Dead Sea Scrolls and 1 Enoch

In the Dead Sea Scrolls the name Azazel occurs in the line 6 of 4Q203, the Book
of the Giants. This is a part of the Enochic literature about fallen angels foun
d at Qumran.[17]
According to the Book of Enoch, which brings Azazel into connection with the Bib
lical story of the fall of the angels, located on Mount Hermon, a gathering-plac
e of demons from of old (Enoch xiii.; compare Brandt, "Mandäische Theologie," 1889
, p. 38). Azazel is represented in the Book of Enoch as one of the leaders of th
e rebellious Watchers in the time preceding the flood; he taught men the art of
warfare, of making swords, knives, shields, and coats of mail, and women the art
of deception by ornamenting the body, dying the hair, and painting the face and
the eyebrows, and also revealed to the people the secrets of witchcraft and cor
rupted their manners, leading them into wickedness and impurity; until at last h
e was, at the Lord's command, bound hand and foot by the archangel Raphael and c
hained to the rough and jagged rocks of [Ha] Duduael (= Beth Ḥadudo), where he is
to abide in utter darkness until the great Day of Judgment, when he will be cast
into the fire to be consumed forever (Enoch viii. 1, ix. 6, x. 4-6, liv. 5, lxx
xviii. 1; see Geiger, "Jüd. Zeit." 1864, pp. 196–204).
“ The whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by
Azazel: to him ascribe all sin. ”
— 1 Enoch 10:8
According to 1 Enoch (a book of the Apocrypha), Azazel (here spelled ‘ăzā’zyēl) was one of
the chief Grigori, a group of fallen angels who married women. This same story
(without any mention of Azazel) is told in Genesis 6:2-4:
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they
took them wives of all which they chose. […] There were giants in the earth in tho
se days; and also afterward, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of
men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of ol
d, men of renown.
1 Enoch portrays Azazel as responsible for teaching people to make weapons and c
osmetics, for which he was cast out of heaven. 1 Enoch 8:1-3a reads:
And Azazel taught men to make swords and knives and shields and breastplates
; and made known to them the metals [of the earth] and the art of working them;
and bracelets and ornaments; and the use of antimony and the beautifying of the
eyelids; and all kinds of costly stones and all colouring tinctures. And there a
rose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray
and became corrupt in all their ways.
The corruption brought on by Azazel and the Grigori degrades the human race, and
the four archangels (Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel) “saw much blood being
shed upon the earth and all lawlessness being wrought upon the earth […] The souls
of men [made] their suit, saying, "Bring our cause before the Most High; […] Thou
seest what Azazel hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and r
evealed the eternal secrets which were in heaven, which men were striving to lea
rn."
God sees the sin brought about by Azazel and has Raphael “bind Azazel hand and foo
t and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert — which is in
Dudael — and cast him therein. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cove
r him with darkness, and let him abide there forever, and cover his face that he
may not see light.”
Several scholars have previously discerned that some details of Azazel s punishm
ent are reminiscent of the scapegoat ritual. Thus, Lester Grabbe points to a num
ber of parallels between the Azazel narrative in 1 Enoch and the wording of Levi
ticus 16, including “the similarity of the names Asael and Azazel; the punishment
in the desert; the placing of sin on Asael/Azazel; the resultant healing of the
land.” [18] Daniel Stökl also observes that “the punishment of the demon resembles the
treatment of the goat in aspects of geography, action, time and purpose.” .”[19] Th
us, the place of Asael’s punishment designated in 1 Enoch as Dudael is reminiscent
of the rabbinic terminology used for the designation of the ravine of the scape
goat in later rabbinic interpretations of the Yom Kippur ritual. Stökl remarks tha
t “the name of place of judgment (Dudael) is conspicuously similar in both traditi
ons and can likely be traced to a common origin.”[20]
Azazel s fate is foretold near the end of 1 Enoch 2:8, where God says, “On the day
of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire. […] The whole earth has be
en corrupted through the works that were taught by Azazel: to him ascribe all si
n."
