The Chaldeans worshipped him as something of a god. He is chief of the order of virtues, chief of archangels, prince of the presence, angel of repentance, righteousness, mercy, and sanctification; also ruler of the 4th Heaven, tutelary sar (angelic prince) of Israel, guardian of Jacob, conqueror of Satan, etc. In ancient Persian lore, Michael was called Beshter, “one who provides sustenance for mankind,” which would equate him with Metatron. As the deliverer of the faithful he accords, in the Avesta, with Saosyhant the Redeemer.

In Jewish lore (Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews II, 303) “the fire that Moses saw in the burning bush had the appearance of Michael, who had descended from Heaven as the forerunner of the Shekinah.” Zagzagel (q.v.) is usually denominated the angel of the burning bush. According to Talmud Berakot 35, where the comment is on Genesis 18:1-10, Michael is recognized by Sarah as one of 3 “men” whom Abraham entertained unawares. Legend speaks of Michael having assisted 4 other great angels—Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, Metatron—in the burial of Moses, Michael disputing with Satan for possession of the body [ Jude 9.] Midrash Rabba (Exodus 18) credits Michael with being the author of the whole of Psalm 85. In addition, he has been identified with the angel who destroyed the hosts of Sennacherib (a feat also ascribed to the prowess of Uriel, Gabriel, Ramiel) and as the angel who stayed the hand of Abraham when the latter was on the point of sacrificing his son Isaac (a feat also ascribed to Tadhiel, Metatron, and other angels). In Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, Michael is regarded as angel who brought Asenath from Palestine as a wife to Joseph; as the one who saved Daniel’s companions from the fire; as the intermediary between Mordecai and Esther; as the destroyer of Babylon, etc.

In Baruch III, Michael “holds the keys of the kingdom of Heaven”— which, traditionally, and in the popular image, applies more aptly to St. Peter. Roman Catholic Christains invoke Michael as St. Michael, the benevolent angel of death, in the sense of deliverance and immortality, and for leading the souls of the faithful “into the eternal light.” To the Jews, according to Regamey What Is an Angel?, Michael is the “viceroy of Heaven” (a title applied to the great adversary ha-Satan, before the latter fell). He is depicted most often as winged, with unsheathed sword, the warrior of God and slayer of the Dragon (a role later apportioned to St. George). As the angel of the final reckoning and the weigher of souls (an office he shares with Dokiel, Zehanpuryu, and others) he holds in his hand the scales of justice. Catholic Fra Filippo Lippi, in a sketch reproduced on p. 436 in Jameson, Legends of the Madonna, shows Michael kneeling and offering a taper, as the angel who announces to Mary her approaching death (it was Gabriel who announced the birth of the Virgin’s God-child). On p. 433 of the same book an oriental legend is recalled which tells of Michael having cut off the hands of “a wicked Jewish high priest” who had attempted to overturn the bier of the just-deceased Virgin; however, the hands of the “audacious Jew” were reunited to his body at the intercession of St. Peter.

Among the recently discovered Dead Sea scrolls there is one titled the War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. Here Michael is called the “Prince of Light.” He leads the angels of light in battle against the legions of the angels of darkness, the latter under the command of the demon Belial.

Camael (he who sees God)
Some Jewish legends have Camael, or Chamuel, is the angel who wrestled with Jacob; also the angel (usually identified as Gabriel) who appeared to Jesus during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane to strengthen Him.

Gabriel (God is my strength)
In Daniel 8 he is the angel who give Daniel the interpretation of the vision. Origin, De Principiis I, 81 calls Gabriel the angel of war. In Jewish lore Gabriel destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the citied of the plain. Gabriel is also credited with delivering the three children from the fiery furnace. (other sourced credit Michael) In Talmud Sanhedrin 95a destroyed Sennacherib’s host. The Talmud also has Gabriel preventing queen Vashti from appearing before the king in order to cause Esther to become the next queen. Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus to Mary in Luke 1.26

Mohammad claimed Gabriel dictated the Koran sura by sura to him. In a Babylonian legend says that Gabriel once fell into disgrace for not obeying a command exactly as given, and remanded for a while outside the heavenly curtain. During this period the guardian angel of Persia, Dobiel, acted as Gabriel's proxy. According to the court testimony of Joan of Arc, it was Gabriel who inspired her to go to the succor of the King of France. In more recent times, Gabriel figures as the angel who visited Father Rapp leader of the 2nd Advent community in New Harmony, Indiana, and left his footprint on a limestone slab preserved in the yard of the Maclure-Owen residence in that city.

