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{{about|the biblical prophet|the biblical book|Book of Ezekiel|other uses|Ezekiel (disambiguation)}} {{about|the biblical prophet|the biblical book|Book of Ezekiel|other uses|Ezekiel (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox saint {{Infobox saint
|name = Ezekiel the Prophet<br/>{{Nobold|{{Script/Hebrew|יְחֶזְקֵאל}}}} |name = Ezekiel<br />{{nobold|{{lang|he|{{Script/Hebrew|יְחֶזְקֵאל}}|rtl=yes}}}}
|image = Ezekiel by Michelangelo, restored - large.jpg |image = Ezekiel by Michelangelo, restored - large.jpg
⚫ |caption = Depiction by ] on the ]
|imagesize = 230px
⚫ |titles = ] and ]
⚫ |caption = ''Ezekiel'', as depicted by ] on the ]
⚫ |birth_date = Possibly {{circa|623 BCE}}
⚫ |titles = ], ]
|birth_place =], ]
⚫ |birth_date = possibly {{circa|622 BCE}}
⚫ |death_date = After {{circa|571 BCE}}
|birth_place =
⚫ |death_place = ], ]
⚫ |death_date = possibly {{circa|570 BCE}} (aged 51–52)
⚫ |death_place = ]
|feast_day = {{blist|August 28 – ]|July 23 – ] and ]|July 21 – ]}} |feast_day = {{blist|August 28 – ]|July 23 – ] and ]|July 21 – ]}}
|beatified_date = |beatified_date =
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|canonized_place = |canonized_place =
|canonized_by = |canonized_by =
|major_shrine = '']'', ], ] |major_shrine = ], Iraq
|attributes = |attributes =
|patronage = |patronage =
|issues= |issues=]
|suppressed_date = |suppressed_date =
|venerated_in = {{ubl|]|]|]|]}} |venerated_in = {{hlist|]|]|]|]}}
}} }}
]'' by ], {{circa|1518 CE}}]] ]'' by ], {{circa|1518 CE}}]]
⚫ '''Ezekiel''', also spelled '''Ezechiel''' ({{IPAc-en|ɪ|ˈ|z|iː|k|i|əl}}; {{langx|he|יְחֶזְקֵאל|Yəḥezqēʾl}} {{IPA|he|jə.ħɛzˈqeːl|}}; {{langx|grc-x-koine|Ἰεζεκιήλ|Iezekiḗl}} {{IPA|grc|i.ɛ.zɛ.kiˈel|}}), was an ]. The ], relating his visions and acts, is named after him.


The ] acknowledge Ezekiel as a ]. According to the narrative, Ezekiel prophesied the destruction of ]'s capital city ]. In 587 BCE, the ], destroyed ], and sent the Judahite upper classes into the ].
⚫ '''Ezekiel''' or '''Ezechiel''' ({{IPAc-en|ᵻ|ˈ|z|iː|k|i|əl}}; {{lang-he|יְחֶזְקֵאל}} ''Yəḥezqēʾl'' {{IPA-he|jə.ħɛzˈqeːl|}}; in the ] written in {{lang-grc-koi|Ἰεζεκιήλ}} {{transliteration|grc|Iezekiḗl}} {{IPA-grc|i.ɛ.zɛ.kiˈel|}}) is the central ] of the ] in the ].


However, Ezekiel also prophesied the eventual restoration of the ] to the ]. It is believed he died around 570 BCE; ] is a Jewish religious site in ]. Three decades later, in 539 BCE, the ] and the ] ].
In ], ], and ], Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew ]. In Judaism and Christianity, he is also viewed as the 6th-century BCE author of the Book of Ezekiel, which includes prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jews' restoration to the land of Israel.


The name Ezekiel means "God is strong" or "God strengthens".<ref>{{cite book |last=Joyce |first=Paul M. |author-link= |date=2009 |title=Ezekiel: A Commentary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LRepfsso2p0C&q=%22God%20strengthens%22 |location= |publisher=T&T Clark |pages=67, 79 |isbn=9780567483614}}</ref> The name "Ezekiel" means "God is strong" or "God strengthens" in Hebrew.<ref>{{cite book |last=Joyce |first=Paul M. |author-link= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LRepfsso2p0C&q=%22God%20strengthens%22 |title=Ezekiel: A Commentary |date=2009 |publisher=T&T Clark |isbn=9780567483614 |location= |pages=67, 79}}</ref>


== In the Bible == == Biblical account ==
The author of the ] presents himself as Ezekiel, the son of ], born into a priestly (]) lineage.<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|1:3|KJV|Ezekiel 1:3}}</ref> Apart from identifying himself, the author gives a date for the first divine encounter which he presents: "in the thirtieth year".<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|1:1–2|KJV}}</ref> Ezekiel describes his calling to be a ] by going into great detail about his encounter with ] and four "living creatures" with four wheels that stayed beside the creatures.<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|1|KJV|Ezekiel 1}}</ref> The author of the ] presents himself as Ezekiel, the son of ], born into a priestly (]) lineage.<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|1:3|KJV|Ezekiel 1:3}}</ref> The author dates his first divine encounter to "the thirtieth year" according to ]:1–2. Ezekiel describes his calling to be a ], detailing his encounter with ] and four "living creatures" with four wheels beside them.<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|1|KJV|Ezekiel 1}}</ref>


