Zacchaeus 

(sometimes spelled Zaccheus; Ancient Greek: Ζακχαῖος, Zakkhaîos; Hebrew: ‫זכי‬, "pure,

innocent")  was a chief tax-collector at Jericho in the Bible. He is known primarily for his faith in climbing
[1]

a sycamore tree to see Jesus, and also his generosity in giving half of all he possessed. A descendant
of Abraham, he was an example of Jesus's personal, earthly mission to bring salvation to the lost.[2] Tax
collectors were despised as traitors (working for the Roman Empire, not for their Jewish community), and as
being corrupt. His story is found in the Gospel of Luke.[3]
Because the lucrative production and export of balsam was centered in Jericho, his position would have carried
both importance and wealth.[4][5] In the account, he arrived before the crowd who were later to meet with Jesus,
who was passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. He was short in stature and so was unable to see
Jesus through the crowd (Luke 19:3). Zacchaeus then ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree along Jesus's
path. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up at the sycamore tree (actually a sycamore-fig ficus
sycomorus[6]), addressed Zacchaeus by name, and told him to come down, for he intended to visit his house.
The crowd was shocked that Jesus, a religious teacher/prophet, would sully himself by being a guest of a
sinner.
Clement of Alexandria refers once to Zacchaeus in a way which could be read as suggesting that some
identified him with apostle Matthew or Matthias.[7] However, Luke indicates that Matthias was with Jesus in
the beginning since the baptism of John (Acts 1:21–22). John also told us that later, many of Jesus' disciples
turned back and no longer followed him (John 6:60-66). The later Apostolic Constitutions identify "Zacchaeus
the Publican" as the first bishop of Caesarea (7.46).
Medieval legend identified Zacchaeus with Saint Amadour, and held him to be the founder of the French
sanctuary, 
n Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches of Slavic tradition, the Gospel account of Zacchaeus is read
on the last Sunday preceding the liturgical preparation for Great Lent, for which reason that Sunday is known
as "Zacchaeus Sunday". It is the first commemoration of a new Paschal cycle. The account was chosen to open
the Lenten season because of two exegetical aspects: Jesus's call to Zacchaeus to come down from the tree
(symbolizing the divine call to humility), and Zacchaeus's subsequent repentance.
In the Eastern churches of Greek/Byzantine tradition, Zacchaeus Sunday may fall earlier than the Sunday
before the Pre-Lenten season.
In Western Christianity, the gospel pericope concerning Zacchaeus is the reading for a Dedication of a Church
or its anniversary. In Southern Bavaria, a red banner with a white cross may be flown outside a Church on
its anniversary, which is consequently called the Zacchaeus flag.