Uriel
(“fire of God”)—one of the leading angels in noncanonical lore, and ranked variously as a seraph, cherub, regent of the sun, flame of God, angel of the presence, presider over Tartarus (Hades), archangel of salvation (as in II Esdras), etc. In the latter work he acts as heavenly interpreter of Ezra’s visions. In Enoch I, he is the angel who “watches over thunder and terror.” In The Book of Adam and Eve he presides over repentance. Uriel “is supposed to be,” says Abbot Anscar Vonier in The Teaching of the Catholic Church, “the spirit who stood at the gate of the lost Eden with the fiery sword.” The Book of Adam and Eve designates him as one of the cherubim of Genesis 3. He is invoked in some of the ancient litanies. He has been identified as one of the angels who helped bury Adam and Abel in Paradise (Hastings, Dictionary of the Bible); as the dark angel who wrestled with Jacob at Peniel; as the destroyer of the hosts of Sennacherib (II Kings 19:35; II Maccabees 15:22); as the messenger sent by God to Noah to warn him of the impending deluge (Enoch I, 10:1—3), all of which feats or missions have been credited to other angels, as elsewhere noted. In the view of Louis Ginzberg, the “prince of lights” in The Manual of Discipline refers to Uriel. In addition, Uriel is said to have disclosed the mysteries of the heavenly arcana to Ezra; interpreted prophecies, and led Abraham out of Ur. In later Judaism, says R. H. Charles (The Book of Enoch), “we find Uriel instead of Phanuel” as one of the 4 angels of the presence.

Despite his eminence, Uriel was reprobated at a Church Council in Rome, 745 C.E. Now, however, he is Saint Uriel, and his symbol is an open hand holding a flame. The name Uriel derives, it is claimed, from Uriah the prophet. One legend has Uriel as the angel that wrestled with Jacob at Peniel. A commentary on Exodus 4:25 speaks of a “benign angel” attacking Moses for neglecting to observe the covenantal rite of circumcision with regard to the latter’s son Gershom, the benign angel being identified as Uriel in Midrash Aggada Exodus.  In The Legends of the Jews II, 328, the angel here is not Uriel but 2 angels, the wicked Hemah and Af.

To illustrate in what high esteem Uriel was held, we find him described in the 2nd book of the Sibylline Oracles as one of the “immortal angels of the undying God” who, on the day of judgment, will “break the monstrous bars framed of unyielding and unbroken adamant of the brazen gates of Hades, and cast them down straightway, and bring forth to judgment all the sorrowful forms, yea, of the ghosts of the ancient Titans and of the giants, and all whom the flood overtook ... and all these shall he bring to the judgment seat. . . and set before God’s Seat.”

Raphael
(“God has healed”)—Called Labbiel by the ancient Chaldeans. Raphael is one of 3 great angels in post-Biblical lore. In The Book of Tobit, Raphael acts as companion and guide to Tobit’s son Tobias who journeys to Media from Nineveh. It is only at the end of the journey that Raphael reveals himself by name as “one of the 7 holy angels” that attend the throne of God. In Enoch I 20, Raphael is declared to be “one of the watchers” (q.v.). In Enoch I, 22, Raphael is a guide in sheol (the underworld) In Enoch I, 40, he is “one of the 4 presences, set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men.” [ Rabbi Abba in The Zohar I: “Raphael is charged to heal the earth, and through him. . . the earth furnishes an abode for man, whom also he heals of his maladies.”] According to gamatria (cabala) and Yoma 37a, Raphael is one of the 3 angels that visited Abraham (Genesis 18), the other 2 angels identified usually as Gabriel and Michael. Raphael is credited also with healing Abraham of the pain of circumcision, the patriarch having neglected to observe this rite earlier in life. In The Legends of the Jews I, 385, Raphael is the angel sent by God to cure Jacob of the injury to his thigh when Jacob wrestled with his dark adversary at Peniel (the adversary having been identified variously as Michael, M Uriel, Sammael or God himself)