⚫ According to the Bible, Ezekiel and his wife lived during the ] on the banks of the Kebar Canal in ] near ]{{efn|Not to be confused with modern day ], located on the ] coastline. However, this location's name was influenced by Ezekiel 3:15.}} with other exiles from the ] according to Ezekiel 1:1 and ]. There is no mention of him having children.
=== Living in Babylon ===
⚫ According to the Bible, Ezekiel and his wife lived during the ] on the banks of the Kebar Canal in ] near ]{{efn|Not to be confused with modern day ], located on the ] coastline. However, this location's name was influenced by Ezekiel 3:15.}} with other exiles from the ].<ref>], ].</ref> There is no mention of him having any offspring.


== Chronology == === Chronology ===
Ezekiel's "thirtieth year" is given as the fifth year of the exile of ] ] by the Babylonians,<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|1:2|KJV}}</ref> counting the years ''after'' the exile in 598 BCE, that is from 597 to 593 BCE. The last recorded prophecy of Ezekiel dates to April 571 BCE,<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|29:17-19|KJV}}</ref><ref name="Eichrodt2003">{{cite book|author=Walther Eichrodt|title=Ezekiel: A Commentary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wLN1BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA407|date=20 June 2003|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|isbn=978-1-61164-596-5|page=407}}</ref> sixteen years after the ] in 587 BCE. On the basis of dates given in the Book of Ezekiel, his span of prophecies can be calculated to have occurred over the course of about 22 years, starting in 593 BCE.<ref name="Clements1996">{{cite book|author=Ronald Ernest Clements|title=Ezekiel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cB5WoWI3FRAC&pg=PA1|date=1 January 1996|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|isbn=978-0-664-25272-4|page=1}}</ref> In the text, the "thirtieth year" is identified as the fifth year of the exile of ], ], by the ] beginning in 597 BCE (though the kingdom was allowed to continue under ]);<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|1:2|KJV}}</ref> this dates Ezekiel's vision to 593 BCE. The last recorded prophecy of Ezekiel dates to April 571 BCE, sixteen years after the ] in 587 BCE.<ref>{{Bibleref|Ezekiel|29:17-19|KJV}}</ref><ref name="Eichrodt2003">{{cite book |author=Walther Eichrodt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wLN1BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA407 |title=Ezekiel: A Commentary |date=20 June 2003 |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |isbn=978-1-61164-596-5 |page=407}}</ref> Thus, Ezekiel's prophecies occurred over about 22 years.<ref name="Clements1996">{{cite book|author=Ronald Ernest Clements|title=Ezekiel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cB5WoWI3FRAC&pg=PA1|date=1 January 1996|publisher=Westminster John Knox Press|isbn=978-0-664-25272-4|page=1}}</ref>


The ] on Ezekiel 1:1 and the 2nd-century rabbinic work '']'' (chapter 26) both say that Ezekiel's vision came "in the thirtieth year after ] was presented with a Book of the Law discovered in the Temple", the latter taking place about the time of ] in 622 BCE,<ref name="Betts2005">{{cite book|author=Terry J. Betts|title=Ezekiel the Priest: A Custodian of Tôrâ|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mTxmJpdAuwoC&pg=PA51|year=2005|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-0-8204-7425-0|page=51}}</ref> shortly after the call of ] to prophetic ministry around 626 BCE.<ref>], ''Jeremiah, Lamentations'', Hendrickson Publishers, 2008, p. 6</ref> If the "thirtieth year" of ] instead refers to Ezekiel's age, then he was born around 622 BCE and was fifty years old when he had his final vision.<ref name="Eichrodt2003" /><ref name="Betts2005" /> The "thirtieth year" may refer to Ezekiel's age at the time of his first vision, making him fifty-two years old at his final vision.<ref name="Eichrodt2003" /><ref name="Betts2005" /> However, the '']'' on Ezekiel 1:1 and the ] rabbinic work '']'' (chapter 26) interpret it to mean "in the thirtieth year after ] was presented with a Book of the Law discovered in the Temple" in 622 BCE, the time of ] and ]'s prophecies.<ref name="Betts2005">{{cite book|author=Terry J. Betts|title=Ezekiel the Priest: A Custodian of Tôrâ|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mTxmJpdAuwoC&pg=PA51|year=2005|publisher=Peter Lang|isbn=978-0-8204-7425-0|page=51}}</ref><ref>], ''Jeremiah, Lamentations'', Hendrickson Publishers, 2008, p. 6</ref> These two interpretations can be reconciled if Ezekiel was born around the same time as Josiah's reforms.


