EZEKIEL, MOSES .TAeon ( 1844— ) . An American sculptor, born in Richmond. Va. Ile was educated in his native city, and fought in the Civil War. In 1869 he entered the Academy of Art, in Berlin, where he studied under Wolf. and in 1873 received the Michael Beer Prize for sculpture. the first American to obtain that dis tinetion. He then went to Rome and set up his studio in the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian.
His first large work was a group representing "Religions Liberty," which lie was commissioned to model for the Jewish Order of the Sons of the Covenant. (1874). it is now in Fairmount Park. Philadelphia. Among other works by him are the much-discussed "Christus," "Eve Ilearing the Voice," "The Daughter of Eve," "Judith," a Madonna for a church in Tivoli, eleven statues of famous artists for the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, and the Jefferson Monument in Louisville, Ky. Ilis portraits, in the round and relief, include those of Liszt, llohenlohe, Long fellow, Lee, and Farragut. The work of Ezekiel is little known in this country, for the best of it remains abroad. It departs from the conven tional standard in many cases. and is original and strong in sentiment. It also shows the influ ence of Michelangelo rather than the Greek models, although such works as "Consolation," "Pan and Cupid," and "Apollo and Mercury" are classical in tendency.
ge'har (lleb., where Geher-trees grow). A station of the Israelites on their road from Egypt (Num. xxxiii. 35; Deut. ii. 8). It was originally a city of Edon], which David conquered (II. Sam. viii. 14). Later it was the station of Solomon's navy, which was engaged in the gold trade with Ophir (1. Kings ix. 26; IL Chron. viii. 17) ; when Jehoshaphat fitted out ships for a similar purpose they were broken at this port (1. Kings xxii. 48; 11. Chron. xx. 36-37). Josenhus (Ant. viii. 6. 4) says the place was called Berenice in his day. Ezion Geber is probably identical with the modern Ain-el-Ghtslyan, where is now the dry bed of the Arabah near Elath (q.v.).
EV:11A (perhaps shorq.ned from Je hovah helps). With Nehemiah the most promi inept fl•Alre connected with the return of the Hebrews from Babylonia and the reorganization of the temple cult. Of the details of his private lifelnit little is known. Ile belonged to a priestly fancily, and was resident in Babylon in the reign of Artaxerxes Longimanus. (n.e. 465 425). With this monarch he seems to have been in considerable favor. and in the year B.C. 458 obtained permission to return to Jerusalem with a hand of his countrymen. 1754 in number. Ezra was authorized to carry offerings to the temple made by the King and by the Jews who remained behind. to purchase sacrificial animals, and to use the rest of the money that was given to him as he saw fit. As further privileges, all those en gaged in the service of the temple were freed from taxation. A later generation exaggerated the authority given to Ezra, and assumed that he was also instructed and given power to carry out the laws of the Persian King and the law of God. \\ bile Ezra did not enjoy any au thority of this kind, he, aided by the statesman Nehemiah. became an influential member of the new colony.
Ezra, on his arrival in Palestine, found the Jewish population. priests and Levites in cluded, contracting marriages with non-Jewesses. To one profoundly impressed with the funda mental principle that Jehovah's people are to remain pure if the laws of Jehovah are to he carried out, such a state of affairs was distress ing. and we can well understand Ezra's grief bordering on despair. The question was taken up in an assembly of the people held in the year of Ezra's arrival; but beyond the appointment of a commission of inquiry, which drew np a list of persons who had entered upon mixed marriages, little was done. More radical measures Avere needed; but the cause languished until the advent of Nehemiah. when the attempt was made to enforce the law, not only against the mixed mar riages, but also the various other regulations in tile legal codes, such as the observance of the Sabbath day, the letting the land lie fallow every seventh year, the onitributions to the temple treasuq, and the payment of tithes. A member of persons had agreed to abide by the law; they tonne(' the nucleus of the true Israel, and through them the opportunity was presented to lay before the whole people on a, solemn occasion the full law promulgated in the name of Moses. and
which contained the minute regulations of the cult. Most scholars are of the opinion that tlfis event took place in the year me. 444, and is the one described in Nehemiah, ells. viii.-x.. where Ezra with Nehemiah at. his side is pictured as gathering the people on the platelets before the Water Gnu-, and re-ailing to them the Book of the Law. The impressive scene is described in detail. Two days are consumed in the reading. The peo ple are profoundly impressed, and portrayed as moved to tears at the thought of their past dis obedience. Preparations are at once made to carry out the law, and as a symbol of repentance a great fast is held. There is no reason to ques tion the theory that Ezra used his time in Jerusa lem in preparing en elaborate code, and that this code was promulgated on the occasion of Nehe miah's first visit to Jerusalem, and not, as some are inclined to believe, on the second visit (Hai 43.1). Still there are features connected with the promulgation that are very obscure, as indeed i the whole question of the rela tionship of Ezra to Nehemiah. The new law book thus brought to the people is the com pilation to which scholars have assigned the name Priestly Code (P) or Law-book, and which forms an important part of the present Pentateuch or Ilexatench (q.v.). Like the Yah wistie and Elohistie histories (see ELOHIST AND Y.ufwtsr). the Priestly Code was a mix ture of narrative and legislation, with this dis tinction—that in the latter the legislative parts predominate and that the past of Israel is not merely viewed from the theocratic position, but with constant regard to the ceremonial law. The creation narrative is given in P for the sake of the Sabbath command attached to it, not, as in J, as a sole illustration of Jehovah's eternity and supreme power; and similarly the Flood interests P because of the prohibition against eating blood which is connected with it. lie reviews the lives of Patriarchs, furnishes genealogies, and mani fests fondness for statistical details. The aim and goal of the narratives is, however, the Law, to which the narratives serve simply.as an introduc tion and a framework. This law covers the greater portions of Leviticus and large parts of Numbers. The priestly writer carries his narra tive down through the death of Moses into the period of the conquest of Canaan. Whether Ezra's book was the Priestly Code in its com plete shape or not, we may feel certain that what he read to the people was substantially what scholars designate as such. The movement thus inaugurated met with success. The new law book was formally recognized and the temple service was regulated according to its theories and pre scriptions. Naturally, not all the laws were car ried out. or could be, and it is doubtful whether, at any time in the history of Israel, all the Yenta tenchal regulations were adhered to in their de tail: hut what is important to note is that with Ezra the definite departure begins leading to a conception of Judaism as essentially identical with the observance of canonical minutia', that may best be designated as Rabbinical or Tal mudic Judaism.
Ezra, besides being called the priest, is ex plicitly designated as the scribe. He receives the title by virtue of his activity in bringing the new law book before the people. As a scribe, be is the forerunner of the rabbis who in the succeed ing centuries usurp the place of the priests, and as the students and interpreters of the law be come the characteristic feature of Judaism, until in the nineteenth century the reaction against Talmudic Judaism set in.
For the various views held regarding the reor ganization of the Jews after the exile, consult: Kosters. German translation, Dic Wicderherstel lung Israels (Heidelberg, 1895) ; Meyer, Entste hung des Judenthums (Halle, 1896) ; with Well hausen's criticisms in the Guttinger Gelehrte Anzeigen, February, IS97. and Meyer's answer, Julius MilMouse?, and meine Schrift, Dic Entste hung des Judenthums 1897) : Marquardt, Fundamcnte tier jiidisehen. Geschichte (1S96); Cheyne. Jewish Religious Life After the Exile (New York, 1S9S). See Ezn.x, Boor OF.