It was something Ezekiel saw in a vision. In the vision, God took Ezekiel and set him down in the middle of a valley. The valley was full of old, dry bones. God said to Ezekiel, “‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ Ezekiel replied, ‘O Lord GOD, you know.’ Then God commanded Ezekiel: ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them; O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ As Ezekiel prophesied, ‘suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone.’ Also, ‘there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.’” (NRSV, Ezekiel 37:1–8)