== Extrabiblical traditions == == Extrabiblical accounts ==


=== Jewish tradition === === Jewish tradition ===
] at ] in ]; the quote is Ezekiel 37:14.]] ] at ] in ]; the quote is Ezekiel 37:14.]]
According to ], Ezekiel did not write his own book, the Book of Ezekiel, but rather his prophecies were collected and written by the ].<ref>], '']'' </ref> According to ], Ezekiel did not write the biblical Book of Ezekiel, but rather his prophecies were collected by the ].<ref>], '']'' </ref>


Ezekiel, like ], is said by ]<ref>(Meg. 14b)</ref> and ]<ref>(], Num. 78)</ref> to have been a descendant of ] by his marriage with the ] and former prostitute ]. Some statements found in rabbinic literature posit that Ezekiel was the son of Jeremiah, who was (also) called "Buzi" because he was despised by the Jews.<ref>Radak – R. David Kimkhi – in his commentary on Ezekiel 1:3, based on Targum Yerushalmi</ref> Ezekiel, like ], is said by ]<ref>(Meg. 14b)</ref> and ]<ref>(], Num. 78)</ref> to have been a descendant of ] by his marriage with the ] and former prostitute ]. Some statements found in rabbinic literature posit that Ezekiel was the son of Jeremiah, who was (also) called "Buzi" because he was despised by the Jews.<ref>Radak – R. David Kimkhi – in his commentary on Ezekiel 1:3, based on Targum Yerushalmi</ref>


Ezekiel was said to be already active as a prophet while in the Land of Israel, and he retained this gift when he was exiled with Jehoiachin and the nobles of the country to Babylon.<ref>], ''Ant.'' x. 6, § 3: "while he was still a boy"; comp. Rashi on Sanh. 92b</ref> ] claims that ]'s armies exiled three thousand people from Judah,<ref>Flavius Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'' Book X, 6.3.98</ref> after deposing King Jehoiachin in 598 BCE. According to ], Ezekiel was already active as a prophet while in the Land of Israel, and he retained this gift when he was exiled with King Jehoiachin and the nobles of the country to Babylon.<ref>], ''Ant.'' x. 6, § 3: "while he was still a boy"; comp. Rashi on Sanh. 92b</ref> ] relates that ]'s Babylonian armies exiled three thousand people from Judah,<ref>Flavius Josephus, ''Antiquities of the Jews'' Book X, 6.3.98</ref> after deposing Jehoiachin in 598 BCE.


] and ], based on the description by Ezekiel]] ] and ], based on the description by Ezekiel]]
] states in the Babylonian Talmud that although Ezekiel describes the appearance of the throne of God (]), this is not because he had seen more than the prophet ], but rather because the latter was more accustomed to such visions; for the relation of the two prophets is that of a courtier to a peasant, the latter of whom would always describe a royal court more floridly than the former, to whom such things would be familiar.<ref>(Ḥag. 13b)</ref> Ezekiel, like all the other prophets, has beheld only a blurred reflection of the divine majesty, just as a poor mirror reflects objects only imperfectly.<ref>Midrash Lev. Rabbah i. 14, toward the end</ref> ] states in the Babylonian Talmud that although Ezekiel describes the appearance of the throne of God (]), this is not because he had seen more than the prophet ]: on the contrary, Isaiah described the divine glory as a courtier would describe the royal court where he served; whereas Ezekiel wrote as a peasant floridly embellishing a distant majesty.<ref>(Ḥag. 13b)</ref> Ezekiel, like all the other prophets, has beheld only a blurred reflection of God, as if seen in a poor mirror.<ref>Midrash Lev. Rabbah i. 14, toward the end</ref>


According to the midrash '']'', it was Ezekiel whom the three pious men, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (also called ]) asked for advice as to whether they should resist Nebuchadnezzar's command and choose death by fire rather than worship his ]. According to the midrash '']'', it was Ezekiel whom the three pious men, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (also called ]) asked for advice as to whether they should resist Nebuchadnezzar's command and choose death by fire rather than worship his ]. At first God revealed to the prophet that they could not hope for a miraculous rescue, and the prophet grieved for these men who were the "remnant of Judah". But when they left fully determined to sacrifice their lives to God, Ezekiel received this revelation:{{quote|When they went out from before Ezekiel, the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself and said: 'Ezekiel, what do you think, that I will not stand by them? I will certainly stand by them.' That is what is written: "So said the Lord God: Concerning this too, I will acquiesce to the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 36:37). 'But leave them and do not say anything to them. I will leave them to proceed unsuspecting.'<ref>{{cite journal |title=Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:8:1 |website=www.sefaria.org |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Shir_HaShirim_Rabbah.7.8.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en}}</ref>}}

At first God revealed to the prophet that they could not hope for a miraculous rescue; whereupon the prophet was greatly grieved, since these three men constituted the "remnant of Judah". But after they had left the house of the prophet, fully determined to sacrifice their lives to God, Ezekiel received this revelation:
{{quote|When they went out from before Ezekiel, the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself and said: ‘Ezekiel, what do you think, that I will not stand by them? I will certainly stand by them.’ That is what is written: “So said the Lord God: Concerning this too, I will acquiesce to the house of Israel” (Ezekiel 36:37). ‘But leave them and do not say anything to them. I will leave them to proceed unsuspecting.’<ref>{{cite journal |title=Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:8:1 |website=www.sefaria.org |url=https://www.sefaria.org/Shir_HaShirim_Rabbah.7.8.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en}}</ref>}}


