Lesson 3 of5
In Progress

Background of Zechariah

With the mention of Iddo and Zechariah in Nehemiah 12:4, 16, plus Zechariah’s opening verse, we know that Zechariah was active in the early years of the return from Babylon, probably about 520-518 B.C.E. The visions and oracles of chapters 1-8 clearly refer to this period when the temple was rebuilt. Chapters 9-14 are more difficult to determine. Often called “Deutero-Zechariah” or “Second Zechariah,” their historical setting is a matter of speculation, with references generally considered to be from the fifth or fourth centuries, although some scholars suggest that some of the material might be preexilic.