Editing Book of Ezekiel (section)

=== Life and times of Ezekiel ===
The Book of Ezekiel is described as the words of [[Ezekiel]] ben-Buzi, a priest living in exile in the city of [[Babylon]] between 593 and 571 BC. Most scholars today accept the basic authenticity of the book, but see in it significant additions by a school of later followers of the original prophet. According to Jewish tradition, the [[Men of the Great Assembly]] wrote the Book of Ezekiel, based on the prophet's words.<ref>[[Babylonian Talmud]], ''[[Baba Batra]]'' [http://www.come-and-hear.com/bababathra/bababathra_15.html 15a]</ref> While the book exhibits considerable unity and probably reflects much of the historic Ezekiel, it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve the very words of the prophet.{{sfn|Joyce|2009|p=16}}

According to the book that bears his name, Ezekiel ben-Buzi was born into a priestly family of Jerusalem c.623&nbsp;BC, during the reign of the reforming king [[Josiah]]. Prior to this time, Judah had been a vassal of the [[Assyria]]n empire, but the rapid decline of Assyria after c. 630 led Josiah to assert his independence and institute a religious reform stressing loyalty to [[Yahweh]], the God of Israel. Josiah was killed in 609 and Judah became a vassal of the new regional power, the [[Neo-Babylonian empire]]. In 597, following a rebellion against Babylon, Ezekiel was among the large group of Judeans taken into [[Babylonian captivity|captivity by the Babylonians]]. He appears to have spent the rest of his life in [[Mesopotamia]]. A further deportation of Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon occurred in 586 when a second unsuccessful rebellion resulted in the destruction of the city and its Temple and the exile of the remaining elements of the royal court, including the last scribes and priests. The various dates given in the book suggest that Ezekiel was 25 when he went into exile, 30 when he received his prophetic call, and 52 at the time of the last vision {{Circa|571}}.{{sfn|Drinkard|1996|pp=160–61}}