Ezekiel the Tragedian

Ezekiel the Tragedian, also known as Ezekiel the Poet, was a Jewish dramatist who wrote in Alexandria during the second Century B.C.E. His work survives only in fragments found in the writings of Eusebius, Clement of Alexandria, and Pseudo-Eustathius. His only known work, "Exagōgē", is a five-act drama written in iambic trimeter, retelling of the biblical story of The Exodus from Egypt. Moses is the main character of the play, and parts of the biblical story have been altered to suit the narrative's needs. These changes probably point to Ezekiel's intention to stage the play, since certain scenes that are impossible to stage were converted into monologue. This drama is unique in blending the biblical story with the Hellenistic tragic drama, and was also a rarity in this point in the development of the tragic genre in its reliance on an historical event. [Mills, Watson E. and Roger Aubrey Bullard. "Mercer Dictionary of the Bible." Mercer University Press. p. 283.]

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