Samael
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Who is Samael in world mythology?
Samael is a prominent figure in Jewish mythology and Kabbalistic tradition. Often called the king of all demons and the angel of death, Samael is considered the archenemy of both Michael the archangel and Israel.
Samael is associated with negative acts in ancient Jewish history, such as tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden and attempting to dissuade Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. Some texts describe Samael as the embodiment of all evil and hostile to humanity. In Kabbalistic tradition, Samael is seen as the husband of Lilith, with the pair representing an evil parallel to Adam and Eve.
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What is Samael's role in religious texts?
In religious texts, Samael is depicted in various roles, often associated with negative acts and evil forces. He is identified as the king of all demons, the angel of death, and the archenemy of Michael and Israel. Some traditions attribute to Samael the planting of the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, tempting Eve, and other acts against humanity.
Samael's first mention was in the First Book of Enoch. Later texts describe him as the embodiment of all evil, with hostility towards humanity. In Kabbalistic tradition, Samael is seen as the husband of Lilith and a co-ruler of the "left side," a dark realm not ruled by God. It is believed that Samael will be defeated by Michael at the end of days.
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How is Samael described in Jewish traditions?
In Jewish tradition, Samael is depicted as a significant, multifaceted figure. He is the king of all demons, the angel of death, and the archenemy of both Michael the archangel and Israel. Tradition holds that Samael is the husband of Lilith, a female demon.
Samael is associated with negative acts in Jewish history, such as tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden and attempting to prevent Abraham from sacrificing Isaac. Some physical descriptions of Samael include having 12 wings, being cross-eyed with fiery eyes, possessing horns, and immense height. He is also linked to Mars, the left side, the north, and Tuesday.
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What are some symbols or attributes connected with Samael?
Samael is associated with several symbols and attributes. He is traditionally known as the king of all demons and the angel of death. Samael is also considered the archenemy of Michael the archangel and of Israel.
Some of Samael's attributes include:
* Association with the planet Mars
* Association with the left side and the north
* Association with Tuesday
* A husband to the demonic Lilith
* Physical descriptions include having 12 wings, being cross-eyed, having fire in his eyes, having horns, and immense height1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How is Samael different from other angels in mythology?
Samael is distinct from other mythological angels, as traditions cast him as the king of all demons, the angel of death, and the archenemy of Michael and Israel. Unlike benevolent angels who assist humans, Samael embodies evil, often associated with hostility towards humanity and original sin.
Samael is linked to negative acts in Jewish history, such as tempting Eve and leading rebellions against God. Some texts describe Samael as the husband of Lilith, forming an evil parallel to Adam and Eve. While angels are generally seen as benevolent beings, Samael's character is a personification of evil, acting independently of God.
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How have people's views of Samael changed over time?
Views of Samael have evolved significantly over time. Initially, in texts like the First Book of Enoch (circa 167 BCE), Samael is depicted as one of several angels rebelling against God, not their leader. By the 1st century CE, the Second Book of Enoch names him as a prince of demons and a magician.
The Apocalypse of Baruch (c. 100 CE) associates Samael with the Garden of Eden and original sin, identifying him as the planter of the tree of knowledge who tempts Eve. The Ascension of Isaiah equates Samael with the Devil, portraying him as the embodiment of all evil. Medieval Jewish writers, such as in Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, identify Samael as the chief of rebellious angels, attributing many historical evil acts to him.
In Kabbalistic texts like the Sefer ha-zohar, Samael, often coupled with Lilith, becomes a coruler of a dark, evil realm, solidifying his status as a primary name of evil. Traditions also identify Samael as the angel of death and archenemy of Michael and Israel, associating him with negative acts in Jewish history.
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Samael, in Jewish folkloric and mystical tradition, the true name of Satan.