[edit] In 3 Enoch
In the 5th Century 3 Enoch, Azazel is one of the three angels (Azza [Shemhazai]
and Uzza [Ouza] are the other two) who opposed Enoch s high rank when he became
the angel Metatron. Whilst they were fallen at this time they were still in Heav
en, but Metatron held a dislike for them, and had them cast out. They were thenc
eforth known as the three who got the most blame for their involvement in the
fall of the angels marrying women. It should be remembered that Azazel and Shemh
azai were said to be the leaders of the 200 fallen, and Uzza and Shemhazai were
tutelary guardian angels of Egypt with both Shemhazai and Azazel and were respon
sible for teaching the secrets of heaven as well. The other angels dispersed to
every corner of the Earth.
[edit] In the Apocalypse of Abraham
In the extracanonical text the Apocalypse of Abraham (c.1stC CE), Azazel is port
rayed as an unclean bird who came down upon the sacrifice which Abraham prepared
. (This is in reference to Genesis 15:11: "Birds of prey came down on the carcas
ses, but Abram drove them away" [niv]).
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 m
en? But these all will be consumed by fire and ascend to the height, they will d
estroy 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 s
aid 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 yo
u a dwelling on earth. Through you the all-evil spirit [was] a liar, and through
you [come] wrath and trials on the generations of men who live impiously.
— Abr. 13:4-9
He is also associated with the serpent and hell. In Chapter 23, verse 7, he is d
escribed as having seven heads, 14 faces, "hands and feet like a man s [and] on
his back six wings on the right and six on the left."
Abraham says that the wicked will "putrefy in the belly of the crafty worm Azaze
l, and be burned by the fire of Azazel s tongue" (Abr. 31:5), and earlier says t
o Azazel himself, "May you be the firebrand of the furnace of the earth! Go, Aza
zel, into the untrodden parts of the earth. For your heritage is over those who
are with you" (Abr. 14:5-6).
Here there is the idea that God s heritage (the created world) is largely under
the dominion of evil — i.e., it is "shared with Azazel" (Abr. 20:5), again identif
ying him with Satan, who is also "the prince of this world" (John 12:31, niv).
Scholars suggest that in the Apocalypse of Abraham “Azazel is no longer just a lea
der among the fallen angels but the leader of the demons. Figures originally sep
arate have now fallen together while the various names have become only differen
t aliases of the one devil.” [21]
[edit] Azazel in Rabbinic sources
The story of Azazel as the seducer of men and women was also familiar to some ra
bbis, as may be learned from Tanna d. b. R. Yishma el: "The Azazel goat was to a
tone for the wicked deeds of Uzza and Azzael, the leaders of the rebellious ho
sts in the time of Enoch" (Yoma 67b); and still better from Midrash Abkir, end,
Yalḳ., Gen. 44, where Azazel is represented as the seducer of women, teaching them
the art of beautifying the body by dye and paint (compare "Chronicles of Jerahm
eel", trans. by Moses Gaster, xxv. 13). According to Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer 46 (
comp. Tosefta Megillah 31a), the goat is offered to Azazel as a bribe that he wh
o is identical with Samael or Satan should not by his accusations prevent the at
onement of the sins on that day.
Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer(l.c.) with Samael; and the Zohar Aḥare Mot, following Naḥmani
des, with the spirit of Esau or heathenism; still, while one of the chief demons
in the Cabala, he never attained in the doctrinal system of Judaism a position
similar to that of Satan.[22]
[edit] Azazel in Christianity
Cyril of Alexandria sees the apompaios (sent-away one, scapegoat) as a foretype
of Christ. Origen ("Contra Celsum," vi. 43) identifies Azazel with Satan.[23]
[edit] Azazel in Islam
Azazel (Arabic: Azazil) does not feature in the Quran, but is found in Islamic legen
ds taken from Christian and Jewish sources.
[edit] Azazel in literature, occult and popular culture
[edit] Literary references
Milton described Azazel as the first gate-teacher of the infernal armies.
