Samael: Difference between revisions

The names [[Belial]] and [[Fallen Angelic|Satan]] are also applied to him and he gains control of King Manasseh in order to accuse Isaiah of treason. Further he is mentioned in the Book of Enoch along with other rebellious angels. However, in 1 Book of Enoch he is one of the rebellious angels, he is not their leader. In the talmudic-midrashic literature Samael's role as an agent of evil is rather marginal, but from the fifth or sixth century onwards, this name becomes one of the most prominent among the demonic entities again. In the Exodus Rabbah, Samael is depicted as the accuser in the heavenly court and tempting to sin, while Michael defends Israel's actions. Here, Samael is identified with Satan. While Satan describes his function as an accuser, Samael is considered to be his proper name. He also fulfills the role of the Angel of Death, when he comes to take the soul of Moses and is called the leader of satans. This title is also applied to him, in the midrash Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer, there he is the chief of fallen angels.[16] Samaels role here, might be influenced by the Islamic idea of Iblis, who similar to Samael, refused to prostrate himself before Adam,[17] because he consists of fire and Adam merely from dust. In the Midrash Konen, he is the ruler of the third hell. Several sources, such as Yalkut Shimoni (I, 110) describe him as the guardian angel of Esau relating him to Rome, the one who wrestled with Jacob, the angel who ordered Abraham into sacrificing Isaac, and a patron of Edom.

In the Apocryphon of John, On the Origin of the World and Hypostasis of the Archons, found in the [[Nag Hammadi]] library, Samael is one of three names of the demiurge, whose other names are Yaldabaoth and Saklas. After Yaldabaoth claims sole divinity for himself, the voice of Sophia comes forth calling him Samael, due to his ignorance. In On the Origin of the World his name is explained as "blind god" and his fellow Archons are said to be blind, too. In Hypostasis of the Archons is explained as "god of the blind". Reflecting the characteristics of the Christian devil, making people blind, as does the devil in 2 Corinthians 4. Also Samael is the first sinner in the Hypostasis of the Archons and the First Epistle of John is calls the devil as sinner from the beginning. These characteristics combined with his boasting conflates the Jewish god with the devil. His appearance is that of a lion-faced serpent. Although the Gnostics and Jewish originally used the same source, both depictions of Samael developed independently.

[[Azazael and Black Lilith]]

[[Hod]]