The angel of death, the herald of the end

God worked alone until he delegated the dirty work to agents engaged in the worst seen tasks. One of these was Satan, the adversary, but I also mentioned the angel of death (Māwet) or destroyer (Mashḥit). This is a mysterious entity, for its details are sparse and it is confusing that an angel would abandon his role as protector to end a life.

The development of angels

Before starting with the angel of death, it is necessary to give a general introduction to angels. The following could also be added to the entries on Satan or any possible entry where I would talk about angels. It basically responds to how the conception of angels and their functions has developed over time, acquiring characteristics that we took for granted and grouping beings that belonged to other groups.

Etymologically, divine angels are mere emissaries. In contemporary Middle Eastern cultures, the terms used to refer to equivalent entities were the same as for human messengers, since they did not have a distinction between gods and angels. Normally, messenger gods worked alone and each major god had no more than one, although there were exceptions.

These messengers made up for the shortcomings of the gods, since they could not transport themselves instantly nor were they omniscient, although they usually possessed restricted knowledge. Moreover, the Hebrew term for angel (mal'akh) was used exclusively in the Bible for these messengers, thus excluding other orders such as seraphim and cherubim, who because of their terrible appearance were unlikely to act as mediators.

Now, if you think about it, who delivers the divine message to men in the Bible, an angel or God directly? This is where we come back to the biblical sources and the fact that it was written in fragments. In the Pentateuch, i.e. the first five books of the Bible, there is no mention of angels in the sources D and P. The prophets before the exile receive their messages directly from God. When they appear, they usually do so alone, but occasionally they appear in groups of two or more (mal'akim). Then their function extends to that of protector of travelers and herald of the arrival of important people.

Therefore, in the Old Testament there is less difference between an earthly and heavenly emissary. The distinction would be noted with the apocryphal books and the New Testament, adding a more terrifying nature, a complex hierarchy and personal names:

• The angel of the abyss, Apollyon (Rev 15-17; 21:9) or Abaddon (Rev 9: 11: 20:1). Abaddon is mentioned previously, but as a place of destruction, except on one occasion where he is personified with death (Job 28:22).
• Gabriel (Dan 8:16: 9:21; Lk 1:26).
• Michael (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1: Rev 12:7).
• Belial (2 Cor 6: 15).
• Azariah or Raphael (Tob 5-12).
• Metatron (1 Enoch).

From the III century B.C., by the development of the apocalyptic stories, the assimilation of pagan ideas and concepts, the angels were diversifying, perhaps to avoid that several personages acted as gods and sons of God. Their functions continued to expand, writing the acts of men in divine books, interceding on behalf of the faithful and executing sentences. With the combination of the divine council and the divine messengers, the idea is created that the angels reside in heaven around the throne of God. Angels are then grouped into various categories such as seraphim, cherubim, thrones and archangels.

The angel of death

The angel of death (mal'ak ha-māwet) and destruction (mal'ak ha-mashḥit) are usually considered the same, but they are distinguished by the same thing as a serial and mass murderer: the angel of death acts individually, while the angel of destruction massacres the population with untimely and violent deaths (Ex 12:23; 2 Sam 24:15). Both concepts ended up being combined and this is how the translations express it.

Not everyone died by his hands, since he could not kill anyone who was studying the Torah. Moses died, literally, by a kiss from the Lord (Deut 34:5), since by the light that Moses' eyes emitted while he was studying the Torah, the angel feared to approach. In David's case, he tried to elude him by studying the Torah, but the angel shook the trees in the back garden so that he would go and look, dying at his feet.

As with Satan, the angel of death was an agent acting on behalf of God. However, his appearances are more impersonal. Even their number is variable (Exod. 12:23; 2 Sam. 24:16; Isa. 37:36; Jer. 9:20; Prov. 16:14). In post-biblical literature it received names. According to the Talmud, he was identified with Satan, and many popular stories and practices related to death, burial and lamentation reflect the perception of his evil. These folk stories about the angel of death can be grouped into three types, which usually take place on the wedding night, where one of the bride and groom is destined to die:

• The legends of terror and magic, where the angel of death is a stubborn and cruel anti-hero.
• Legends where the stupid angel of death is tricked by human ingenuity.
• Legends where the angel of death takes pity on someone and spares his life or acts benevolently.

Names

Because of the personification of Abaddon and death (Job 28:22), Abaddon is one of the names that the angel of death can receive. In addition, Abaddon is also called Apollyon in Greek, alluding to Apollo, god of pestilence and destruction. In the story of the death of David and Moses, the angel of death is called Samael. In the death of Abraham, he is called Gabriel, whose right hand Abraham kisses before he departs. Samael received many additional titles, such as chief of satans, guardian angel of Esau and angelic guardian prince of Edom. In the Sayings of Rabbi Eliezer it is said that he is the one who took the form of a serpent to deceive Eve, seducing her and begetting Cain. However, it is common for some characters to be attributed different names depending on the source.

Another name for the angel of death is Azrael or Izra'il. Although the name seems to be of Hebrew origin, its designation as angel of death and archangel comes from Islam. It was then adopted as such in Jewish folklore. Azrael is described as so enormous that his legs act as a bridge between the fourth and seventh heaven, and the oceans of the Earth would not return to this one if they spilled over his head. He would possess a scroll with the names of the damned, encircled in black, and the blessed, in light. When the leaf fell from the tree under the throne of God with the name of the person, after 40 days Azrael was to collect his soul.

Johann Eisenmenger considered Metatron the supreme angel of death, having Samael and Gabriel as subordinates. In the Talmud and the Targum, he is the connection between God and humanity. He is one of the angels credited with holding Abraham's hand when he was about to sacrifice Isaac. He is supposed to reside in the seventh heaven and is the second highest angel after Anaphiel, and the height of Adam before he sinned. According to sources, he has been identified with Satan, Enoch, Samael, Uriel and has even been described as having 36 wings and countless eyes.

Less common is Sariel, one of the original seven archangels in the book of Enoch.

Procedure

It is not always mentioned how he reaped the souls of mortals, but there are some descriptions. According to the Talmudic tractate Avodah Zarah, the angel stands at the bedside of the dying man with a sword to which a drop of bile clings. When he sees it, he opens his mouth and the drop falls, manifesting itself with yellowing of the skin and putrefaction.

Other Deaths

The personification of death in post-biblical Judaism was influenced by the Greek Thanatos. Then we have the pale horse rider of the Apocalypse, the only one to be given a name (Θάνατος, Thanatos, Death), and the Grim Reaper. Although the latter two are usually depicted as a skeleton covered by a black cloak and carrying a scythe, the biblical mention itself (Rev 6:7-8) mentions that he will kill with sword, famine, mortality, and the beasts of the earth. In the oldest depictions, all the horsemen are men who are barely distinguishable beyond the objects they carry in their hands.

The image of death with the scythe probably became popular in the late Middle Ages, contemporaneous with the genre of the danse macabre and following the desolation of the Black Death. In turn, this was an evolution of the image of Crono or Aeon, the personification of time to whom we owe his scythe.

Sources

• Van der Toorn, K., Becking, B., & Van Der Horst, P. W. (1999). Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
• Goldstein, D. (1987). Jewish Mythology. Hamlyn. 
• Oliver, E. D., & Lewis, J. R. (2008). Angels A to Z. Visible Ink Press.