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THE PRINCIPAL NAMED ANGELS Jewish Literature of the Centuries Immediately Before the Common Era Testifies to a General Cosmologi

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THE PRINCIPAL NAMED ANGELS Jewish Literature of the Centuries Immediately Before the Common Era Testifies to a General Cosmologi CHAPTER FIVE THE PRINCIPAL NAMED ANGELS Jewish literature of the centuries immediately before the Common Era testifies to a general cosmological development that empha­ sized God is enthroned in heaven while carrying out his work in the world by means of angelic leaders who have myriads of other angels at their command. In spite of the development of several leading angels, the idea of a principal angel of God among these angelic leaders remained. Chapter three detailed how the Angel of the Lord, who is indistinguishable from God as his visible mani­ festation in many early texts, came to be understood as a figure fairly distinct from God in later interpretation.1 It is not surprising, therefore, that there were later texts which gave this unnamed angel his own distinct name. The giving of a personal name to an angel is significant. It further distinguishes or separates the angel as an individual figure distinct from God. Some texts exalted a particular angel over other angels. Indeed, as amazing numbers of angels in service to God were depicted (e.g., Dan 7.10 or 1 En. 71.8), a hierarchy of angelic leaders also was depicted and labeled as "Angels of the Presence" or "Archangels".2 This hierarchy usually consisted of four to seven angels, with one of them often identified as the highest of these leaders. 3 Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael are primarily 1 The key text for the assertion that the Angel of the Lord was a being distinct from God is Exod 23.20, where God speaks of the angel who has his Name. 2 Tob 12.15; T. Levi 8.2;jub. 1.27, 29; 2.1-2, 18; 15.27; J En. 9.1; 10.1-11; 20.1- 7; 40.1-10; 54.6; 71.9-13; 81.5; 87.2; 88.1; 90.21-22; 3 Bar. 10.l; 11.7; lQM 9.14-16; lQSb 4.25; lQH 6.13; L.A.E. 48.1; Gk. Apoc. Ezra 6.2; T.Sol. 2.4; Rev 8.2; see P. Schafer, Rivalitat zwischen Engeln und Menschen (SJ 8; Berlin: de Gruyter, 1975) 20-22, and J. van Hen ten, "Archangel", DDD 150-153. 3 The idea of four Angels of the Presence comes from Ezek 1.5-11 where four winged creatures are mentioned as positioned around the divine throne. Jubilees speaks of the angels being created on the first day, including "the Angels of the Presence" (2.2). The author of jubilees also changes the name of "the Angel of the Lord" to "the Angel of the Presence"; this angel is distinct from YHWH and imparts revelation to Moses. The idea of seven archangels, with one functioning as a leader, probably also originates from Ezekiel. In 9.1-11 the Glory shows Ezekiel a vision where a group of six armed men (angels) led by a man (angel) clothed in linen is commanded to mark the THE PRINCIPAL NAMED ANGELS 125 associated with this group; Uriel (also known as Suru'el), Phanuel, and others are included with less consistency.4 Michael often serves as the leader of this elite group, but Gabriel appears to have held this position in earlier tradition.5 Furthermore, there are other angels not mentioned as part of such a group, but who are presented in some documents as God's leading mediator.6 Even though there are similar ideas about several of these principal angels in different documents, these ideas are by no means uniform because each document presents the ideas peculiar to the author or group who produced it. This chapter will examine several of these select principal angels, some of whom were considered to be the Angel of the Lord, or even the Glory, by those who esteemed them. 7 This discussion will focus narrowly on evidence of their highly exalted status that could, in turn, impact early understandings of Jesus. The five criteria of divinity discussed earlier will be used in evaluating the nature of these depictions: Divine Position; Divine Appearance; Divine Functions; Divine Name; and Divine Veneration.s penitent and to kill all the unmarked in a "Passover" style purge (cf. Exod 12.1-30). The tradition of a leading archangel, usually identified as Gabriel or Michael, was also influenced by the tradition of an angelic commander of God's army (cf. Josh 5.14). In Rabbinic tradition, the names of the archangels originated in Babylon during the exile (Gen. Rab. 18.1; b. Ber. 48.9). Their names, however, are West Semitic (mostly compounds of the divine named 'El); see J. J. Collins, Daniel (Hermenia; Philadelphia: Fortress, 1993) 337. For a discussion of the background of seven archangels in Ezekiel and also in Babylonian ideas, see Dix, "Seven Archangels", 233-244. 4 See the texts in note 2 above. Other names of angels who may have been considered archangels by some groups include: Sari el or Surafel (1 En. 9.1); Asuryal (J En. 10.1); Raguel, Saraqa'el (J En. 20.1-7); Eremiel (4 Ezra 4.36); Dokiel (T. Ab. 13.10 [Long Rec.]); Gabuthelon, Aker, Arphugitonos, Beburos, Zebuleon ( Gk. Apoc. Ezra 6.2); see also G. Barton, "The Origin of the Names of Angels and Demons in the Extra-Canonical Apocalyptic Literature to 100 A.D.", ]BL 31 (1912) 156-167. 5 For Michael's leadership of the archangels or functions as chief commander, see also: Ascen. Is. 3.16; 2 En. 22.6 OJ; 33.10; 71.28; 72.5; Jude 9; Rev 12.7-8. This topic is discussed by Lueken, Michael, 32-43. For Gabriel's status above Michael, see Bousset, Religion des judentum, 328, and Fossum, Name of God, 259,279 n.61. 6 E.g., Angel Israel in the Prayer of Jospeh; Yahoel in the Apocalypse of Abraham; Eremiel in the Apocalypse of Zephaniah; Metatron in 3 Enoch; see the discussion of these angels in sections E-H on 137-148 below. 7 Angels who are intimately linked with human figures will be dis­ cussed in Chapter 6 on 152-183 below (e.g., Enoch, Melchizedek, Jacob). 8 See the discussion on 30-33 above. .
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