Sheshbazzar was an important figure in the Old Testament book of Ezra. He is mentioned in Ezra 1:8, 5:14, and 5:16. Here is a summary of what the Bible tells us about Sheshbazzar:
Sheshbazzar was appointed by King Cyrus of Persia to be the governor of Judah after the Babylonian exile. When King Cyrus allowed the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, he appointed Sheshbazzar to lead them. Sheshbazzar brought the articles from the first temple that had been carried off to Babylon back to Jerusalem. This is described in Ezra 1:7-11:
7 Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the Lord that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. 8 Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9 And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 10 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; 11 all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:7-11 ESV)
So Sheshbazzar was responsible for bringing the temple articles taken by Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem back to Jerusalem when the Jewish exiles returned. This seems to indicate he had an important leadership position among the returning exiles.
Later, in Ezra 5:14-16, Sheshbazzar is mentioned again in a letter written to King Darius of Persia. In this letter, Sheshbazzar is identified as the governor of Judah who laid the foundation of the second temple in Jerusalem:
14 And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; 15 and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” 16 Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished. (Ezra 5:14-16 ESV)
So Sheshbazzar laid the foundation of the second temple in Jerusalem sometime after the exiles returned from Babylon. The temple was not completed at that time but construction had begun under his leadership.
Beyond this, the Bible does not tell us a whole lot more about who Sheshbazzar was. There has been some speculation by scholars about his identity:
- Some have identified Sheshbazzar with Shenazzar, who was a son of King Jehoiachin of Judah (1 Chronicles 3:18). Jehoiachin was one of the last kings before the exile.
- Others have identified Sheshbazzar with Zerubbabel, who is also described as laying the foundation of the temple (Ezra 3:8-10, Zechariah 4:9). Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah after the exile.
- Some scholars believe Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel were different people who both had leadership roles, with Sheshbazzar perhaps starting the work of rebuilding the temple and Zerubbabel finishing it.
- Another theory is that Sheshbazzar was a Babylonian name assigned to Zerubbabel by the Persian authorities.
There is no scholarly consensus on Sheshbazzar’s exact identity. He may have been Shenazzar, or he may have been Zerubbabel under a different name. Ultimately, the Bible does not provide definitive details.
Here are some key points about Sheshbazzar:
- He was appointed by Cyrus the Persian king to be governor of Judah after the Babylonian exile.
- He was responsible for returning the articles plundered from the first temple by Nebuchadnezzar.
- He laid the foundation of the second temple sometime after the exiles returned to Jerusalem.
- His exact identity is unclear – he may have been Shenazzar, Zerubbabel, or someone else.
- He had an important leadership role among the returning Jewish exiles.
In summary, Sheshbazzar was the governor of Judah appointed by Persia who led the first group of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem and began the work of rebuilding the temple. The Bible does not provide his full background but he was clearly a significant leader during the early years after the return from exile.
Beyond the verses in Ezra, there are a few other potential references to Sheshbazzar in Scripture:
Daniel 5:12
In Daniel 5:12, a person named “Sheshach” is mentioned as being one of the “three highest officials” in the kingdom of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. Some translations (like the KJV) render this name as “Sheshach” while others (like the ESV) render it as “Sheshbazzar.” The NIV translates it as “Shazbaz.” If this figure in Daniel 5:12 is the same person as the Sheshbazzar in Ezra, it would mean he held an important position in Babylon prior to becoming governor of Judah.
1 Chronicles 3:17-18
These verses list the descendants of King Jeconiah (also called Jehoiachin or Coniah), a king of Judah who was exiled to Babylon. One of his sons is named Shenazzar. As noted above, some scholars have identified Sheshbazzar with Shenazzar.
Haggai 1:1
Haggai 1:1 states that the prophet Haggai delivered his message to “Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah” in the second year of King Darius. Zerubbabel was the governor of Judah who helped rebuild the temple. Some scholars believe that the reference to “Shealtiel” here may be equivalent to the name Sheshbazzar, and that both names refer to the father of Zerubbabel.
Haggai 1:14
In Haggai 1:14, the prophet refers to Zerubbabel as the one “whom I have chosen.” Some connect this to the choosing of Sheshbazzar by Cyrus for leadership. They argue this refers to Cyrus selecting Sheshbazzar (Zerubbabel’s father) for leadership and thereby also selecting his heir Zerubbabel.
So those are some other potential biblical references to Sheshbazzar or his son Zerubbabel that may help provide context around his identity and role. However, there is no consensus if these verses are definitively connected to the Sheshbazzar of Ezra.
Significance and Implications
Although the details about Sheshbazzar are sparse, he appears to have been a significant leader for the exiled Jews. Here are some key implications from what we know about him:
- God uses different people in different periods of history to accomplish His purposes. Sheshbazzar was the leader God chose for this initial return and rebuilding effort.
- Even when God’s people are in exile or under pagan rulers, God can raise up deliverers and leaders for them (people like Sheshbazzar).
- The return from exile was a complex process spanning many decades and various leaders. Sheshbazzar played an important part in the initial phases.
- The temple articles being returned offered hope and a physical link to the heritage and presence of God among His people.
- The rebuilding effort faced various starts and stops. The foundation was laid but work stalled for years before being revived under later leaders like Haggai and Zechariah.
While veiled in some mystery, Sheshbazzar is an important example of how God uses chosen leaders to direct His people. Even when they face exile and judgment because of sin, God shows His faithfulness by restoring and redeeming them. The return and temple rebuilding were part of God keeping His covenant promises to David’s dynasty and the people of Israel.
