The Prophet Sophonias (Zephaniah) was a contemporary of the Prophet Jeremias and the Prophetess Oldama. He was of illustrious lineage from the tribe of Simeon, and was the ninth of the Twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. The prophet lived at the royal court, where he preached repentance and helped king Josias extirpate idol-worship.

He prophesied about the calamities that were to come for the people of Judea and the surrounding regions: Gaza, Ascalon, Crete, and against the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Ninevites.