fl. sixth century B.C.

Israelite prophet and priest who described (Ezekiel 1:4-28) a vision of a wheel spinning in the air that has been interpreted as a prediction of the internal combustion engine. This vision has also been interpreted as a description of a UFO. He was a prophet of doom before the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II, the spiritual leader of the Jews during their deportation to Babylon, and lawgiver after Jerusalem's independence was restored.