the minds of the haggadists the power of Rome (Ex. R. xv. 13; Pesik. 15l; Mak, 12, etc.). Samuel, Elom's patron. wanted to kill Jacob; also to deprive Tamar of her pledges (Gen. xxxviii. 25), wherein Gabriel prevented him, and he complained against Isruel on the latter's departure from Egypt (Gen. R. lxxvii.; Cant. It. iii. 6; Tan. Wayishlah, viii. Sotah, 10b; Ex. R. xxi., near end; Bacher, "Ag. Pal. Amor. i. 25, 473). An interesting angel, mentioned in B. B. 25. is Ben Nez, the ruler of the winds, to whom is referred Job, xxxix. 26: "Doth the neẓ [A. V. "hawk"] 12y by thy wisdom and stretch his wings towards the south" (to ward off the scorching heat). The "prince of the world" (Yeb. 16b) is possibly identical with Michael.
Mention is also made of the following: Dumali,
prince of the realm of the dead, prince of heil, prince
of fire: Rahab, prince of the sea; Ridia, prince of
the rain: Yurkemi, prince of the hail (the etymology
of the last-mentioned name is unknown): Gabriel,
prince of the ripening of the fruit, the prince of
just: Lailah ("night"), prince of conception; Af and
Ḥemah ("anger" and "wrath"): Abaddon and Ma-
wet ("destruction" and "death"): the angels of
prayer, of beneficence, and of dreams (Shab. 1526;
compare Sanh. 94a; Ar 15a; Pes. 118a; Sanh. 95b;
B. B. 25a; Gen. R. lxxxv.: Niddah, 16b; Ned. 32a;
Shao. 89a; Ex. R. xxi. Midr. Teh. xxxviii, 4; Ber.
10b). Frequently angels of peace or wrath, good and
had angels, are referred to; and more frequently de-
stroying angels ((
Hebrew characters)) II
Sam. xxiv. 16, I Chron. xxi. 15), whose unlimited
number figuratively represents the infinite number
of ills and mishaps to which flesh is heir (Shah. 88:
Enoch, liii. 3, 1xvi. 1). Besides these, Jewish tradition
has the names of Meṭaṭron, Sandalfon, and (once)
Semalion (Sanh. 38b; Hag. 13b; Sotah, 13b).
According to the Talmud, the three angels that
visited Abraham (Gen. xviii. 2) were Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (Yoma, 37a; B. M. 86b). The
Suriel, prince of his presence, of Ber. 51a may have
been identical with Sariel.
The Cabala.
3. In the Medieval Period: The system of the Essenes reappears in the mystical writers at the time of the Geonim (600-1000). It was given a still more mystical character by the cabalists, who, beginning in the thirteenth century, gained more and more ground, and finally obtained overwhelming influence. In the Talmud, angels were the instruments of God; in the Middle Ages, the instruments of man, who, by calling their names, or by other means, rendered them visible. The Talmud knew of angelic apparitions, but not of the conjuration of angels, which must he distinguished from the conjuration of demons. Even gaonic mysticism was reserved on this point; but the Book of Raziel, composed of various elements, gives at its very beginning directions for invoking the angels, that change according to the month, day, and hour, and for using them for a peculiar purpose, such as prophecy. After this the Cabala knew no limits as to the number of the angels. Like the Egyptian magic, it was dominated by the belief that no angel could resist the invocation of his name when it took place after certain preparations, in the proper places, and at the right time.
Accordingly, post-Talmudic Angelology, while
serving practical ends, had increased the number of
angels. Besides those that did duty in heaven,
a whole host was placed over the specific activities
of man's world; and names were given to the individuals composing this host. When the mysticism
that ascribed peculiar properties to letters and numbers, and devoted itself at first to cosmic speculation,
turned its attention to the world of angels-considering it a portion of the cosmos-numerous names
arose that were exclusively the conceptions of mystical speculators, having no rational etymology. Such
names exist by the thousand, occurring to a considerable extent in the Book of Raziel, which pretends
to be a revelation by the angel Raziel to Adam, and
which passed from Adam to Abratrum, Moses, and
the Prophets in direct succession from father to son.
Disregarding these fictitious names, which, though
genuine to the Cabala, are not to he regarded as component parts of traditional belief, the names of angels
and other angelological elements are older than the
literature concerning them, especially the cabalistic
works Hekalot, Otiot de-R. Akiha, Kaziel, and the
Zohar. It is a commonly observed feature of secret arts that they flourish in concealed and non-literary forms before venturing into the light of day
and becoming literature. Since angelic names constituted the most sacred element in mysticism, they
were often not written, much less printed; and, in
consequence, a number of them remain unknown,
and could not be given in Schwab's "Vocabulaire de
l'Angélologie, Paris, 1897, a work numbering three
hundred and sixty-eight pages. Curiously enough,
Greek names were smuggled in and were later explained by Biblical names. Naturally, there were
some authors even in the Middle Ages who condemned as foolishness these fanciful names along
with gemaṭrias ("numerical values of the letters"),
by means of which they were created. "Neither
the older Jewish mysticism nor the Spanish Cabala
Mystical Angelogy
produced so full an Angelology, or so rich a demonological
literature, as did the mysticism of the German Jews of the thirteenth century. Nor did either of
then elaborate the angelic character
in such detail, or adapt it so skilfully
to all the needs of daily life. Consequently, German Jewish mysticism was from this point of view
more closely allied to contemporary Christian mysticism than to its predecessors. According to the
'Book of the Angels', by Eleazar of Worms, one of
the most prominent pupils of Judah Ḥasid, the
whole world is peopled with angels and demons; no
nook or cranny is unprotected by guardian angels;
and God determines on everything, and then sends
an angel to execute his will. Every man has his
angel of destiny [(Hebrew characters)]
angel of destiny [(Hebrew characters)] or 'appointed one'[(Hebrew characters)], who brings about all the good and evil that
he experiences" (Güdemum, "Gesch. des Erzie-
hungswesens und der Cultur der Juden," i. 162;
compare ii. 163, 180).
After the victorious advance of the Cabala, opposition to the highly fanciful belief in angels was no longer made; and mystical Angelology lured the Occident as well as the Orient into its charmed circle, from which a portion of Judaism has not yet liberated itself. Angels still play a part in usages connected with the home among the Hasidim, who design their amulets with regard to the particular angel dominant at the time they are made. According to one source, all angels placed over the months and days are said to serve this purpose. In this way Angelology is brought into the closest connection with astrology and into agreement with monotheism.