=== Christian tradition === === Christian tradition ===
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=== Islamic tradition === === Islamic tradition ===
] ]
] at the tomb of Ezekiel in Al-Kifl in the 1930s]] ] at the tomb of Ezekiel in ] in the 1930s]]
Ezekiel ({{lang-ar|حزقيال}}; "Ḥazqiyāl"{{efn|"Ḥazqiyāl" is also ] as "Ḥizqiyāl", "Ḥizqīl", and "Ḥizkīl"}}) is recognized as a ] in ] ]. Although not mentioned by name in the ], ] scholars, both classical{{efn|Ibn Kutayba, Ukasha, Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ishaq, Masudi, Kisa'i, Balami, Thalabi and many more have all recognized Ezekiel as a prophet}} and modern{{efn|The greatest depth to the figure is given by ], in his commentary; his commentary's note '''2743''': "If we accept "Dhul al Kifl" to be not an epithet, but an Arabicised form of "Ezekiel", it fits the context, Ezekiel was a prophet in Israel who was carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar after his second attack on Jerusalem (about BCE 599). His Book is included in the English Bible (Old Testament). He was chained and bound, and put into prison, and for a time he was dumb. He bore all with patience and constancy, and continued to reprove boldly the evils in Israel. In a burning passage he denounces false leaders in words which are eternally true: "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken ...... etc. (Ezekiel, 34:2–4)."}} have included Ezekiel in lists of the ]. Ezekiel ({{langx|ar|حزقيال}}; "Ḥazqiyāl"{{efn|"Ḥazqiyāl" is also ] as "Ḥizqiyāl", "Ḥizqīl", and "Ḥizkīl"}}) is recognized as a ] in ] ]. Although not mentioned by name in the ], ] scholars, both classical{{efn|Ibn Kutayba, Ukasha, Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ishaq, Masudi, Kisa'i, Balami, Thalabi and many more have all recognized Ezekiel as a prophet}} and modern{{efn|The greatest depth to the figure is given by ], in his commentary; his commentary's note '''2743''': "If we accept "Dhul al Kifl" to be not an epithet, but an Arabicised form of "Ezekiel", it fits the context, Ezekiel was a prophet in Israel who was carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar after his second attack on Jerusalem (about BCE 599). His Book is included in the English Bible (Old Testament). He was chained and bound, and put into prison, and for a time he was dumb. He bore all with patience and constancy, and continued to reprove boldly the evils in Israel. In a burning passage he denounces false leaders in words which are eternally true: "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken ...... etc. (Ezekiel, 34:2–4)."}} have included Ezekiel in lists of the ].


The Quran mentions a prophet called '']''{{efn|"Dhū al-Kifl" is also romanised as "Dhul-Kifl", "Zu al-Kifl", and "Zul-Kifl"}} ({{lang|ar|ذو الكفل}}). Although Dhu al-Kifl's identity is disputed, he is often identified with Ezekiel. ], in his ''Reisebeschreibung nach Arabian'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Niebuhr |first=Carsten |title=Reisebeschreibung nach Arabian |location=Copenhagen |publisher=Nicolaus Möller |year=1778 |volume=2 |pages=264–266}}</ref> says he visited ] in ], midway between ] and ] and said ''Kifl'' was the ] form of ''Ezekiel''. He further explained in his book that ] was present in ] and that the Jews came to it on pilgrimage. The name "Dhu al-Kifl" means "Possessor of the Double" or "Possesor of the Fold" ({{lang|ar|ذو}} ''dhū'' "possessor of, owner of" and {{lang|ar|الكفل}} ''al-kifl'' "double, folded"). Some Islamic scholars have likened Ezekiel's mission to the description of Dhu al-Kifl. When the exile, monarchy, and state were annihilated, a political and national life was no longer possible. In the absence of a worldly foundation it became necessary to build a spiritual one and Ezekiel performed this mission by observing the signs of the time and deducing his doctrines from them. In conformity with the two parts of his book, his personality and his preaching are alike twofold. The Quran mentions a prophet called '']''{{efn|"Dhū al-Kifl" is also romanised as "Dhul-Kifl", "Zu al-Kifl", and "Zul-Kifl"}} ({{lang|ar|ذو الكفل}}). Although Dhu al-Kifl's identity is disputed, he is often identified with Ezekiel. ], in his ''Reisebeschreibung nach Arabian'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Niebuhr |first=Carsten |title=Reisebeschreibung nach Arabian |location=Copenhagen |publisher=Nicolaus Möller |year=1778 |volume=2 |pages=264–266}}</ref> says he visited ] in ], midway between ] and ] and said ''Kifl'' was the ] form of ''Ezekiel''. He further explained in his book that ] was present in ] and that the Jews came to it on pilgrimage. The name "Dhu al-Kifl" means "Possessor of the Double" or "Possesor of the Fold" ({{lang|ar|ذو}} ''dhū'' "possessor of, owner of" and {{lang|ar|الكفل}} ''al-kifl'' "double, folded"). Some Islamic scholars have likened Ezekiel's mission to the description of Dhu al-Kifl. During the exile, the monarchy and state were annihilated, and political and national life were no longer possible. In the absence of a worldly foundation, it became necessary to build a spiritual one and Ezekiel performed this mission by observing the signs of the time and deducing his doctrines from them. In conformity with the two parts of his book, his personality and his preaching are alike twofold.


