Joshua son of Jehozadak יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק
high priest of the Second Temple; the man whose filthy garments were taken away
Son of Jehozadak, who had been carried into the Babylonian exile, and grandson of Seraiah—the last high priest of the First Temple. He came out with Zerubbabel in the first return (Ezra 2:2) and with him restored the altar, "for fear was upon them because of the peoples of those lands" (Ezra 3:2–3).
Two stood at the head: Zerubbabel of the house of David and Joshua of the house of Aaron. Haggai addresses them together (Haggai 1:1).
Zechariah's vision. "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and the Accuser standing at his right hand to accuse him. Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments… And he said: Take away the filthy garments from him. And he said to him: See, I have made your iniquity pass from you, and I will clothe you in rich apparel" (Zechariah 3:1–4).
The vision is about a beginning given afresh: a generation had returned from an exile that was a punishment—and the high priest is shown that he may serve.
On the timeline
Related
Sources
Tanakh
- Ezra 3:2–3 — the restoring of the altar together with Zerubbabel
- Haggai 1:1 — the prophet addresses him and Zerubbabel together
- Zechariah 3:1–4 — the vision of the filthy garments
Basis: stated in the Tanakh.