternative spelling: Abijah) during the reign of King Herod the Great of Judaea and became known as the father of John the Baptist. Zacharias was married to Elizabeth of the priestly family of Aaron. The evangelist states that they both were righteous before God, since they were blameless in observing the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. When the events related in the Gospel according to Luke commenced, their marriage was still childless, because Elizabeth was barren and, like her husband, was advanced in years (Luke 1:5-7). During the week when it was the duty of his course of Abia to serve at the temple in Jerusalem, the lot had fallen to Zacharias to perform the incense offering. The course of Abia was the eighth of the twenty-four courses into which the priests had been originally divided by King David (1 Chr. 23:1-19). Only four of these priestly courses (or "families") had returned from the Babylonian Exile (Ezra 2:36-39); but they were then re-distributed under the old designations. The priests served at the Jerusalem temple twice each year, and only for a week each time. For the duration of their service their home was the chambers on the sides of the temple court. The offering of incense was one of the most solemn parts of the daily worship at the temple; and lots were drawn each day to determine the divine will as to who should perform this offering – a great service that, owing to the large number of eligible priests, no priest could hope to render more than once during his lifetime. While Zacharias ministered at the golden altar of incense inthe holy place, an angel of God announced to him that his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son whom he was to name John, and that this son would be the forerunner of thelong-expected Messiah (Luke 1:12-17). Citing their advanced age Zacharias asked for a sign whereby he would know the truth of this prophecy. The angel then identified himself as the archangel Gabriel who had been sent by God specially to make this announcement to him, and added that, because Zacharias did not believe his words, he would be dumb and "not able to speak until the day that these things happen". Indeed, when Zacharias went out to the waiting worshippers, he was unable to pronounce the customary blessing (vv. 18-22). On his return home his wife duly conceived. When eight days after his birth their son was to be circumcised, their family members and neighbours assumed that he was to be named after his father, as was the custom; but since Elizabeth insisted that his name was to be John, they then questioned her husband. As soon as Zacharias had written on a writing tablet: "His name is John", his mouth was opened again; and he praised God (vv. 60-79). The child grew up and "became strong in spirit" and was in the desert of Judaea (Luke 3:2-3, cf. Matthew 3:1) until he assumed his ministry (Luke 1:80) that was to earn him the name John the Baptist (or John the Baptizer) and John the Forerunner.
In Quran
Zacharias is considered a Prophet by Muslims and is mentioned in the Quran as Zakariyya. Remember when a woman of Imran said, 'My Lord, I have vowed to Thee what is in my womb to be dedicated to Thy service. So do Thou accept it of me; verily Thou alone art All-Hearing, All-Knowing.' But when she was delivered of it, she said, 'My Lord, I am delivered of a female', - and Allah knew best of what she was delivered and the male she desired to have was not like the female she was delivered of - 'and I have named her Mary, and I commit her and her offspring to Thy protection from Satan, the rejected. So her Lord accepted her with gracious acceptance and caused her to grow an excellent growth and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah visited her in the chamber, he found with her provisions. He said, 'O Mary whence hast thou this?' She replied, 'It is from Allah'. Surely, Allah gives to whomsoever He pleases without measure. Other bearers of the nameZacharias is also the name of the "son of Barachias," mentioned in the Bible as having been slain between the temple and the altar (Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:51, cf. 2 Chron 24:20-22, Zech 1:1). "Barachias" here may be another name for Jehoiada, as some think.
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