Regardless of the identification of Dhu al-Kifl with Ezekiel, ]s have viewed Ezekiel as a prophet. Ezekiel appears in all ] collections of '']''.<ref>''Stories of the Prophets'', Ibn Kathir, ''Story of Ezekiel (Hizqil)''</ref> ] ] further lists Ezekiel's father as ] (''Budhi'') and Ezekiel is given the title ''ibn al-‘ajūz'', denoting "son of the old (man)", as his parents are supposed to have been very old when he was born. A tradition, which resembles that of ] and ] in the ], states that Ezekiel's mother prayed to God in old age for the birth of an offspring and was given Ezekiel as a gift from ].<ref>''Encyclopedia of Islam'', G. Vajda, ''Hizkil''</ref> Regardless of the identification of Dhu al-Kifl with Ezekiel, ]s have viewed Ezekiel as a prophet. Ezekiel appears in all collections of '']''.<ref>''Stories of the Prophets'', Ibn Kathir, ''Story of Ezekiel (Hizqil)''</ref> Muslim ] further lists Ezekiel's father as ] (''Budhi'') and Ezekiel is given the title ''ibn al-‘ajūz'', denoting "son of the old (man)", as his parents are supposed to have been very old when he was born. A tradition, which resembles that of ] and ] in the ], states that Ezekiel's mother prayed to God in old age for the birth of an offspring and was given Ezekiel as a gift from ].<ref>''Encyclopedia of Islam'', G. Vajda, ''Hizkil''</ref>


==== Bibliography ==== ==== Bibliography ====
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* Emil Heller Henning III, "Ezekiel's Temple: A Scriptural Framework Illustrating the Covenant of Grace", 2012. * Emil Heller Henning III, "Ezekiel's Temple: A Scriptural Framework Illustrating the Covenant of Grace", 2012.


== Purported tombs == == Resting place ==


=== Al Kifl === === Ezekiel's Tomb, Iraq ===
] is a structure located in modern-day south ] near ], believed to be the final resting place of Ezekiel.<ref name=JE>{{cite web|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=562&letter=E |title=Jewishencyclopedia.com |publisher=Jewishencyclopedia.com |access-date=2012-06-22}}</ref> It has been a place of pilgrimage to both Muslims and Jews alike. After the ] from Iraq, Jewish activity in the tomb ceased, although a disused synagogue remains in place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/30317/iraq-cleric-slams-plan-turn-jewish-tomb-mosque |title=Iraq Cleric Slams Plan to Turn Jewish Tomb into Mosque |publisher=Thejc.com |date=2010-04-12 |access-date=2012-06-22}}</ref> ] is located in ], ], near ]. Historically an important Jewish site, the ] for ] was constructed over it.<ref name=JE>{{cite web|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=562&letter=E |title=Jewishencyclopedia.com |publisher=Jewishencyclopedia.com |access-date=2012-06-22}}</ref> Due to the ] in the 1950s, the presence of the ] has diminished, although a disused ] remains in place at the location.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/30317/iraq-cleric-slams-plan-turn-jewish-tomb-mosque |title=Iraq Cleric Slams Plan to Turn Jewish Tomb into Mosque |publisher=Thejc.com |date=2010-04-12 |access-date=2012-06-22}}</ref> In 2020, work was reportedly underway to transform the synagogue into a ].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Neurink |first=Judit |date=2020-02-09 |title=Jewish shrine of Prophet Ezekiel's Tomb open to visitors in Shiite Iraq |url=https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/2020-02-09/ty-article/.premium/jewish-shrine-of-prophet-ezekiels-tomb-open-to-visitors-in-shiite-iraq/0000017f-f6e8-d318-afff-f7eb2fb40000 |access-date=2024-03-19 |work=Haaretz |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=bataween |date=2020-10-20 |title=Synagogue at Ezekiel's tomb dismantled • Point of No Return |url=https://www.jewishrefugees.org.uk/2020/10/synagogue-at-ezekiels-tomb-dismantled.html |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=Point of No Return |language=en-GB}}</ref>


=== Ergani === === Tomb at Ergani, Turkey ===
A tomb in the ] district of ], Turkey, is also believed to be the resting place of prophet Ezekiel. It is located 5&nbsp;km from the city centre on a hill, revered and visited by the local Muslims, called ''Makam Dağı''.<ref>''ilkha''. Posted 17 November 2018.</ref><ref> ''GuneydoguGuncel''. Posted 18 November 2018.</ref> A tomb in the ] of ] in ] is also believed to be the resting place of Ezekiel. It is located {{Convert|5|km|mi}} from the city centre on a hill, where it is revered and visited by local ], called ''Makam Dağı''.<ref>''ilkha''. Posted 17 November 2018.</ref><ref> ''GuneydoguGuncel''. Posted 18 November 2018.</ref>


== In popular culture == == In popular culture ==
{{For|allusions to his prophecies|Book of Ezekiel#In popular culture}}
⚫ Ezekiel is portrayed by ] in a 1979 episode<ref>{{Citation |title=DRY BONES.mov |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQboPOM6wYA |language=en |access-date=2022-04-07}}</ref> of the television series '']'' (1978-).<ref>{{Citation |title=Our Jewish Roots (TV Series 1978– ) - IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6366130/fullcredits |access-date=2022-04-07}}</ref>



