Zedekiah
the son of Josiah, King of Judah, placed on the throne after Jehoiakin had been removed by Nebuchadnezzar, on his second taking of Jerusalem, 599 в. c. He reigned during 11 years, "and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God." He entered into an alliance with Pharaoh- Hophra, King of Egypt, and revolted against Nebuchadnezzar, who thereupon laid siege to Jerusalem. The prophet Jeremiah counselled Zedekiah to save his city and throne by submission to the Chaldeans; but the king, disregarding this advice, maintained his defense of the city. The Egyptians came to his relief; but, on Nebuchadnezzar offering them battle, they retreated to their own country, and Jerusalem, after undergoing a siege of 19 months (in (in the latter part of which a terrible famine raged), was taken, 586 в. c. The king endeav- ZENOBIA ored to escape, but was captured, and condemned to behold his sons slain before him; after which his eyes were put out, and he was carried, bound with fetters of brass, to Babylon. The city was almost entirely destroyed, and the people led into captivity.
ZEITZ (tsīts), a walled town of Prussian Saxony; in the government of Merseburg, 23 miles S. W. of Leipsic. It lies in a pleasant and fruitful district on the right bank of the White Elster.
The town has a good library, containing over 12,000 volumes, and manufactures of woolens, cottons, calicoes, sugar, wax cloth, leather, pianofortes, cycles, hosiery, gloves, etc. Pop. about 35,000. ZEND AVESTA (usually interpreted to mean "authorized text" and "commentary"), the religious book of the Parsees or representatives of the old creed of fireworshipers. The original is written in the primitive Zend language, with a translation into the comparatively modern Pehlvi made by order of the Sassanian dynasty, A. D. 235-651.