Introduction: Ezekiel was an exiled priest sent to live in Babylon in 597 BC. He began his prophetic ministry while in exile and it is during this time that he received the vision of the dry bones . In this essay I will address the context, form, content, and meaning of Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones. Context of Ezekiel's Prophecy: Before Ezekiel began his prophecy, there was widespread conflict in the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel at the hands of the Assyrians. , Egyptians and Babylonians. In 597 BCE, the Babylonians took control of Jerusalem, sending members of the royal family, nobles, artisans, and blacksmiths into exile. In 2 Kings 24:14 it is stated that “only the poorest people in the land” escaped the exile, although this is probably an exaggeration as people living in rural areas most likely survived relatively unscathed (Darr, 2001). The living conditions of people in exile have been widely debated. The exiled community was allowed by the elders to preserve their language, religion, and internal government; however they bore the scars of previous wars and deportation and some were forced into labor (Barton & Muddiman, 2001). The book of Ezekiel contains little biographical information about the person of Ezekiel; however from it we know that his father's name was Buzi, and that the name Ezekiel means “God strengthens” or “May God strengthen” (Darr, 2001). It is believed that Ezekiel was exiled in 597 BC to Chebar in Babylon with the first group of exiles (Miller, 1987). The fact that he was exiled with the first group of exiles suggests that he was an important and wealthy figure in Jerusalem. Ezekiel was a priest or priest-in-training at the time of his deportation “the word of the…middle of the paper…known as Ephraim (Brown, et al., 1990). From this it is evident that Ezekiel did not think or want justice only for the Judean community, but also for the Northern kingdom which was destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 BCE (Darr, 2001). The promise to restore the northern kingdom comes as a surprise since the vision occurred one hundred and fifty years after its destruction. However, the restoration that Yahweh will bring will be the restoration of his kingdom, not just the kingdom of Judah (Darr, 2001). Conclusion: It is clear that Ezekiel's vision is one of restoration and hope. This essay has evaluated the context of his prophecy and the form, content, and meaning of his vision of the dry bones found in ch. 37. The vision is both distinctive and unconventional. Ezekiel's use of powerful imagery and symbolism successfully conveys his message and meaning.