Azazel: Encyclopedia - Azazel

Azazel

Azazel (Hebrew: עזאזאל, Arabic: عزازل azazil) is an enigmatic name from the Hebrew scriptures, possibly referring to a fallen angel or Satan. The word's first appearances are in Leviticus 16, when in the ritual for Yom Kippur the scapegoat is to be taken to Azazel and cast into the wilderness, but this text by itself is unclear as to the actual identity of Azazel.

The Talmud (Yoma 67b) and later commentators maintain Azazel was the name of the precipitous cliff where the goat met its end. This version is cited by Biblical commentator Rashi and it is considered the plain meaning by the Jewish commentators.

According to the Book of Enoch, Azazel was a leader of the grigori (also known as "watchers"), a group of fallen angels who mated with mortal women, giving rise to a race of hybrids known as the Nephilim. Azazel is particularly noteworthy among the grigori because it was he who taught men how to make weapons of war as well as teaching women how to make and wear cosmetics. Eventually, Azazel's teachings created such iniquity that God decided to destroy all life on Earth with a great flood, sparing only Noah, Noah's family, and seven pairs of each species of "clean" animals, and one pair of each "unclean" species, all of whom escaped destruction by living for forty days and forty nights on an ark that God instructed Noah to build.

Azazel - Azazel in Scripture

Azazel - Azazel in Leviticus

The first appearance of the name "Azazel" is in Leviticus 16:8, when the Lord orders the high priest Aaron to "place lots upon the 2 goats, one marked for the Lord and the other marked for Azazel" on the Jewish Day of Atonement. The goat designated by lot for the Lord is to be used as a sin offering, while the goat designated for Azazel "shall be left standing alive before the Lord, to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness to Azazel" (Lev. 16:10). Aaron was to "lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness by someone designated for the task. Thus the goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness" (Lev. 16:21-22). Leviticus also says that "He who set the goat for Azazel free shall wash his clothes and bathe his body in water; after that he may reenter the camp" (16:26).

It is clear that Azazel of this passage was a demon but some scholars are uncertain as to whether it's a name of a fallen angel mentioned in the Book of Enoch or if it's simply another name for Satan; historical scholarship finds that Azazel as another demon is somewhat more likely. Furthermore Leviticus mentions that Azazel is located in the wilderness, a traditional haunt for demons and unclean beasts. According to the Book of Enoch, Azazel is bound in the wilderness, but the Book of Job does not have Satan bound there (see Job 1:7 and Job 2:2).

Azazel - Azazel and the Se'irim

Azazel is the chief of the Se'irim, or goat-demons, who haunted the desert and to whom most primitive Semitic (most likely non-Hebrew) tribes offered sacrifices. The Old Testament states that Jeroboam appointed priests for the Se'irim. But Josiah destroyed the places of their worship, as the practices accompanying this worship involved copulation of women with goats.

The Se'irim, or hairy demons as the word itself means, are mentioned in Leviticus 17:7 and 2 Chronicles 11:15 as "goat-demons". Isaiah 34:14 says that the "goat-demons" greet each other among the ruins of Edom along with Lilith and other wild beasts.

The name 'Azazel' may be derived from 'azaz' meaning 'strong' or meaning 'rugged' and 'el' meaning 'of God' or 'el' meaning 'strong.' Giving either 'strong one of God' or refer it to the rugged and rough mountain cliff from which the goat was cast down[1] Some propose that Azazel may have been derived from the Canaanite god, 'Asiz, who caused the sun to burn strongly. It has also been theorized that he has been influenced by the Egyptian god, Set.

Azazel - Azazel in the Book of Enoch

Azazel is the 3rd of the 20 leaders of the Watchers that are mentioned in the Book of Enoch; "Azazel taught men how to make swords, knives, sheilds, and breastplates; he made the metals 〈of the earth〉 and the art of working them known to mankind, he taught men how to make bracelets, ornaments, [he taught] the use of antimony, the beautifying of the eyelids, [the knowledge of] all kinds of costly stones, and [the knowledge of] all of the coloring tinctures" according to Enoch 8:1.

The angels named Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel go before Yahveh with evidence to execute judgement on the fallen angels for their lawless deeds. Raphael was then assigned by Yahveh to "bind Azazel's hands and feet; cast him into the darkness and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dudael. Place rough and jagged rocks over him; cover him with darkness, let him abide there forever (i.e. for the alloted time) and cover his face so that he may not see light. Azazel will be cast into the fire on the Great Day of the Judgement" according to Enoch 9:3-6. The story then claims that "the whole world has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel; ascribe [the] sin (blame) [of the violence (see Genesis 6:5)] to him". Azazel is also called Gadriel (possibly meaning "wall of God") in Enoch chapter 69.