* John Milton, "Paradise Lost", Book I
Then [Satan] commands that ... be upreard
His mighty Standard; that proud honour claim d
AZAZEL as his right, a Cherube tall:
Who forthwith from the glittering Staff unfurld
Th Imperial Ensign
[edit] Occult
French occultist Collin de Plancy s Dictionnaire Infernal (1818) described Azaze
l as the guardian of goats. Azazel features in Satanist literature on the Intern
et.[24][25] [26]
[edit] Popular culture
See main article Azazel in popular culture
[edit] See also
* Azazel in popular culture
* Palorchestes azael (Australian large extinct marsupial, so called because
of its strange shape)
 * Samyaza
* Scapegoat
[edit] References
1. ^ p736
2. ^ Gesenius "I have no doubt that it should be rendered averter "
3. ^ JewishEncyclopedia.com - AZAZEL
4. ^ JewishEncyclopedia.com - AZAZEL
5. ^ Wright, David P. "Azazel." Pages 1:536-37 in Anchor Bible Dictionary. Ed
ited by David Noel Freedman et al. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
6. ^ Judit M. Blair De-demonising the Old Testament: An Investigation of Azaz
el, Lilith, Deber p23-24
7. ^ Ida Zatelli, "The Origin of the Biblical Scapegoat Ritual: The Evidence
of Two Eblaite Texts", Vetus Testamentum 48.2 (April 1998):254-263)
8. ^ D.P. Wright, The Disposal of Impurity: Elimination Rites in the Bible an
d in Hittite and
9. ^ Blair p.21
10. ^ 16:8 mittens super utrumque sortem unam Domino et alteram capro emissari
o
11. ^ 3 Mose 16:8 German: Luther (1545) Und soll das Los werfen über die zween Böc
ke, ein Los dem HERRN und das andere dem ledigen Bock.
12. ^ D.J. Stökl in Sacrifice in religious experience ed. Albert I. Baumgarten p
218
13. ^ JewishEncyclopedia.com - AZAZEL
14. ^ Guide to the Perplexed 3:46, featured on the Internet Sacred Text Archiv
e
15. ^ JewishEncyclopedia.com - AZAZEL
16. ^ Brandt "Mandäische Theologie" 1889 pp. 197, 198; Norberg s "Onomasticon,"
p. 31; Adriaan Reland s "De Religione Mohammedanarum," p. 89; Kamus, s.v. "Azaze
l" [demon identical with Satan]; Delitzsch, "Zeitsch. f. Kirchl. Wissensch. u. L
eben," 1880, p. 182)
17. ^ Loren T. Stückenbruck The Book of Giants from Qumran: texts, translation,
and commentary
18. ^ Andrei Orlov, Azazel as the Celestial Scapegoat
19. ^ A. Orlov, Azazel as the Celestial Scapegoat
20. ^ A. Orlov, Azazel as the Celestial Scapegoat
21. ^ A. Orlov, Inheritance of Azazel
22. ^ JewishEncyclopedia.com - AZAZEL 1910 * Cheyne, Dictionary of the Bible;
* Hastings, Dict. Bibl., Riehm, H. W. B.;
* Hamburger, R. B. T. i. s.v.K.
* Hauck, R. E.;
* Kahisch, Comm. on Leviticus, ii. 293 et seq., 326 et seq.;
* Winer, B. R.;
23. ^ John Granger Cook The interpretation of the Old Testament in Greco-Roman
paganism 299
24. ^ Joy of Satan: Azazel
25. ^ Theology of the Church of Azazel
26. ^ Temple of the Black Light
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azazel"
Categories: Angels in Judaism | Book of Enoch | Demons in Christianity | Demons
in Judaism | Demons in the Apocrypha | Individual angels | Yom Kip
+++++++++++++++++++++++

As noted in The Book of Jubilees, one

of the Watchers (grigori) who united with
the daughters of men, an incident touched
on in Genesis 6.
Baraqijal, now a demon and inhabiting the nether realms, is a teacher
of astrology. In Enoch I, he is described as a leader
(one of the "chiefs of ten" of a troop of fallen angels.
[Cf. Barakiel,
of which Baraqijal may be merely a
variant.
++++++++++++++++++
Baraqijal is of the order of seraphim.