The Fate and Future of Zerubbabel in the Prophecy of Haggai In the prophecy of Haggai, Zerubbabel is usually paired with Joshua (1,1.12.14 ; 2,2.4), but in the final oracle he is singled out for special encouragement (2,20-23). It is commonly argued that the prophet Haggai was a member of a messianic movement in Judah that was triggered by the turmoil in the Persian empire after the death of Cambyses. The argument runs that, occasioned by the political upheavals associated with the contested accession of Darius to the throne in 522 BC, Zerubbabel, who was of Davidic descent, was promoted by a partisan group as the Judean king. Zerubbabel, however, disappeared without a trace after 520 BC. According to this theory, Zerubbabel was removed from office (and maybe even executed) by the Persians due to his royal (messianic?) pretensions 1. Not every Old Testament scholar is committed to this particular theory 2, but it is true to say that most view the last four verses of the prophecy of Haggai as royalist in orientation 3. In this article I argue E.g. P. HAUPT, “The Coronation of Zerubbabel”, JBL 37 (1918) 209-218, 1 esp. 209 : “the nationalists hoped that Zerubbabel would rule over Judah as the legitimate king” (he believed that a coronation of Zerubbabel took place in the Spring of 519 BC) ; L. WATERMAN, “The Camouflaged Purge of Three Messianic Conspirators”, JNES 13 (1954) 73-79; A.T. OLMSTEAD, History of the Persian Empire (Chicago, IL 1948) 142; J. BRIGHT, A History of Israel (Philadelphia, PA 42000) 369-372; R. ALBERTZ, A History of Israelite Religion in the Old Testament Period (OTL ; Louisville, KY 1994) II, 451-454; S. LEVIN, “ Zerubbabel : A Riddle”, JBQ 24 (1996) 14-17. A c c o r d i n g to H.W. WOLFF , H a g g a i . A Commentary (Hermeneia; 2 M i n n e a p o l i s , MN 1988) 107: “Nothing gives us sufficient reason for accusing Zerubbabel of short-sighted enthusiasm, as if he had put himself at the head of an unrealistically impetuous movement for liberty”. Likewise, T. MEADOWCROFT, Haggai (Readings : A New Biblical Commentary; Sheffield 2006) 201, 207, 219, sees no political challenge to Persian rule nor an expectation of a Davidic revival. E.g. R.T. SIEBENECK, “The Messianism of Aggeus and Proto-Zacharias”, 3 CBQ 19 (1957) 312-328; M. SWEENEY, The Twelve Prophets (Berit Olam; Collegeville, PA 2000) II, 554-555; P.L. REDDITT, “The King in Haggai – Zechariah 1-8 and the Book of the Twelve”, Tradition in Transition. Haggai and Zechariah 1-8 in the Trajectory of Hebrew Theology (eds. M.J. BODA – M.H. FLOYD) (LHBOTS 475; London 2008) 58-60.