ZACCHEO. – Chief of the publicans (ἀρχιτελώνης), that is, of the tax collectors in the border city of Jericho, at the time of Christ. Although Jewish by descent, he was despised by his fellow countrymen on account of his odious office, in the service of the Romans.
Being of small stature, he climbed a sycamore in order to see Jesus passing through Jericho. Jesus caught sight of him and invited him to come down, because he intended to stay at his house. Despite the murmuring of the crowd, Jesus accepted Z.’s hospitality; and Z. declared that he would give half of his possessions to the poor and, if he had defrauded anyone, repay fourfold (Lc. 19, 1-10), surpassing in generosity what the Mosaic law required (Lev. 6, 6; Num. 5, 7).
It is not possible to identify Z. with Zakkaj, father of the celebrated rabbi Jōbānān (v.); they may, however, have belonged to the same family. According to the Homilies of Clement (3, 63-72; PG 2, 152-57) and the Recognitiones Clem. (3, 65-74; ibid. 1, 1310, 1314), Z. is said to have followed the apostle St. Peter, by whom he was later appointed bishop at Caesarea. Some, cited by Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, IV, 6; ibid. 8, 1248, have identified Z. with the apostle Matthew the publican. According to a legendary tradition of Quercy, Z. is said to have gone Veronica (v.) and to have evangelized, under the name of Amator, the locality called Rocamadour (Lot), which is still a destination of pilgrimages. His feast is celebrated on 20 August, also among the Copts.
2; a Clermont, ibid., tav. 230, 3; a Vienne, ibid., tav. 230, 4; nella collezione Fontgalland, ibid., tav. 230, 1; ad Avignone, ibid., p. 295, fig. 184) ed a Tarragona (quest'ultimo è copia del sarcofago lateranense 125). Nella maggior parte delle sculture la scena di Z. è fusa con quelle dell'ingresso a Gerusalemme (sarcofago lateranense 212, dal Vaticano; ibid., tav. 157, 1), mentre i giovani ebrei prendono le palme (ibid., tav. 92, 2; 235, 5, 7; fig. 195); Wilpert ne segnala una trentina sparsi a Berlino, Arles, Berja, Costantinopoli (ibid., pp. 312-13); il più Giunio Basso (v.).
Ponzio nella Vita Cypriani (18; ed. CSEL, p. cix), narra che tanta fu la folla che volle assistere al martirio del vescovo di Cartagine, che molti salirono sugli alberi «ad Zacchei similitudinem». Il papa Gregorio IV (827-844) donò alla basilica di S. Lorenzo fuori le mura una preziosa stoffa in cui era tessuta la storia di Z. (Lib. Pont., II, p. 76).