The Blessing of Jacob (Gn 49"), which dates from the time of the Judges, or at latest not after Solomon, apparently gives Zeb. access to the sea. ' Zebulun, towards the strand of the sea he settles, he himself towards the strand of the shiiis, and his rear to, or towards, Zidon ' (Dillm.); tliis is sup- ported by Josephus (Ant. V. i. 22; BJ III. iii. 1). The boundaries between the tribes and the land held by the Canaanites must have varied from time to time, and possibly then Zeb. held an approach to the shore, perhaps through the gorge of Kishon and along tlie base of Carmel. But the words may mean onlj' that the sea was near and easily reached ; that Zeb. bordered on the coast, i.e. the coast-lands, and not the sea itself. Delitzsch translates, 'Zebulun, near to the coast of the sea shall he dwell, yea he, near to the coast of the ships, nnd his side leans on Zidon.' The refer- ence to Zidon is obscure : Zeb. never approached that city. Possibly the name of their chief city is given to the rich coast-lands, including Acre, from which the Phicnicians were never driven out (Jg 1"). The much later writer in Jo-shua (P) knows nothing of any 'outgoing' of the territory to the Mediterranean. 'The way of the sea' (Is 9'), the
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ZECHARIAH
great liijrliway of commerce from north and east to the harbour at Acre, wliich [)asseil tlirou^'h a large part of his land, and brought Zob. into contact with the trade of the world, would itself enable hira to 'suck the treasures of the sea' (Dt 33").
In Zeb. four cities were given to the Levites — Jokneani, Kartah, Dimnah (Dillm. and others read Kimmun), and Nahalal (J03 21"-«). Of these, Kitron (identical with Kartah [see art. Kar- tah]) and Xalialal (probably 'Ain Mahil) re- mained in the hands of tlie Canaanites, and so cuuld not be occupied liy the Levites (Jg I*'). In 1 Ch G'^ [Heb. *-] only Rimmono (Ruramaneh) and Tabor are named, the latter corresponding with no name in the former list.
What is said of the territory of Naphtali (see art. Naphtali) applies Generally to Zeb., although the mountains of Naphtali north and north-east rise to a much greater height. Jehel Knukdb (1S50 ft.) is a prominent feature of the western land.s<'ape, and Jebel es-Sikh, N.W, of Nazareth, crowned by Neby Sain, commands one of the finest and most comprehensive views in N. Palestine. The Tlain of Asochis, el-Bnttanf, is not so large as Esdraelon, but is equally rich and fruitful. Olive groves tlourish in the valleys, and most villages have orchards or vineyards, pro- tected by cactus hedges.
Only one judge is mentioned as rising in Zebu- lun, viz. Elon, who judged Israel ten years (Jg 12"- '-). But the tribe seems always to have pro- duced men of warlike energy and enterprise. ' Marched . . . from Zeb. those Avho carry the muster-master's staff'' (Jg 5" ; ' officers who had charge of the enumeration and enrolment of troops ' [Moore]). Called by Barak to the conflict with Sisera (Jg 4'- '"), their patriotic devotion and ])rowess are specially celebr.ated in Deborah's song (.Jfrju. IS). Giileon "summoned them to the strife with Midian (.Tg 6"). To David at Hebron came from Zeb. 50,000 men of war 'who were not of double heart' (1 Ch l^'^') ; nor were gifts lacking from the produce of well-cultivated land {ib. 12'"'). Under David the headman of the tribe was Ish- niaiah, son of Obadiah (1 Ch 27"). In response to Hezekiah's invitation, despite the scoHing of others, some from Zeb. bumbled themselves and went to Jerusalem, where, althotigh not ' cleansed according to the purilicalion of the sanctuary,' they were welcomed and allowed to eat the p.ass- over (2 Ch .SO'"- "• '*• ">). Doubtless, Zeb. shared the fate of Naphtali when, along with other dis- tricts, Galilee was carrieil into captivity by Tiglath- pileser (2 K 15'^, cf. Is 9').
The peasant farmers of Zeb. lent strength to the Jewish army in the war of independence, and their soil witnessed some of the fiercest encounters. Jotapata {Jcfat) made a heroic defence against the Romans [BJ VII.). Sepphoris became the centre of Roman .idministration in the district (Ant. XVIII. ii. 1 ; UJ III. ii. 4). Here for a time were the headnuarters of the Jewisli Rabbis before tliey settled in Tiberias (Jost, Judcntliuin, ii. 16 tl'.). Through the territory of Zeb. from the springs at Sepphoris to the hill of Uattin, the Crusaders marched to their overthrow at the hands of Saladin. It is the chief glory of Zeb. that it afforded the infant Saviour a safe asylum ; that on its breezy uplands, in the free atmosi)here of the north. His frame grew to maturity, and mind and heart were prepared for His mighty task.
Members of this tribe are called Zebulunites (■:^i3in, ZojSoi/Xiic, Zabulon, Nu 26-'). The title •j^2in 'the Zebulunite,' is also applied to Elon the judge (Jg 12"- '=). W. Ewing.
ZECHARIAH (",-i:| and .1^:1 ; Zaxap'i and -(as). —1. Brother of Ner and uncle of Saul (I Ch 9"),
one of the ten sons of Jeiel or Jehiel, patriarch of Gibeon in Benjamin. He is called Zecher in
1 Ch 8*'. 2. A Levite, one of the sons of Korah, firstborn son of Meshelemiah (1 Ch 9-' 26»- "). 3. A Levite, whose place Avas among the brethren of the second degree under the chief singera Heman, Asaph, and Ethan (1 Ch 1.5'«-»'). 4. A priest in the time of David (1 Ch 15^), one of the seven appointed to blow a tr\impet before the ark.