Death of Zacharias 

Zacharias, also called Zechariah, was a Jewish priest, the husband of a priestess named Elizabeth, and the father of John the Baptist. Zacharias and Elizabeth had no children and did not expect any until a celestial being, Gabriel, appeared to her announcing she was pregnant. Zacharias was shocked by this and refused to believe the Gabriel story. Soon enough, though, he could not deny Elizabeth was with child. Six weeks before John’s birth, he had a very impressive dream. The dream convinced him that he and Elizabeth were to become the parents of a son of destiny, one who was to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

Zacharias and Elizabeth raised John, and when John was eighteen, Zacharias died in July 12 CE after several months of illness. Zacharias and Elizabeth made a great contribution to the mission of Jesus by raising John to be Jesus’ herald.

Zacharias’ only heir, John, was a Nazarite and his Nazarite vow forbade contact with the dead, even one’s own family. John wanted to comply with the restrictions of his vow regarding contamination by the dead but went on and buried his father. He then went to Jerusalem and offered the sacrifices required for his cleansing. After the burial, John and Elizabeth began to lay plans for John’s future. John decided to go south to herd sheep. Years later, he baptized Jesus in the Jordan.

The Catholic Church commemorates Zacharias as a saint. His name appears thirteen times in chapter one of the Bible’s New Testament book of Luke. He is also venerated as a prophet in the Lutheran Church. The Armenian Apostolic Church venerates him along with his wife Elizabeth. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates the feast day of Zechariah on September 5. Zechariah and Elizabeth are invoked in several prayers during the Orthodox Mystery of Crowning (Sacrament of Marriage). In the Greek Orthodox calendar, Zechariah and Elizabeth are commemorated on June 24.

Zechariah (Zakariyya) is venerated as a prophet in Islam and is mentioned in the Qur'an as the father of Yaḥyā (John the Baptist). Zechariah is also believed by some Muslims to have been a martyr.