Azazel - Azazel in the Apocalypse of Abraham

In the Apocalypse of Abraham, Azazel is portrayed as an unclean bird which came down upon the sacrifice which Abraham prepared. This is in reference to Genesis 15:11 "Birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away." "And the unclean bird spoke to me and said, 'What are you doing, Abraham, on the holy heights, where no one eats or drinks, nor is there upon them food for men. But these all will be consumed by fire and ascend to the height, they will destroy you.' And it came to pass when I saw the bird speaking I said this to the angel: 'What is this, my lord?' And he said, 'This is disgrace, this is Azazel!' And he said to him, 'Shame on you Azazel! For Abraham's portion is in heaven, and yours is on earth, for you have selected here, (and) become enamored of the dwelling place of your blemish. Therefore the Eternal Ruler, the Mighty One, has given you a dwelling on earth. Through you the all-evil spirit (is) a liar, and through you (are) wrath and trials on the generations of men who live impiously." - Apocalypse of Abraham 13:4-9

The Apocalypse of Abraham also associates Azazel with Hell. Abraham says to him "May you be the firebrand of the furnace of the earth! Go, Azazel, into the untrodden parts of the earth. For your heritage is over those who are with you" (14:5-6) There is also the idea that God's heritage (the created world) is largely under the dominion of evil. It is "shared with Azazel" (20:5) Azazel is also identified with the serpent which tempted Eve. His form is described as a dragon with "hands and feet like a man's, on his back six wings on the right and six on the left." (23:7)

Finally, the Apocalypse of Abraham says that the wicked will "putrefy in the belly of the crafty worm Azazel, and be burned by the fire of Azazel's tongue." (31:5) Here again, there is another reference to Azazel as being Hell.

Azazel - Azazel in Islam

Azazel is also known as Azazil in Arabic. He was known as Ibliss (the Deceiver) when he was banished from Heaven after disobeying by refusing to bow to Adam on God's command. In Islam, Azazil is the lord of all demons. He is also the father of Jinn, as Adam is of humans.

Azazel - Azazel in demonology

According to some, Azazel is merely a synonym word for Hell. Others say that he was a mighty cherub and that he is the principal standard-bearer of the infernal armies. Often said to be one of the world's first evils, he is commonly placed high in Hell's hierarchy. Some often use Azazel as a synonym of Satan, but most is of the opinion that they are separate entities, though many agree that Satan's traditional satyr-like appearance is most likely originally based on Azazel, since Azazel was often said to appear similar to that of Lévi's depiction of Baphomet, as that of a goat with human disposition, often with a pair of leathery wings.

Some also identify Azazel with The Beast or as The Dragon from Revelation.

Azazel - Dictionnaire Infernal - Collin de Plancy 1863 paraphrased

Azazel is guardian of goats. On the 10th day of September, on the feast of the Expiation, it was Jewish custom to draw lots for two goats: one for the Lord and the other for Azazel. The goat for the Lord was then sacrificed and its blood served as atonement. With the goat for Azazel, the high priest would place both of his hands on the goat's head and confess both his sins and the sins of the people. The goat ("scapegoate") was then led into the desert and set free. Azazel then returned the goat. Milton described Azazel as the first gate-teacher of the infernal armies. Azazel is also the name of the demon that serves Mark the heretic.

Azazel - In literature

• Azazel is mentioned in Milton's Paradise Lost as Satan's standard-bearer.

• An Azazello appears in Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita as the taciturn enforcer of Satan.

• Azazel was also the name of an unrelated main character in the Isaac Asimov series of short stories by that name. He was a small supernatural being who meddled in the affairs of humans.

• Azazel (Азазель) is the title of the first novel of the Erast Fandorin cycle, and, the name of a conspiracy, considering the fallen angel as a culture hero comparable to (and surpassing) Prometheus.

• Azazel and Samyaza, roughly as described in 1 Enoch, are named as rebel angels in Canadian author Robertson Davies' 1981 book, The Rebel Angels. The student character named Maria interprets the story of their betraying of God's secrets in a positive light, arguing that unlike Lucifer, a "sore-headed egotist," they didn't seek to fight God, but instead "gave mankind another push up the ladder." She takes this apocrypha (actually an example of pseudepigrapha) as the explanation of the origin of universities and advanced human knowledge, and "as proof that we'll civilize God yet." She compares these rebel angels to the university professors in the book who have both taught wisdom to and fallen in love with her, one of the "daughters of men."

• Azazel appears in the John Bellair's novel "The Ghost in the Mirror" as a demon who can be summoned through reading of a passage in a medieval book of magic.

Azazel - In popular culture

• In Modern Hebrew, "Azazel" has been improperly given the meaning of hell by imprecise speakers; hell, more accurately, is known as "Gehinom."

• Azazel was the main antagonist opposite Denzel Washington's character in the film Fallen, where Azazel is a body-hopping demon spirit.

• Azazel is a chaos-demon in the DC Comics/Vertigo series The Sandman and Hellblazer, the former written by Neil Gaiman.

• A demon-like mutant named Azazel was shown in the Marvel Comics universe to be the father of the X-Man Nightcrawler by the shape-shifter Mystique.

• Azazel is the main character of the Sky One series HEX.

• Azazel is the demon faced by the demon chaser Amy Perry in the novel Shredder: Iron Angel by Karen Koehler.

• Azazel is referenced in the Iron Maiden song "The Fallen Angel."

• There is a black metal band called Kult ov Azazel.

Categories: Christian demons | Jewish demons | Angels | Book of Enoch

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Azazel", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki