Editing Haggai

{{For|the prophetic book|Book of Haggai}}{{For|the eunuch servant in the Book of Esther|Hegai}}
{{other people}}
{{Short description|Hebrew prophet}}
[[File:Haggai-prophet.jpg|thumb|[[Russian icon]] of Haggai, 18th century ([[Iconostasis]] of [[Kizhi]] [[monastery]], [[Karelia]], [[Russia]])]]
<!--  Commented out: [[Image:HebrewHaggai.jpg|thumb|{{deletable image-caption|Sunday, 2 May 2010}} Depiction of Haggai prophesying during the dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.]] -->

'''Haggai''' or '''Aggeus'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Aggeus (Haggai) |url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01209d.htm |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref> ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|æ|ɡ| aɪ}}; {{langx|he|חַגַּי}} – ''Ḥaggay''; {{Literal translation|One who celebrates}}; [[Koine Greek]]: Ἀγγαῖος; {{langx|la|Aggaeus}}) was a [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] prophet active during the building of the [[Second Temple]] in [[Jerusalem]], one of the twelve [[minor prophets]] in the [[Hebrew Bible]], and the author or subject of the [[Book of Haggai]]. He is known for his prophecy in 520&nbsp;BCE, commanding the Jews to rebuild the Temple.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Judaism in the Persian Period|last=Schiffman|first=Lawrence|pages=53–54}}</ref> He was the first of three [[post-exilic]] prophets from the Neo-Babylonian Exile of the House of Judah (with [[Zechariah (Hebrew prophet)|Zechariah]], his contemporary, and [[Malachi]], who lived about one hundred years later), who belonged to the period of [[History of ancient Israel and Judah|Jewish history]] which began after the return from [[Babylonian captivity|captivity]] in [[Babylon]]. His name means "my holidays".

==Life==
Scarcely anything is known of his personal history, with the book of Haggai offering no biographical details about his ancestry or anything else in his life outside the prophecies of 520&nbsp;BCE. Haggai is only mentioned in one other book of the Bible, the book of Ezra.<ref>''Bible'' Ezra 5:1, Ezra 6:14.</ref> He may have been one of the [[Babylonian captivity|captives taken to Babylon]] by [[Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon|Nebuchadnezzar]]. Some commenters suggest he may have been an old man, and seen the previous temple before its destruction due to what he says about the former glory of the Temple in Haggai 2:3.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Bentley |first=Michael |title=Building for God's Glory: Haggai & Zechariah simply explained |publisher=Evangelical Press |year=1989 |isbn=0852342594 |location=Darlington, England |pages=}}</ref> He began God's prophecy about sixteen years after the [[Babylonian captivity#Return|return of the Jews to Judah]] (ca. {{Circa|520 BCE}}). The work of rebuilding the [[Second Temple|temple]] had been put to a stop through the intrigues of the [[Samaritan]]s. After having been suspended for eighteen years, the work was resumed through the efforts of Haggai and Zechariah.<ref>''Bible,'' {{Bibleverse||Ezra|6:14|131}}</ref> They exhorted the people, which roused them from their lethargy, and induced them to take advantage of a change in the policy of the Persian government under [[Darius I]].

== Haggai prophecies ==
[[File:Tissot Haggai.jpg|thumb|150px|Haggai (watercolor circa 1896–1902 by [[James Tissot]])]]
Haggai prophesied in late 520&nbsp;BCE Jerusalem, about the people needing to complete building the Temple. He has four messages, which begin on August 29 and culminate on December 18.<ref name=":1" /> The new Temple was bound to exceed the awesomeness of the previous Temple. He claimed if the Temple was not built there would be poverty, famine and drought affecting the Jewish nation.

