Habakkuk

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This article is about Habakkuk, a biblical prophet. For other uses, see Habakkuk (disambiguation).

Shrine of Habakkuk in Toyserkan, Iran.

Habakkuk or Havakuk (Hebrew: חֲבַקּוּק, Standard Ḥavaqquq Tiberian Ḥăḇaqqûq) was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible. The name is possibly related to an Akkadian word for a plant or the Hebrew word meaning "embrace". He was the eighth of the twelve minor prophets and likely the author of the Book of Habakkuk, which bears his name.

Practically nothing is known about Habakkuk's personal history, and all that we surmise is inferred from the text of his book, which consists of five oracles about the Chaldeans (Babylonians) and a song of praise to God. Since the Chaldean rise to power is dated c. 612 B.C., we can assume that he was active about that time, making him an early contemporary of Jeremiah and Zephaniah. Jewish sources, however, do not group him with those two prophets, who are often placed together, so it is possible that he was slightly earlier than they.

Habakkuk is unique among the prophets in that he openly questions the wisdom of God. In the first part of the first chapter, the Prophet sees the injustice among his people and asks why God does not take action: "1:2 Yahweh, how long will I cry, and you will not hear? I cry out to you “Violence!” and will you not save?" - (World English Bible).

There is a mausoleum in the city of Toyserkan in west of Iran which is believed to be the mausoleum of Habakkuk the Prophet [1]. It is protected by Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization. The Organization's guide to the Hamedan Province states that Habakkuk was believed to be a guardian to the Temple of Solomon, and that he was captured by the Babylonians and remained in their prison for some years. After being freed by Cyrus the Great, he went to Ecbatana and remained there until he died, and was buried somewhere nearby, in what is today Toyserkan.