Angels, Demons and all the Hosts

ANGELS, DEMONS AND ALL THE HOSTS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
M. M. NINAN
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Edom; but Rabbi's opinion is that Michael alone will act. He will, besides, cleanse Israel from
the wicked people ("Otot ha-Mashiaḥ," in Jellinek, "B. H." ii. 61). It was Michael's fight with
Samael (with the devil in Assumptio Mosis, x.) which gave rise to the well-known legend of
Michael and the dragon. This legend is not found in Jewish sources except in so far as Samael
or Satan is called in the Cabala "the primitive serpent" ("naḥash ha-ḳadmoni").
The idea that Michael was the advocate of the Jews became so prevalent that in spite of the
rabbinical prohibition against appealing to angels as intermediaries between God and His
people, Michael came to occupy a certain place in the Jewish liturgy. Apart from the word ,
which occurs frequently and which refers to Michael, there are two prayers beseeching him as
the prince of mercy to intercede in favor of Israel: one composed by Eliezer ha-Ḳalir (Bartolocci,
"Bibl. Rab. Magna," i. 192 et seq.), and the other by Judah b. Samuel he-Ḥasid (MS.
De Cambrai No. 946, fol. 110). But appeal to Michael seems to have been more common in
ancient times. Thus Jeremiah is said (Baruch Apoc. Ethiopic, ix. 5) to have addressed a prayer
to him. "When a man is in need he must pray directly to God, and neither to Michael nor to
Gabriel" (Yer. Ber. ix. 13a).
Michael as High Priest.
The conception of Michael as an advocate always interceding on behalf of Israel gave rise to
another idea, that of his being a high priest making atonement for his people. Ezra recognized
the place of the altar by seeing there one on which Michael, the great prince, was in the
act of sacrificing (Zeb. 62a; comp. Men. 110a). The fourth heaven is called "Zebul" () because
it contains the heavenly Jerusalem, the Temple, and the altar on which Michael, the great
prince, sacrifices (Ḥag. 12b). A different statement is given in "Seder Gan 'Eden" (Jellinek,
l.c. iii. 137), which places Michael in the upper heaven called "'Arabot" (; comp. Midr. Abkir in
Yalḳ., Gen. 132). This idea was afterward greatly developed by the cabalists. Michael is identified
with Melchizedek ("Yalḳ. Ḥadash," "Mal'akim," No. 19); and the words "and the priest
shall pronounce him clean" (Lev. xiii. 23) are explained in the "Tiḳḳune Zohar" (fol. 2b) as
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