What is the source of the old spiritual "Dem Bones"?
The old spiritual "Dem Bones" originates from Ezekiel 37, the vision of the valley of dry bones. In that passage, the Lord shows Ezekiel a valley floor covered with bones and commands him to prophesy upon them, which he does.
Les explains that the old spiritual "Dem Bones" comes from Ezekiel 37. In that chapter, Ezekiel is shown a vision of a valley floor covered with bones. The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy upon the bones, and he does so. Les notes that while this is a vision, out of it comes a literal truth. He connects this to the broader theme of God's promise to Abraham's descendants of a nation and a land, which God mandated would be theirs, as seen in Joshua and carried through the Old Testament.
The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,