14 Facts About Ezekiel

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet.

In Judaism and Christianity, he is viewed as the 6th-century BCE author of the Book of Ezekiel, which reveals prophecies regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, and the restoration to the land of Israel.

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

The author of the Book of Ezekiel presents himself as Ezekiel, the son of Buzi, born into a priestly lineage.

Ezekiel describes his calling to be a prophet by going into great detail about his encounter with God and four "living creatures" with four wheels that stayed beside the creatures.

Some statements found in rabbinic literature posit that Ezekiel was the son of Jeremiah, who was called "Buzi" because he was despised by the Jews.

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.

Rava 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 Isaiah, 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.

Ezekiel is recognized as a prophet in Islamic tradition.

Ezekiel further explained in his book that Ezekiel's Tomb was present in Al Kifl and that the Jews came to it on pilgrimage.

Regardless of the identification of Dhu al-Kifl with Ezekiel, Muslims have viewed Ezekiel as a prophet.

Ezekiel appears in all Muslim collections of Stories of the Prophets.

The tomb of Ezekiel is a structure located in modern-day south Iraq near Kefil, believed to be the final resting place of Ezekiel.

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