Lessons from Sheshbazzar
Although we are not told much about Sheshbazzar himself, there are some lessons that we can gain from what we do know:
- God can use unexpected people as leaders – Sheshbazzar was given authority by a pagan king to lead God’s people. God can use surprising candidates for leadership.
- Faithfulness in small things – Even though rebuilding the temple was stalled for years, Sheshbazzar faithfully carried out his task of laying the foundation. We should be faithful in what God has called us to do even if we don’t see the big picture.
- Leadership is passed between generations – Sheshbazzar led the first return, but Zerubbabel and others rose up to lead the completion years later. Leadership passes between generations.
- Trust God’s timing – The people may have been discouraged that the temple was not completed quickly. But at the right times, God raised up new leaders. We should trust God’s timing.
- God keeps His promises – Despite Israel’s sin and exile in Babylon, God demonstrated His faithfulness by allowing them to return and rebuild the temple as promised.
While Sheshbazzar himself remains somewhat a mystery, his life reminds us that God uses faithful but sometimes unlikely people to accomplish His purposes. We can trust Him and be faithful in the roles He assigns us.
Sheshbazzar in Apocryphal Literature
There are a few references to Sheshbazzar in some extra-biblical literature from the Apocrypha. However, none of these books are considered Scripture or canonical by Protestants. They provide some additional legends around Sheshbazzar but cannot be regarded as historically authoritative. Some of these references include:
- 1 Esdras (Greek Ezra): Retells the story of the return from exile and rebuilding of the temple. Sheshbazzar is called Sisinnes and is depicted as taking gold, silver, and other items back to Jerusalem (1 Esdras 2:11-15).
- 2 Esdras: Mentions a letter written in the name of King Cyrus referring to “Sisinnes the governor” who was appointed to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (2 Esdras 3:1-2).
- 2 Baruch: Refers to Baruch writing a letter to the exiled Jews telling them money had been sent via “Sisinnes” to fund sacrifices and temple vessels (2 Baruch 6:7-9).
While these books provide some additional legendary details around Sheshbazzar/Sisinnes, they do not have the same historical reliability as the canonical Scriptures. They seem to have embellished the biblical account with additional stories and background. But the authentic history of Sheshbazzar is best limited to what we can glean solely from the authoritative texts in the Bible itself.
Sheshbazzar in Jewish Tradition
There are some references to Sheshbazzar in later Jewish literature and tradition beyond Scripture. These traditions developed additional stories about him but cannot be considered historically reliable.
Some key points about Sheshbazzar from Jewish tradition include:
- He was considered a prince or leader of Judah.
- He was appointed as governor of Judah by the Persian King Cyrus.
- He rebuilt the altar and laid the foundations for the Second Temple.
- He was a pious man who brought the exiles back to the land.
- He may have died soon after arriving in Jerusalem.
Various Jewish stories also emerged suggesting Sheshbazzar was an angelic being or celestial figure who was permitted to come down to Earth, or that he was one of the princes who fell from heaven along with Satan. However, these legends are not considered historically valid.
According to Louis Ginzberg’s “Legends of the Jews,” Sheshbazzar was appointed governor of Judah by Cyrus specifically because he was sensitive to the needs of the Jews and could be trusted to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. His Jewish name was Daniel, but Cyrus called him Sheshbazzar.
While these legends are creative, the Jewish traditions do not reliably supplement what the Bible already tells us about this enigmatic figure. They provide imaginative extrapolation but no substantial history.
Sheshbazzar’s Life and Legacy
Though details about Sheshbazzar’s life are limited, some broad contours can be outlined:
- He was likely born in the Kingdom of Judah prior to the Babylonian invasion. He may have been part of the royal family based on his leadership position among the exiles.
- As a young man he was exiled to Babylon along with King Jeconiah and others after Nebuchadnezzar sieged Jerusalem.
- In Babylon, he gained favor in the court and took a position of leadership among the Jewish captives.
- When Cyrus the Persian overthrew Babylon, he appointed Sheshbazzar as governor over Judah and commissioned him to return and rebuild the temple.
- Sheshbazzar led the first wave of Jewish returnees to Jerusalem and oversaw the start of temple reconstruction.
- He possibly died shortly after arriving back in the land of Israel. The work stalled for over a decade before being revived under later leaders like Zerubbabel.
Though his time as leader was short, Sheshbazzar left an important legacy for God’s people:
- He helped fulfill the prophecies of return from exile and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.
- He transported the holy articles plundered from the first temple back to the promised land.
- He laid the foundation for the Second Temple, establishing hope for completing the project.
- He modeled leadership as one appointed and empowered by God despite being under pagan rulers.
- He stood as an example of faithfulness and obedience to God’s will despite opposition and delays.
For these reasons, Sheshbazzar occupies an honored place among the exiles who returned to reestablish Israel in obedience to God’s call. His choices helped set the stage for those who would follow.
Conclusion
In summary, Sheshbazzar was an important governor of Judah after the Babylonian exile who led the first Jews back to Jerusalem and laid the foundation for rebuilding the temple. The Bible does not provide comprehensive biographical details about him, but he was clearly chosen by God for a significant leadership role during the early years of return.
Sheshbazzar’s exact background remains a mystery – he may have been Shenazzar the son of King Jehoiachin or perhaps Zerubbabel under a different name. But regardless, he faithfully carried out his duties despite delays in completing the temple reconstruction. He provided an important transition between exile and restoration.
Though the biblical account is limited, Sheshbazzar left a legacy of obedience, honor, and leadership under God’s direction during a critical moment in Israel’s history. His service foreshadowed the full restoration that would come to completion under later post-exilic leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah.