Berechiah was the son of Iddo and the father of the prophet Zechariah. He belonged to a Levitical clan and lived in the period after the Babylonian exile. His most significant role in the Bible is as a link in the genealogy of the prophet Zechariah, who played a central part in rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem.
7On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo:
In the book of Ezra, Zechariah is referred to as the son of Iddo, which may suggest that Berechiah died early and that Iddo was the most prominent ancestor. Nevertheless, Berechiah's role in the lineage is confirmed through the book of Zechariah.
1Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo, the prophets, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.
4Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to them Zadok son of Baana.
30Next to him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his living quarters.
Jesus refers to Zechariah, son of Berechiah, who was killed between the temple and the altar, highlighting the significance of this lineage in biblical tradition.
35so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.