Uriel
Jewish mythology (rabbinic–kabbalistic) · numen · Jewish mythology (rabbinic–kabbalistic) traditional religion; continuing · numen
THE FOURTH OF THE FOUR, and the one whose name did NOT resolve anywhere in the corpus — not even to a record of another tradition. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael were at least visible under the Beta Israel key; Uriel was simply absent.
Domains
- the world
- tartarus and the underworld
- the divine throne
- light
Sources
- Reference treatment of the four chief archangels in rabbinic literature: the Midrash identifies Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael as the four chief angels who surround the divine throne, each with particular attributes; Michael is called the prince of kindness (chesed) and water and Gabriel the prince of severity (gevurah) and fire, so Michael is dispatched on missions that express God's kindness and Gabriel on those that express His severity and judgement; multiple midrashic sources make Michael the heavenly defender of Israel, at odds with the demon Samael, and Israel's representative in heaven where other nations were also represented by angelic princes; the Talmud identifies Michael, Gabriel and Raphael as the three angels who visited Abraham to deliver the news that his wife would bear a son, and in later Jewish tradition Raphael is one of the three heavenly visitors entertained by Abraham at the Oak of Mamre; the writer of the Book of Daniel was the first by whom angels were individualised and given names and titles.
- 1 Enoch 20 (the Book of the Watchers)