Another legend (sefer Noah) it was Raphael who handed Noah, after the hood, a “medical book,” which may have been the famous Sefer Raziel (The Book of the Angel Raziel). Among other high offices, Raphael is the regent of the sun (Longfellow refers to him as the angel of the sun), chief of the order of virtues, governor of the south, guardian of the west, ruling prince of the 2nd Heaven, overseer of the evening winds, guardian of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, one of the 6 angels of repentance, angel of prayer, love, joy, and light. Above all, he is, as his name denotes, the angel of healing. He is also the angel of science and knowledge, and the preceptor angel of Isaac.

Raphael belongs to at least 4 of the celestial orders: seraphim, cherubim, dominions (or dominations), powers. According to Trithemius of Spanheim, the 15th—century occultist, Raphael is one of the 7 angels of the Apocalypse. And while he is not specifically named as the angel who troubled the waters at the pool in ancient Bethesda (John 5), he is generally so credited. He is often represented as holding a pilgrim’s staff and a fish and at other times as a six-winged seraph and referred to as one of the 7 angels of the presence.

The file on Raphael is inexhaustible, but one additional legend may be worth repeating here: it is taken from Conybeare, The Testament of Solomon. When Solomon prayed to God for help in the building of the Temple, God answered with the gift of a magic ring brought to the Hebrew king personally by Raphael. The ring, engraved with the pentalpha (5-pointed star), had the power to subdue all demons. And it was with the “slave labor” of demons that Solomon was able to complete the building of the Temple.

Jeremiel
(Mercy of God, or whom god sets up)
In Enoch I and II Esdras, Jeremiel is equated with Remiel; also with Uriel. He is one of the seven archangels in the original or earliest listings. He has been described as “lord of souls awaiting resurrection.” {Rf. Various editions of apocrypha by Goodspeed, Metzger, and Komroff}
In II Esdras 4:36 Jeremiel is referred to as an archangel.

Ramiel
In the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch (3^rd section) Ramiel is the angel who, as presider over true visions, provides Baruch with the interpretation of the vision he saw. In this vision Ramiel is the angel who destroys Sennacherib’s forces. (this has also been credited to Michael, Gabriel, and Uriel) Ramiel is also the chief of thunder (as also Uriel) He has charge of the souls that come up for judgment on the last day. (as is Zehanpuryu) In the Enoch writings Ramiel or Remiel is both a holy angel and a fallen angel (Enoch I,6 and I,20) in verse 20 he is the leader of the apostates but in verse 6 he is one of the 7 archangels standing before the thron of God. In the Sibylinne Oricles II. 2,5 Ramiel is one of the five angels who lead the souls of men to judgment. (the five are Arakiel, Rameil, Uriel, Samiel, Aziel)

Raziel
(secret of God) —the “angel of the secret regions and chief of the Supreme Mysteries.” [ M. Gaster, The Sword of Moses.] In rabbinic lore, Raziel is the legendary author of The Book of the Angel Raziel (Sefer Raziel), “wherein all celestial and earthly know ledge is set down.” The true author is unknown but he has been commonly identified as Eleazer of Worms or Isaac the Blind, medieval writers. Legend has it that the angel Raziel handed his book to Adam, and that the other angels, out of envy, purloined the precious grimoire and cast it into the sea, whereat God ordered Rahab, primordial angel/demon of the deep, to fish it out and restore it to Adam—which Rahab obediently did, although it should be pointed out that before this, Rahab had been destroyed. The Book of the Angel Raziel finally came into possession of, first, Enoch (who, it is said, gave it out as his own work i.e., The Book of Enoch); then of Noah; then of Solomon, the latter deriving from it, according to demonographers, his great knowledge and power in magic. [ D Plancy, Dictionnaire Infernal.] From a midrash (Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews 1, 154—157) it develops that Noah learned how to go about building the Ark by poring over the Raziel tome.