There is a controversy regarding who edited Haggai's works. According to scholars,  they credit it to his students. However, Jewish traditions state that the Men of the [[Great Assembly]] were responsible for the edits. The Men of the Great Assembly are traditionally known for continuing the work of Ezra and Nehemiah.<ref name=":0" />

==Haggai and officials of his time==
Haggai supported the officials of his time, specifically [[Zerubbabel]], the governor of Judah, and [[Joshua the High Priest]]. In the Book of Haggai, God refers to Zerubbabel as "my servant" as [[King David]] was, and says he will make him as a "signet ring", as King Jehoiachin was.<ref>''Bible,'' {{bibleverse|Haggai|2:23|KJV}}; cf. {{bibleverse|Jer|22:24|KJV}}</ref> The signet ring symbolized a ring worn on the hand of Yahweh, showing that a king held divine favour.  Thus, Haggai is implicitly, but not explicitly, saying that Zerubbabel would preside over a restored Davidic kingdom.<ref>{{cite book |last=Coogan |first=Michael |title=A Brief Introduction to the Old Testament |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2009 |page=346 |isbn=978-0195332728 }}</ref>

== Jewish Persian diplomacy ==
The Persian Empire was growing weak, and Haggai saw time as an opportunity to restore the Davidic Kingdom. He believed that the Kingdom of David was able to rise and take back their part in Jewish issues. Haggai's message was directed to the nobles and [[Zerubbabel]], as he would be the first Davidic monarch restored. He saw this as important because the Kingdom would be an end to Jewish idol worship.<ref name=":0" />

==Haggai in Jewish tradition==
Haggai, in rabbinic writing, is often referred to as one of the men of the [[Great Assembly]]. The [[Babylonian Talmud]] (5th century CE) mentions a tradition concerning the prophet Haggai,<ref>Babylonian Talmud (''Yebamot'' 16a)</ref> saying that he gave instruction concerning three things: (a) that it is not lawful for a man whose brother married his daughter (as a co-wife in a polygamous relationship) to consummate a [[levirate marriage]] with one of his deceased brother's co-wives (a teaching accepted by the [[School of Hillel]], but rejected by the [[School of Shammai]]);<ref>A quintessential Jewish teaching, since it is lawful for a Jewish man to marry his brother's daughter, or his sister's daughter. Likewise, [[polygamy]] was permitted under [[Mosaic law]], as also the biblical injunction to take in marriage the wife of one's deceased brother (Heb. ''Yibum'' = levirate marriage) when they had no offspring. The problem, however, that arises here is that a man whose daughter was married to his brother, had his brother died childless, he (the living brother who is the father of his brother's wife) could not consummate a marriage with his own daughter, a thing prohibited in Jewish law, and therefore even the co-wives of his brother assume the same prohibition and are forbidden for him to marry.</ref> (b) that Jews living in the regions of [[Ammon]] and [[Moab]] separate from their produce the [[Poor tithe|poor man's tithe]] during the [[Sabbatical year (Bible)|Sabbatical year]]; (c) that they accept of proselytes from the peoples of [[Tadmur|Tadmor]] (Palmyra) and from the people of [[Kardu|Ḳardu]].

== Liturgical commemoration ==
On the [[Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar]], Haggai is commemorated as a [[saint]] and prophet. His [[feast day]] is 16 December (for those churches which follow the traditional [[Julian Calendar]], 16 December currently falls on 29 December of the modern [[Gregorian Calendar]]). He is also commemorated, in common with the other righteous persons of the Old Testament, on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (the second Sunday before the [[Christmas|Nativity of the Lord]]).

Haggai is commemorated with the other [[Minor prophet]]s in the [[Calendar of Saints (Armenian Apostolic Church)|Calendar of saints]] of the [[Armenian Apostolic Church]] on 31 July.

== Haggai in Freemasonry ==
In the Masonic degree of [[Holy Royal Arch]] Haggai is one of the Three Principals of the Chapter. Named after Haggai the prophet and accompanies [[Zerubbabel]], Prince of the People, and [[Joshua the High Priest|Joshua, the son of Josedech, the High Priest]].<ref>{{cite web |title=A History of Royal Arch Masonry|url=https://virginiaroyalarch.org/education/pdfs/A_History_of_Royal_Arch_Masonry.pdf|website=virginiaroyalarch.org |access-date=2024-03-22}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Book of Haggai]]
*[[Tomb of the Prophets Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi]]

== References ==
* {{EBD|wstitle=Haggai}}
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/12/16/103556-prophet-haggai Prophet Haggai] Orthodox [[icon]] and [[synaxarion]]

{{Prophets of the Tanakh}}
{{Extra-Quranic Prophets of Islam}}
{{Catholic saints}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Book of Ezra people]]
[[Category:Book of Haggai people]]
[[Category:6th-century BC writers]]
[[Category:Christian saints from the Old Testament]]
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