Zadok served as high priest under King David and Solomon, remaining loyal to David during Absalom's rebellion. He anointed Solomon as king and established the priestly lineage that served in the temple. His descendants, the Sadducees, later became a prominent religious group in Israel.
When Absalom rebelled against his father David, Zadok wanted to follow the king with the ark of the covenant, but David sent him back to Jerusalem as a spy.
24Zadok was also there, and with him all the Levites, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
25Then the king said to Zadok, "Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place again.
27The king also said to Zadok the priest, "Listen: go back to the city in peace, and take with you your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan son of Abiathar—your two sons.
16Now send word quickly and tell David: 'Do not spend the night in the plains of the wilderness, but cross over at once, or the king and all the people with him will be swallowed up.'"
17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel, and a servant girl would go and bring them word, and they would go and report to King David, for they could not risk being seen entering the city.
21After they had gone, the two climbed out of the well and went and reported to King David. They said to him, "Get up and cross the water quickly, for this is what Ahithophel has advised against you."
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down, set Solomon on King David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.
39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet, and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"
45Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king at Gihon. They came up from there rejoicing, and the city rang with it. That is the noise you heard.
26To Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go to Anathoth, to your own fields. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David and shared in all my father's hardships."