 In Targum Ecciesiastes 10, 20, it is reported that “each day the angel Raziel, standing on Mount Horeb, proclaims the secrets of men to all mankind.” According to Maimonides in his Mishna Thora, Raziel is chief of the order of Erelim (q.v.); also, the herald of deity and preceptor angel of Adam.

Jinn
In Muslim theology the jinn wee created 2000 years before Adam. They were originally of high estate, equal to the angels, with Eblis chief among them. When on the creation of Adam, Eblis refused to worship Adam, Eblis was cast out of heaven along with the jinn, who henceforth became demons. Five sons of Eblis were among the evil jinn. In Hughes, A Dictionary of Islam, we find the following quotation: “The most noble and honorable among the angels are calls the Ginn, because they are veiled from the eyes of the other angels on account of their superiority.”

Cherubim
(Kerubim)— An Order of Angel. They are the 1st angels to be mentioned (and to be construed as angels) in the Old Testament (Genesis 3:22). They guarded with flaming sword the Tree of Life and Eden, hence their designation as the “flame of whirling swords.” In Exodus 25:18 we find 2 cherubim “of gold,” one on either side of the Ark The  “cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat” are referenced in Hebrews 9:5. In Ezekiel (10:14) 4 cherubim, each with 4 faces and 4 wings, appear at the river Chebar where the Hebrew prophet glimpses them. In I Kings 6:23, the 2 cherubim in Solomon’s temple are carved out of olive wood. In rabbinic and occult lore, the cherubim are prevailingly thought of as charioteers of God, bearers of His throne, and personifications of the winds. In Revelation (4:8) they are living creatures who render unceasing praise to their Maker. Here St. John refers to them as beasts (holy, divine beasts), 6-winged and “full of eyes within.”

They appear in early Canaanitish lore, as well as Babylonian, Akkadian lore as well. In ancient Assyrian art, the cherubim were pictured as huge, winged creatures with leonine or human faces, bodies of bulls or sphinxes, eagles, etc. They were usually placed at entrances to palaces or temples as guardian spirits.

In Talmud the cherubim are equated with the order ophanim (wheels or chariots) or the order hayyoth (holy beasts) and are said to reside in the 6th or 7th Heaven. In the Dionysian scheme, the cherubim rank 2nd in the 9-choir hierarchy and are guardians of the fixed stars. Chief rulers, as listed in most occult works, include Ophaniel, Rikbiel, Cherubiel, Raphael, Gabriel, Zophiel, and—before his fall—Satan, who was, as Parente says in The Angels, “the supreme angel in the choir of cherubim.” As angels of light, glory, and keepers of the celestial records, the cherubim excel in knowledge.

Seraphim
(pl. for seraph)—the highest order of angels in the pseudo-Dionysian hierarchic scheme and generally also in Jewish lore. The seraphim surround the throne of Glory and unceasingly sing (“holy, holy, holy”). They are the angels of love, of light, and of fire. How many are there? The answer (in 3 Enoch) is 4, “corresponding to the 4 winds of the world.” In rabbinic writings they are equated with the hayyoth (q.v.).

According to Enoch II, the seraphim have 4 faces and 6 wings, as in Isaiah 6. It is to be noted that the Isaiah mention is the only one to seraphim in the Old Testament, unless the expression “fiery serpents” (Numbers 21:6) may be taken to denote them. There is no mention of seraphim in the New Testament, except by implication (Revelation 4:8). The ruling prince of the order has been given variously as Seraphiel, Jehoel, Metatron, Michael, and originally as Satan (before he fell, although scripture has Satan to originally be cherub). Some of the order defected at the time of the great rebellion. The Revelation of Moses speaks of “one of the 6-winged seraphim hurrying Adam to the Acherusian lake and washing him in the presence of God.” In this book the seraphim are said to “roar like lions.”

Hayyoth
Aclass of Merkabah, or Jewish Mystical Angels, on the same level as the Christian cherubim, and residing in the seventh heaven. They are considered angels of fire, who hold up the throne of God and the earth itself. According to Ezekiel, the Hayyoth were seen by the river Chebar, numbering 36. They are also said to break into song whenever they spread their wings.

745AD Council