Hananiah חֲנַנְיָ֫הוּ

Hananiah, the son of Shelemiah, is mentioned in Jer.37.13 as a gatekeeper during the time of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. When Jeremiah attempted to leave Jerusalem to go to the land of Benjamin, Hananiah arrested him at the Benjamin Gate, accusing him of defecting to the Babylonians. Despite Jeremiah's denial of the charge, Hananiah brought the prophet to the officials, who beat him and imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan the scribe. This incident occurred during the reign of King Zedekiah when the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem. Hananiah's actions reflect the tense and suspicious atmosphere in the city during this time, as well as the opposition faced by Jeremiah for his prophetic messages.