⚫ Ezekiel is portrayed by ] in a 1979 episode<ref>{{Citation |title=DRY BONES.mov | date=31 January 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQboPOM6wYA |language=en |access-date=2022-04-07}}</ref> of the television series '']'' (1978–).<ref>{{Citation |title=Our Jewish Roots (TV Series 1978– ) - IMDb |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6366130/fullcredits |access-date=2022-04-07}}</ref>
In the '']'' video game series, the Nod Stealth Tank is sometimes referred to as the Ezekiel Wheel, referencing the angelic creatures which Ezekiel witnesses in Chapter 1.


== See also == == See also ==

Latest revision as of 11:10, 16 January 2025

Prophet in the Abrahamic religions This article is about the biblical prophet. For the biblical book, see Book of Ezekiel. For other uses, see Ezekiel (disambiguation).
Ezekiel
יְחֶזְקֵאל‎
Depiction by Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel ceiling
Prophet and Priest
BornPossibly c. 623 BCE
Jerusalem, Kingdom of Judah
DiedAfter c. 571 BCE
Babylon, Neo-Babylonian Empire
Venerated in
Major shrineEzekiel's Tomb, Iraq
Feast
ControversyBabylonian captivity
Ezekiel's Vision by Raphael, c. 1518 CE

Ezekiel, also spelled Ezechiel (/ɪˈziːkiəl/; Hebrew: יְחֶזְקֵאל, romanized: Yəḥezqēʾl [jə.ħɛzˈqeːl]; Koinē Greek: Ἰεζεκιήλ, romanized: Iezekiḗl [i.ɛ.zɛ.kiˈel]), was an Israelite priest. The Book of Ezekiel, relating his visions and acts, is named after him.

The Abrahamic religions acknowledge Ezekiel as a prophet. According to the narrative, Ezekiel prophesied the destruction of Judah's capital city Jerusalem. In 587 BCE, the Neo-Babylonian Empire conquered Jerusalem, destroyed Solomon's Temple, and sent the Judahite upper classes into the Babylonian captivity.

However, Ezekiel also prophesied the eventual restoration of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. It is believed he died around 570 BCE; Ezekiel's Tomb is a Jewish religious site in Mesopotamia. Three decades later, in 539 BCE, the Persian empire conquered Babylon and the Edict of Cyrus repatriated the exiles.

The name "Ezekiel" means "God is strong" or "God strengthens" in Hebrew.

Biblical account

The author of the Book of Ezekiel presents himself as Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, born into a priestly (kohen) lineage. The author dates his first divine encounter to "the thirtieth year" according to Ezekiel 1:1–2. Ezekiel describes his calling to be a prophet, detailing his encounter with God and four "living creatures" with four wheels beside them.

According to the Bible, Ezekiel and his wife lived during the Babylonian captivity on the banks of the Kebar Canal in Tel Abib near Nippur with other exiles from the Kingdom of Judah according to Ezekiel 1:1 and 3:15. There is no mention of him having children.

Chronology

In the text, the "thirtieth year" is identified as the fifth year of the exile of Jeconiah, King of Judah, by the Neo-Babylonian Empire beginning in 597 BCE (though the kingdom was allowed to continue under Zedekiah); this dates Ezekiel's vision to 593 BCE. The last recorded prophecy of Ezekiel dates to April 571 BCE, sixteen years after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE. Thus, Ezekiel's prophecies occurred over about 22 years.

The "thirtieth year" may refer to Ezekiel's age at the time of his first vision, making him fifty-two years old at his final vision. However, the Targum Jonathan on Ezekiel 1:1 and the 2nd-century rabbinic work Seder Olam Rabba (chapter 26) interpret it to mean "in the thirtieth year after Josiah was presented with a Book of the Law discovered in the Temple" in 622 BCE, the time of Josiah's reforms and Jeremiah's prophecies. These two interpretations can be reconciled if Ezekiel was born around the same time as Josiah's reforms.

Extrabiblical accounts

Jewish tradition

Monument to Holocaust survivors at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem; the quote is Ezekiel 37:14.

According to Jewish tradition, Ezekiel did not write the biblical Book of Ezekiel, but rather his prophecies were collected by the Great Assembly.

Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, is said by Talmud and Midrash to have been a descendant of Joshua by his marriage with the proselyte and former prostitute Rahab. Some statements found in rabbinic literature posit that Ezekiel was the son of Jeremiah, who was (also) called "Buzi" because he was despised by the Jews.

According to Josephus, Ezekiel was already active as a prophet while in the Land of Israel, and he retained this gift when he was exiled with King Jehoiachin and the nobles of the country to Babylon. Josephus relates that Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian armies exiled three thousand people from Judah, after deposing Jehoiachin in 598 BCE.

One traditional depiction of the cherubim and chariot vision, based on the description by Ezekiel

Rava states in the Babylonian Talmud that although Ezekiel describes the appearance of the throne of God (merkabah), this is not because he had seen more than the prophet Isaiah: on the contrary, Isaiah described the divine glory as a courtier would describe the royal court where he served; whereas Ezekiel wrote as a peasant floridly embellishing a distant majesty. Ezekiel, like all the other prophets, has beheld only a blurred reflection of God, as if seen in a poor mirror.

According to the midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah, it was Ezekiel whom the three pious men, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (also called Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) asked for advice as to whether they should resist Nebuchadnezzar's command and choose death by fire rather than worship his idol. At first God revealed to the prophet that they could not hope for a miraculous rescue, and the prophet grieved for these men who were the "remnant of Judah". But when they left fully determined to sacrifice their lives to God, Ezekiel received this revelation:

When they went out from before Ezekiel, the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself and said: 'Ezekiel, what do you think, that I will not stand by them? I will certainly stand by them.' That is what is written: "So said the Lord God: Concerning this too, I will acquiesce to the house of Israel" (Ezekiel 36:37). 'But leave them and do not say anything to them. I will leave them to proceed unsuspecting.'

Christian tradition

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Russian icon of the Prophet Ezekiel holding a scroll with his prophecy and pointing to the "closed gate" (18th century, Iconostasis of Kizhi monastery, Russia)

Ezekiel is commemorated as a saint in the liturgical calendar of the Eastern Orthodox Church—and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite—on July 21 (for those churches which use the traditional Julian Calendar, July 21 falls on August 5 of the modern Gregorian Calendar). Ezekiel is commemorated on August 28 on the Calendar of Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and on April 10 in the Roman Martyrology.

Certain Lutheran churches also celebrate his commemoration on July 21.

Saint Bonaventure interpreted Ezekiel's statement about the "closed gate" as a prophecy of the Incarnation: the "gate" signifying the Virgin Mary and the "prince" referring to Jesus. This is one of the readings at Vespers on Great Feasts of the Theotokos in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches. This imagery is also found in the traditional Catholic Christmas hymn "Gaudete" and in a saying by Bonaventure, quoted by Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori: "No one can enter Heaven unless by Mary, as though through a door." The imagery provides the basis for the concept that God gave Mary to humanity as the "Gate of Heaven" (thence the dedication of churches and convents to the Porta Coeli), an idea also laid out in the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) prayer.

John B. Taylor credits the subject with imparting the Biblical understanding of the nature of God.

Islamic tradition

Allah raised the dead at the request of the Prophet Ezekiel. He is standing in a desert with skulls and bones scattered. The prophet is depicted with a halo in the form of flames, typical in Islamic arts.
Iraqi Jews at the tomb of Ezekiel in Al-Kifl in the 1930s

Ezekiel (Arabic: حزقيال; "Ḥazqiyāl") is recognized as a prophet in Islamic tradition. Although not mentioned by name in the Quran, Muslim scholars, both classical and modern have included Ezekiel in lists of the prophets of Islam.

The Quran mentions a prophet called Dhū al-Kifl (ذو الكفل). Although Dhu al-Kifl's identity is disputed, he is often identified with Ezekiel. Carsten Niebuhr, in his Reisebeschreibung nach Arabian, says he visited Al Kifl in Iraq, midway between Najaf and Hilla and said Kifl was the Arabic form of Ezekiel. He further explained in his book that Ezekiel's Tomb was present in Al Kifl and that the Jews came to it on pilgrimage. The name "Dhu al-Kifl" means "Possessor of the Double" or "Possesor of the Fold" (ذو dhū "possessor of, owner of" and الكفل al-kifl "double, folded"). Some Islamic scholars have likened Ezekiel's mission to the description of Dhu al-Kifl. During the exile, the monarchy and state were annihilated, and political and national life were no longer possible. In the absence of a worldly foundation, it became necessary to build a spiritual one and Ezekiel performed this mission by observing the signs of the time and deducing his doctrines from them. In conformity with the two parts of his book, his personality and his preaching are alike twofold.

Regardless of the identification of Dhu al-Kifl with Ezekiel, Muslims have viewed Ezekiel as a prophet. Ezekiel appears in all collections of Stories of the Prophets. Muslim exegesis further lists Ezekiel's father as Buzi (Budhi) and Ezekiel is given the title ibn al-‘ajūz, denoting "son of the old (man)", as his parents are supposed to have been very old when he was born. A tradition, which resembles that of Hannah and Samuel in the Hebrew Bible, states that Ezekiel's mother prayed to God in old age for the birth of an offspring and was given Ezekiel as a gift from God.

Bibliography

  • Ibn Kutayba, K. al-Ma'arif ed. S. Ukasha, 51
  • Tabari, History of the Prophets and Kings, 2, 53–54
  • Tabari, Tafsir, V, 266 (old ed. ii, 365)
  • Masudi, Murudj, i, 103ff.
  • K. al-Badwa l-tarikh, iii, 4/5 and 98/100, Ezechiel
  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Holy Qur'an: Translation and Commentary, Note. 2473 (cf. index: Ezekiel)
  • Emil Heller Henning III, "Ezekiel's Temple: A Scriptural Framework Illustrating the Covenant of Grace", 2012.

