The Valley of Bones: Creation of a Kingdom from the Babylonian Exile During the period of 597-586 B.C.E, the Israelites were captured by Babylon and forced to exile their promised land, with the first captives exiled in 597. One of these first captives was the prophet Ezekiel, a prophet of woe whose only audience was other captives in Babylon. Ezekiel’s prophecies were mainly focused on Yahweh’s anger towards the sinful Israelites and the terrible punishments he would bring upon them, such as pestilence, shame, and physical weakness. Ezekiel’s prophecies continued through the exile and afterwards, where in Ezekiel 37:1-14, the metaphor of a “Valley of Bones” is portrayed where Ezekiel wades through a valley of dry Israelite bones with Yahweh…show more content… During the time that Ezekiel's prophecies were being made, the Kingdom of Israel had just been wiped out by the Babylonians and the Temple of Solomon, one of the most important symbols in history, was destroyed. The surviving Israelites were captives in Babylon and their hope was utterly gone, as described by Ezekiel when he writes, “[The Israelites’] bones are dried up, and [their] hope is lost. [They] are cut off completely.” This quote shows how the people feel lost, cut off from their home of Jerusalem, and feel abandoned by Yahweh. Just as in the original creation, man has nothing and must place their faith in Yahweh to save them, which also resembles the travels in the wild in Numbers. The people of Israel eventually made their way back to their promised land, but it was only brought about from their renewed faith in Yahweh, which Ezekiel describes, “And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people…I will place you on your own soil. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.” This shows how only through their faith in God will the people of Jerusalem be returned to their land, just as in creation where man has nothing but is given Eden (and loses Eden) because of their faith in