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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
593
the augcls tlicmselvcs jratlii-r amid joy and singing lo lisU'n to the siige initiated into tin; sacred lore oi heaven (see Hag. 144). But at times they also betray jealousy and fear, begrudging man his knowledge of hidden things. Thus, tluy sought to <lis,suade the Most High from giving the Law to jMoses (Pesik. U. ..., Slmb. SH/>) but Moses pacified them by his arguments. In like manner they sought to drive Akiba ovit of the realm of paradise, as they did his colleagues Ben 'Azzai and Ben Zoma; but God Himself interceded, .saying, "Leave this venerable sage unscathed for he is worthy to make use of My glory " (Hag. 15i). The angels mediate between God and man. They carry the prayers up to the throne of God (Tobit, xii. 12, l.j; Barucli Ajioc. Greek, xi.). According to Ex. I{. xxi., an angel set over the prayers weaves them into crowns for the .Most High. Angels intercede for those who dwell on earth (Knoch. xl. 6; compare Job, xxxiii. 23, which is to be translated: "If there be on his side one single messenger among a thousand pleading for him "). They pray for Adam's jjardon (Apoc. Mosis, 33), and offer praise to God after the same has been granted {ibid. 37). But in the Siime manner in which tluy place the praj'ers and good deeds of the righteous before God, they also bring the sins of the Mediate be- evil-doers before Him (Enoch, xcix. tweenGod 3). They " write down all the deeds and Men. and lives before the face of the Lord " (Slavonic Book of Knoch, xix. '>). These records, in the Testament of Abraham, B, x., are called the " Books of the Cherubim " because they are kept by the cherubim. From these they read oir in the great Judgment Hall of the netherworld the regi.ster of the sins or the righteous deeds of the
sionally
soul.
Angels minister to Adam (Sanh. 59i; Pirlje R. El. xii.: compare Matt. iv. 11; Luke, xxii. 43; Heb. i. i:i-l 1) and bring him to his last resting-place (Apoc.
Abraham
Mosis. 3M). attend the funeral of
ment of Abraham,
(Testa-
and bury Moses (Dent. K. xi., Targ. Yer. Deut. xxxiv. (i). Angels bring the souls of the righteous to heaven (Testament of .Vbniham, ,1, xx. Targ. Yer. Song of Solomon, iv. 12; compare Luke, xvi. 23). Angels accompany the dead on their departure from this world. "Three bands of angels of the xx.),
.1,
<livine miinstry
[tiinl'ahe linshitret],
or peace Vut-
accompany the righteous: the
- /i<f/wm],
first
singmg.
shall enter in peace'; the second. They shall rest on their couches and the third, The one who
'He
'
'
'
walkclh in ui)rightness " (Isii. Ivii. 2). Hut when a wicked man deiiarts, three bands of angels of destruction {.iiiitViike li<iM/it/ii/i) are described as accompanving him singing, "There is no peace, Siiith my (ioff, to the wicked" (Isa. Ivii. 21, Ket. 104a, Nuni. '
IS.
xi.).
that execute God's judgment are railed "the angels of punishment " (PInoch, hi. 1, Ixx. 11, Ixiii.
John,
because of his neglect to circumcise his sou (Xed. 3"2a). God keeps these angels of destruction far from Himself, lest they strike at once, thus affording the jieople no opportunity for repenting (Yer. Taanit, 6.%).
ii.
According to John's Apocalypse (Rev.
Abaddon
Angels
ix.
11)
(Job, xxxi. 12; Shab. 8'Jii) is the angel of the abyss. In the Talmud, Dumali, of the angel of silence (after Ps. cxv. 17),
the Nether
is the prince of the nether world in whosecliargearethespirits(Sanh. 94a. Shab. lii'i/)). He announces the arrival of newcomers in Sheol (Ber. 186). According to the Midrash Ivonen, there are three princes placed at the three upper gates: (1) Kipod (the Persian A-r//«)rf = " wolf" see " Zenda vesta," tr. by Darmesteter. in " Sacred Booksof the East." xxiii. 29.'5); (2) Nagrasagiel,
World.