Resting place

Ezekiel's Tomb, Iraq

Ezekiel's Tomb is located in Al Kifl, Iraq, near Babylon. Historically an important Jewish site, the Al-Nukhailah Mosque for Shia Muslims was constructed over it. Due to the Jewish exodus from Iraq in the 1950s, the presence of the Iraqi Jewish community has diminished, although a disused synagogue remains in place at the location. In 2020, work was reportedly underway to transform the synagogue into a mosque.

Tomb at Ergani, Turkey

A tomb in the Ergani District of Diyarbakır Province in Turkey is also believed to be the resting place of Ezekiel. It is located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city centre on a hill, where it is revered and visited by local Muslims, called Makam Dağı.

In popular culture

For allusions to his prophecies, see Book of Ezekiel § In popular culture.


Ezekiel is portrayed by Darrell Dunham in a 1979 episode of the television series Our Jewish Roots (1978–).

See also

Notes

  1. Not to be confused with modern day Tel Aviv, located on the Mediterranean coastline. However, this location's name was influenced by Ezekiel 3:15.
  2. "Ḥazqiyāl" is also romanised as "Ḥizqiyāl", "Ḥizqīl", and "Ḥizkīl"
  3. Ibn Kutayba, Ukasha, Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ishaq, Masudi, Kisa'i, Balami, Thalabi and many more have all recognized Ezekiel as a prophet
  4. The greatest depth to the figure is given by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, in his commentary; his commentary's note 2743: "If we accept "Dhul al Kifl" to be not an epithet, but an Arabicised form of "Ezekiel", it fits the context, Ezekiel was a prophet in Israel who was carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar after his second attack on Jerusalem (about BCE 599). His Book is included in the English Bible (Old Testament). He was chained and bound, and put into prison, and for a time he was dumb. He bore all with patience and constancy, and continued to reprove boldly the evils in Israel. In a burning passage he denounces false leaders in words which are eternally true: "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken ...... etc. (Ezekiel, 34:2–4)."
  5. "Dhū al-Kifl" is also romanised as "Dhul-Kifl", "Zu al-Kifl", and "Zul-Kifl"

References

  1. Joyce, Paul M. (2009). Ezekiel: A Commentary. T&T Clark. pp. 67, 79. ISBN 9780567483614.
  2. Ezekiel 1:3
  3. Ezekiel 1
  4. Ezekiel 1:2
  5. Ezekiel 29:17–19
  6. ^ Walther Eichrodt (20 June 2003). Ezekiel: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 407. ISBN 978-1-61164-596-5.
  7. Ronald Ernest Clements (1 January 1996). Ezekiel. Westminster John Knox Press. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-664-25272-4.
  8. ^ Terry J. Betts (2005). Ezekiel the Priest: A Custodian of Tôrâ. Peter Lang. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-8204-7425-0.
  9. Longman, T., Jeremiah, Lamentations, Hendrickson Publishers, 2008, p. 6
  10. Babylonian Talmud, Baba Bathra 15a
  11. (Meg. 14b)
  12. (Sifri, Num. 78)
  13. Radak – R. David Kimkhi – in his commentary on Ezekiel 1:3, based on Targum Yerushalmi
  14. Josephus, Ant. x. 6, § 3: "while he was still a boy"; comp. Rashi on Sanh. 92b
  15. Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews Book X, 6.3.98
  16. (Ḥag. 13b)
  17. Midrash Lev. Rabbah i. 14, toward the end
  18. "Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:8:1". www.sefaria.org.
  19. "Lives of the Saints". Oca.org. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  20. Emmaus Evangelical Lutheran Church, Daily Catechesis on the Way, published 15 July 2018, accessed 21 February 2020
  21. Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori, The Glories of Mary, Liguori, Mo.: Liguori Publications, 2000, p. 623. ISBN 0-7648-0664-5.
  22. Taylor, John B. (1976). Ezekiel. Downer's Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press. Series: The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. pp. 39-41. ISBN 0-87784-884-X.
  23. Niebuhr, Carsten (1778). Reisebeschreibung nach Arabian. Vol. 2. Copenhagen: Nicolaus Möller. pp. 264–266.
  24. Stories of the Prophets, Ibn Kathir, Story of Ezekiel (Hizqil)
  25. Encyclopedia of Islam, G. Vajda, Hizkil
  26. "Jewishencyclopedia.com". Jewishencyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  27. "Iraq Cleric Slams Plan to Turn Jewish Tomb into Mosque". Thejc.com. 2010-04-12. Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  28. Neurink, Judit (2020-02-09). "Jewish shrine of Prophet Ezekiel's Tomb open to visitors in Shiite Iraq". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  29. bataween (2020-10-20). "Synagogue at Ezekiel's tomb dismantled • Point of No Return". Point of No Return. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  30. İnanç ve kültür mirasının gözdesi: Hazreti Zülkifl Makamı (Turkish)ilkha. Posted 17 November 2018.
  31. İNANÇ VE KÜLTÜR MİRASININ GÖZDESİ: HAZRETİ ZÜLKİFL MAKAMI (Turkish) GuneydoguGuncel. Posted 18 November 2018.
  32. DRY BONES.mov, 31 January 2011, retrieved 2022-04-07
  33. Our Jewish Roots (TV Series 1978– ) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-04-07

Further reading

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