Samael

Samael (; , ''Sammāʾēl'', "Venom of God"; , ''Samsama'il'' or , ''Samail''; alternatively Smal, Smil, Samil, or Samiel) is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic tradition; a figure who is the accuser or adversary (Satan in the Book of Job), seducer, and destroying angel (in the Book of Exodus).

Although many of his functions resemble the Christian notion of Satan, to the point of being sometimes identified as a fallen angel, he is not necessarily evil, since his functions are also regarded as resulting in good, such as destroying sinners.

He is considered in Midrashic texts to be a member of the heavenly host with often grim and destructive duties. One of Samael's most significant roles in Jewish lore is that of the main angel of death and the head of ''satans''. He appears frequently in the story of the Garden of Eden and engineered the fall of Adam and Eve with a snake in writings during the Second Temple period.Jewish Virtual Library – Samael
/ref> However, the serpent is not a form of Samael, but a beast he rode like a camel. In a single account he is also believed to be the father of Cain, as well as the partner of Lilith. In early Talmudic and Midrashic literature, he has not yet been identified with Satan. Only in later Midrashim is he entitled "head of satans."Yisraeli, O. (2016). Temple Portals: Studies in Aggadah and Midrash in the Zohar. Deutschland: De Gruyter. p. 146

As guardian angel and prince of Rome, he is the archenemy of Israel. By the beginning of Jewish culture in Europe, Samael had been established as a representative of Christianity due to his identification with Rome.

In some Gnostic cosmologies, Samael's role as a source of evil became identified with the Demiurge, the creator of the material world. Although probably both accounts originate from the same source, the Gnostic development of Samael differs from the Jewish development of Samael, in which Samael is merely an angel and messenger of God.

Judaism

Second Temple period and posteriority

Samael was first mentioned during the Second Temple period and immediately after its destruction. He is first mentioned in the Book of Enoch, which is a part of the Jewish apocrypha, along with other rebellious angels. In Enoch 1, he is one of the Watchers who descended to Earth to copulate with human women, although he is not their leader, this being Samyaza.

In the Greek Apocalypse of Baruch, he is the dominant evil figure. Samael plants the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thereupon he is banished and cursed by God. To take revenge, he tempts Adam and Eve into sin by taking the form of the serpent.

He appears further as the embodiment of evil in the ''Ascension of Isaiah'' and is called by various names:
* ''Melkira'' , "king of evil/wicked"
* ''Malkira'' / ''Malchira'' , "Messenger of evil"
* ''Belkira'' prob. , "lord of the wall"
* ''Bechira'' , "elect/chosen of evil
The names Belial and Satan are also applied to him, and he gains control of King Manasseh to accuse Isaiah of treason.

Talmudic-Midrashic literature

In Talmudic and midrash, Samael's role as an agent of evil is relatively marginal. However, from the fifth or sixth century onward, he becomes one of the most prominent among the demonic entities. Samael has not been identified with the angel of death in the Talmud.

In the Exodus Rabbah, Samael is depicted as the accuser in the heavenly court and tempter 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 his proper name. He also fulfills the role of the Angel of Death when he comes to take the body of Moses and is called the leader of Satan.

The title of ''satan'' is also applied to him in the midrash '' Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer'', where he is the chief of the fallen angels, and a twelve-winged seraph. According to the text, Samael opposed the creation of Adam and descended to Earth to tempt him into evil. Riding the serpent, he convinces Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. His role here might be similar to the Islamic idea of Iblis, who refused to prostrate himself before Adam because he consists of fire and Adam merely from dust. The midrash also reveals Samael fathered Cain with Eve.

In the smaller midrashim, he is the ruler of 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 to sacrifice Isaac, and a patron of Edom.

Kabbalah

In Kabbalah, Samael is described as the "severity of God" and is listed as fifth of the archangels of the world of Beri'ah. Among his portions are Esau, the people who inherit the sword and bring war; the goats and se'irim (demons); and the destroyer angels.

Although both Samael and Lilith are major demons in earlier Jewish traditions, they do not appear paired until the second half of the thirteenth century, when they are introduced together. Lilith is a demon created alongside Adam, originally created for the role Eve would fill, who then becomes Samael's bride. With her, Samael created a host of demon children, including a son, the "Sword of Samael" (or of Asmodai).

In the Kabbalistic work '' Treatise on the Left Emanation'', Samael is part of the qlippoth, prince of all demons, and spouse of Lilith. The two are said to parallel Adam and Eve, being emanated together from the Throne of Glory as a counterpart. Asmodeus is also mentioned to be subservient to Samael and married to a younger or alternate, lesser Lilith. According to the treatise (secondary source) which is unconfirmed, God monorchism Samael in order not to fill the world with their demonic offspring.

In the Zohar, one of Kabbalah's principal works, Samael is described as a leader of the divine forces of destruction, part of the qlippoth. He is mentioned again as the serpent's rider, and is described as having mated with Eisheth Zenunim, Na'amah, and Agrat bat Mahlat, all being "angels" of sacred prostitution. Notably, the same work later calls him Azazel, which might be a case of mistaken identity, as Azazel may be himself in Zoharistic lore a combination of the angels Ouza and Azrael.

It is also said that the Baal Shem Tov summoned Samael to make him do his bidding.

Other traditions

Samael is also depicted as the angel of death and one of the seven archangels, the ruler over the Fifth Heaven and commander of two million angels such as the chief of all the destroying angels.

According to the apocryphal '' Gedulat Moshe'' (''The Apocalypse of Moses'', "The Ascension of Moses" in ''The Legends of the Jews'' by Louis Ginzberg) Samael is also mentioned as being in 7th Heaven:

Gnosticism

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. This 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 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.Ivry, Elliot R. Wolfson. 9982013. ''Perspectives on Jewish Thought''. Routledge. .

Samael is sometimes confused in some books with Camael, who appears in the Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians also as an evil power, whose name is similar to words meaning "like God" (but Camael with a waw missing). The name might be explained, because in Jewish traditions, the snake had the form of a camel, before it was banished by God.

Anthroposophy

To anthroposophists, Samael is known as one of the seven archangels: Saint Gregory gives the seven archangels as Anael, Gabriel, Michael, Oriphiel, Raphael, Samael, and Zerachiel. They are all imagined to have a special assignment to act as a global ''zeitgeist'' ('time-spirit'), each for periods of about 360 years.Matherne, Bobby. 2003.
The Archangel Michael, GA# 67
(review). ''A Reader's Journal'' 2. Retrieved on 11 October 2014.

In popular culture

* In ''The Wheel of Time,'' one of the Forsaken is named Sammael, a reference to Samael.

* In the Megami Tensei videogame franchise and many of its spin-offs, Samael appears as one of the Demons in various games.

* In Lucifer, S1E6, Linda tells Lucifer that one of his names before the fall was Samael.

See also

* Azazel
* List of angels in theology

Citations

References

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Further reading

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* published in four parts:
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External links

"Samael"
��''Jewish Encyclopedia'' entry

''Samael and Lilith - Biblical hints''

{{Authority control

Angels in the Book of Enoch
Angels of death
Angels in Islam
Archangels in Judaism
Christianity and Judaism
Demons in Gnosticism
Fallen angels
Garden of Eden
Gnostic deities
Individual angels
Islam and Judaism
Qlippoth
Satan
Watchers (angels)