Traditions and folklore
According to tradition, Samael is the king of all demons, the angel of death, the husband of the demonic Lilith, and the archenemy of Michael the archangel and of Israel. He is associated with Mars, the left side, the north, and Tuesday. His name is not to be spoken aloud in case doing so draws his attention, and thus he is referred to colloquially by vocalizing only the first two letters of his name.
Different authors attribute various negative acts of ancient Jewish history to him, including: planting the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden; riding or sending the serpent to tempt Eve; impregnating Eve with Cain; attempting to dissuade Abraham from sacrificing Isaac; causing the death of Sarah by informing her of Abrahamās intent to sacrifice Isaac; attempting to kill Jacob while he was still in the womb; arguing before God as the prosecutor against Israel during the Exodus from Egypt; hiding in the Golden Calf; taunting Moses; killing the prophet Isaiah; leading armies of rebellion against God; and receiving the scapegoat offered up on Yom Kippur. At the end of days, it is believed that Samael will be defeated by Michael, chained, and given to Israel to exact justice.
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Physical descriptions of him include a range of supernatural characteristics: he flies like a bird with 12 wings, he is cross-eyed and has fire in his eyes, he has horns, and his height is a walk of 500 years. One text states that he has one long hair on his naval, which will bend at the sound of the shofar when the messianic times begin.
History and literary development
Samael is first mentioned in the pseudepigraphal (not included in any canon of scripture) text the First Book of Enoch. In contrast to the preeminent status that later texts ascribe to him, the Samael who appears in this ancient text (some portions of the text date to 167 bce) is one of several angels who rebel against Godānot their leaderāand descend to earth to fornicate with human women. Samael appears again in the Second Book of Enoch, which was likely written in the 1st century ce, but is there named as prince of the demons and a magician.
Samael appears in the Apocalypse of Baruch, probably written about 100 ce, which marks the origin of Samaelās association with the Garden of Eden and original sin, as he is cited as the planter of the tree, or vine, of knowledge, for which he was banished from heaven by God. This banishment led him to become envious of Adam and to disguise himself as the snake to tempt Eve, causing the two to sin.
In the Ascension of Isaiah, the Devil is referred to interchangeably as Samael, Belial, and Satan. This work expands Samaelās characterization and names him the embodiment of all evil, capable of overpowering and acting through humankind. The key characteristics of Samaelās evilāhostility to humanity, formerly angelic nature, and association with original sināwere taken for granted in all following literature.
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Medieval Jewish writers continued to expand on Samaelās power. The midrash text Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer identifies Samael as the chief of the rebellious angels and first attributes many historical evil acts to him. As the personification of evil acting independent of God and hostile to humanity, Samael became a standard convention of midrashic literature as well as texts of Merkava and Hekhalot Jewish mysticism. Samael is mentioned in the Sefer ha-bahir, one of the foundational texts of Kabbala, in which tradition Samaelās role in mystic cosmology is explored and codified.
The seminal work on Samael is regarded as the treatise On the Emanation on the Left by Rabbi Isaac ha-Kohen. In this work, ha-Kohen cites Samael as the husband of Lilith for the first time. Ha-Kohen defines Samael and Lilith as a parallel evil version of Adam and Eve, calling them the rulers of the āleft side,ā while God and the Shekhina are the rulers of the āright side.ā The author claims that the destruction of the satanic couple will be a crucial element of the apocalyptic events that herald the start of the holy messianic period.
On the Emanation on the Left does not appear to have become influential in the years immediately after its publication. However, the conception of Samael and Lilith as coupled manifestations of evil was incorporated into the Sefer ha-zohar, a classic text of medieval Kabbala. Sefer ha-zohar presents a dualistic cosmological conception of the universe, in which Samael and Lilith are the corulers of the āother sideā or āleft sideā realm, a dark world which is not ruled by God. In the text, the name Samael is the main name of evil power in the universe. This cemented the status of Samael, and by extension Lilith, in Kabbalistic and other Hebrew literature and tradition in the ensuing centuries.