or Xasnigiel, the prince of Gehiimom. who shows Moses th(! nether world and the sulTerings of the
wicked (Shir ha Sliirim fragment in Wertheimer's "Bate Midrashot," iv. a4; Jellinek. " B. H." iii. 03, V. 130); the mes.senger of Ahuramazda, X.viuvo S.siiii.. to whose care the soulsof the righteous are entrusted ("Vendidad," xix. 34; Darmesteter, "Zendavesta," i. 214. and elsewhere). In Testament of Abraham. ^1. xiii., two archangels are mentioned as assisting at the judgment of the souls: Dokiel ("the weigher," fromrfi/t., Isji. xl. l.'i) and Puruel("the fiery and pitiless angel," probably from para', "paying"; ]iin-'<nitil. "punishment"). In the Midrash
Konen and Maseket Gan Eden and Gehinnom
(.Jelli-
nek, "B. II." V. 44) the following angels of pimishment are mentioned for the seven dei)artments; (1) Kushicl ("the rigid oneof God "); (2) Ijihatiel (" the Ihuuing one"); (3) Shoftiel ("the judge of God "): (4) Makatiel ("the i)lague of God"): (.5) Hutriel("the rod of God"); (G) Pusiel (Puriel) certainlv not Hadriel (Jellinek. "B. H." ii. 31)— and (7) Kogziel (" wrath of God "). The tendency to individualize and to give each angel a distinct name and assign to him a particular charge or position grew among the haggadists and devotees of secret lore "Each angel has a tablet on his heart on which his name, (ombined with the name of God [El}, is inscribed," says Simon b. Ijikish (Pesil>. xii. 10S/(). In Ex. H. xxix. this doctrine is based upon Ps. Ixviii. 18: "The Lord dwells in them." wherefore they are called Miehac/, Gabrii/, Ra|>ha('/. They receive their name in accorilanee with their messjigc, wherefore they can not till their names (Num. H. x., commenting upon Judges, xiii. l.'i). " Xo single angel can carry out two messages, nor can two Of the three angels angels fulfil oidy one ntessage. that came to Abrahau. Michael, the guardian angel of Israel, brought the tidings of Isaac's birth: Gabriel, the angel of heaveidy vengeance and of fire,
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had to overthrow Sodom and Raphael resciu^d I.<)t " M. M(V<, Gen, R. 1., Targ. Yer. (ien. xviii. 2). Michael lo the right, I'rielto the left. Gabriel in front, ami Raphael in the rear of the throne (Num. R. ii). are stationed on the four sides of heaven (Midrash Konen, at end; compare Ilekalol, vi). Padail is the name given lo the ang<l who appiared lo Samson's parents in the apoervphal history of Philo ("Jew. tjuart. Rev," ISll.s,' p. a24). Zeroel " .rni of (!od ") was one of the angels who (i'X jntf = supported Keuaz in his battle against the Am;
The angels 1),
7), mal'ake habbalah Shebu. vi, 37/( compare Apoc. "angels of the dragon " = .Satan
Sitiiiiim (Enoch, xl.
Srwi;
(Sliab.
Ang:elolog7
Yer.
vii. 2, xii. 7).
Thi'ir fierceness and their mode Malt. XXV. 41. of punislunent are desciibed in the Testament of Abraham. .1, xii., /?, xi. They "sling the souls of the wicked from one end of the world to the other" (Shab. l.")2A. after I .Sim. xxv. 2il). These are under the leadership of six or seven archangels: Ke?ef, (Deut. ix. HI). Mashhit, .Meshiibber, .f, H('t"it
Mekallch (compare Ps. Ixxviii. 4it: 'i/int/i. Z'i'iim, and above tlu.<e is thcangil of death (Shab. H!)(i; Ex. U. xii.; Testament of Abndiam. .1, xviii.XX.). Af and Hemali threatened to lU-vour Mosi«
znra/i):
I,
-8S
(B.
Nathaniel (Nurii'lr = " Fire of G<k1 "). the angel who sjived the men cast into ihe fire by Jair, the judge, for refusing lo worship his idols (ibiit.). Over each force and eliineiil of life an angel is one over the winds (Rev. vii. 1); one over pla<'ed tire (ibiil. xiv. 18); and one over water (ibid. xvi. 5). oriles;
