Tomb of Zechariah
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The Tomb of Zechariah (Hebrew: קבר זכריה) is an ancient monument in the Kidron Valley, directly east of the Old City of Jerusalem. It is not, strictly speaking, a tomb, but a monument situated adjacent to a tomb.
The structure, which has a pyramid-shaped roof, is located near Absalom's Monument, and the two are believed to have been constructed during the Second Temple period. The monument's architecture exhibits both Egyptian influences in terms of its pyramid, and Greek influences in terms of its Corinthian columns. These two features have enabled archeologists to date the tomb to the first century B.C.
According to Jewish tradition, this is the tomb of the priest Zechariah Ben Jehoiada, who was stoned at the command of King Jehoash, as recorded in II Chronicles 24:20-21.
- And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord.
