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Regarding the curse of Jenconiah and his descendants (Jeremiah 22:28-30). I am a little confused to what happened with Zerubbabel. He appears in the oracles of Zechariah and Haggai but no clear reference is given to any kingship. According to Ezra, he was nothing more than a governor in the Persian Judah. Yet Zechariah 6 speaks of him as a king...

No clear reference is given in regard to his children and he seems to simply disappear from the pages of the Tanakh.

Moreover, the Gemara states that he was forgiven. However the quotations from Sanhedrin are aggadic in nature, not halachic. Therefore, there is no one authoritative opinion. If that is the case what happened with Zerubbabel? What happened to his children? Ultimately, are Zerubbabel, or Jeconiah for that matter, valid in the genealogy of moshiach?

Alex
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Elchanan Campan
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Chazal interpret Zerubavel as being another name of Nechemiah (Sanhedrin 38a), who is discussed at much further length throughout Kesuvim (particularly in Sefer Ezra-Nechemiah).

DonielF
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I explain how this is handled in which kings must Moshiach descend from?

The curse of Yechonya (or Yehoyachin) was revoked and his wife had two sons while he was in prison. This is rebuilding of the Davidic line through Zerubavel. Note that this means that since Yehoyachin was the last king who had children that survived (all of Tzidkiyahus children were killed at the destruction of the first temple) Mashiach would therefore continue in a direct line from King David through every king of the House of David through Yechonya to Zerubavel. If anyone is a descendant outside of that direct line, then he would not be eligible to become the Mashiach.

Vayikra Rabba 19:6

Abarbanel on Zechariah 6:12 says that the crown of the kingdom belongs to Zerubavel and his descendants, but he himself will not be crowned as he is a "shoot", not yet grown. Metzudas David says that the Mashiach will be descended from Zerubavel. Similarly on Chagai 2:23

There is a web site that discusses the lines of descent from Zerubavel through the ages.

Descendants of Zerubavel Rashei Galut (Exilarchs), Gaonim and Rabbis. The page is too big to copy here, so just follow the link.

sabbahillel
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