Raziel is an archangel within the teachings of Jewish mysticism who is the
"Keeper of Secrets" and the "Angel of Mysteries". He is associated with the
Sephira Chokhmah in Olam Briah, one of the Four Worlds of Kabbalistic theory.
Mysticism and tradition Various teachings assign Raziel to
diverse roles, including that of a Cherub, a member of the Ophanim, and
chief of the Erelim. Raziel, under the alternate name
Galizur, is described as the "-ruling prince of the 2nd Heaven.-" He is said
to expound the "Torah's divine wisdom," and protects the ministering angels from
the Hayyoth, the "holy Creatures" that uphold the universe.
Authorship of Sefer Raziel HaMalach The famous Sefer Raziel HaMalach
attributed to this figure is said to contain all secret knowledge, and is
considered to be a book of magic. He stands close by God's throne, and
therefore hears and writes down everything that is said and discussed.
He purportedly gave the book to Adam and Eve after they ate from the forbidden
Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil so the two could find their way back "home"
and better understand their God. Raziel's fellow angels were deeply
disturbed by this, and thus stole the book from Adam and threw it into the
ocean. God Himself decided not to punish Raziel, but instead retrieved the book
by means of the angel Rahab and returned it to Adam and Eve. Bertie considers
this story - not attested in the Bible - to be a variant of the story of
Prometheus in Greek mythology According to some sources, the book was
passed on through the generations to Enoch, who may have incorporated his own
writings into the tome. From Enoch, the archangel Raphael gave it to Noah, who
used the wisdom within to build Noah's Ark. The Book of Raziel was said to have
come into the possession of King Solomon, and a number of texts claiming
to be this volume have recently appeared.
In fiction Raziel is mentioned in The Mortal
Instruments series of novels as having created the Shadowhunters, by mixing his
blood with mortals and having them drink the mixture from a divine cup. This cup,
known as the Mortal Cup, is one of three items, collectively known as The Mortal
Instruments. The other two are a sword and a mirror. Also seen in Michele
Lang's Lady Lazarus series of urban historical fantasy novels
Raziel is also a recurring character in Christopher Moore's novels, having been
featured to a large degree in both Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's
Childhood Pal and is the titular character of The Stupidest Angel, in
which his efforts to grant a child's Christmas wish go awry. Raziel, as may
be gathered from the latter title, is portrayed as being of limited intellect.
As his charge in Lamb implies, Raziel is too dim and his attention span too short
to follow most verbal argument to the conclusion, so he can't be tricked with
words, and he's too implacable to intentionally shirk his duty, making him
the perfect watchman. Raziel is a central character in Eidos
Interactive's Legacy of Kain series of video games, the protagonist of the Soul
Reaver story arc. Initially appearing in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, the
character was created by a team of storywriters at Crystal Dynamics,
notably series director Amy Hennig, and conceptualized by various Crystal
Dynamics artists, with his in-game appearance directed and designed by
Daniel Cabuco. In all of his English-language appearances, he has
been voiced by Michael Bell. Portrayed as both an anti-hero and tragic hero,
Raziel is a soul-devouring vampire-turned-wraith, introduced in
Soul Reaver as one of six lieutenants raised to serve the series eponym and
protagonist, Kain. Upon evolving beyond Kain by growing wings, Raziel is
executed for his transgression, but is seemingly revived by The Elder God as a
devourer of souls, bent on avenging himself by slaying his brothers and
former master. Over the course of his journey, his history is revealed in
reverse, and his motivations and loyalties gradually shift as he unearths
the truth behind his cyclic destiny. Raziel is also a key character in the
young adult novel "Of Darkness and Light" by Lily Crussell. In this book
Raziel meets and falls in love with a human girl, Nora, who is hunted and
harassed by evil nephillim. After a sweet and romantic few chapters Raziel
is stolen by Nora's attacker. Nora continues to be protected and comforted
by Raziel's 'brother' Barachiel. Raziel is also a central figure in the
novel "Raziel's Shadow" by Joseph Robert Lewis. In this book, Raziel comes to
earth to impart the secret of life, but is murdered by his own acolytes who
unleash a demon horde upon the world. The story describes how a band of magi
warriors attempt to defeat the demons and resurrect the angel Raziel.
The Lost Book of Raziel is also mentioned in the Kushiel series of books
by Jacqueline Carey. This series also contains references to the angel Rahab.
= In other media= In the first season episode, Powers,
Principalities, Thrones and Dominions of the American television series,
Millennium, Raziel is referred to in the quote, "By Uriel, and by Raziel, powers,
principalities, thrones and dominions, I bind and command you: Stand!"
See also Angel
Archangel Jewish mysticism
Kabbalah Sephiroth
References ^ Davidson, Gustav, A Dictionary of
Angels, Including The Fallen Angels, Entry: Raziel, Free Press, pp. 242, 243,
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757, ISBN 9780029070505
^ a b Lewis, James R., Oliver, Evelyn Dorothy, Sisung Kelle S., Angels A to Z,
Entry: Raziel, pp. 346, 347, Visible Ink Press, ISBN 0-7876-0652-9
^ a b "Archangel Raziel". Sarah's Archangels. Archived from the original
on 5 July 2007. ^ Scarborough, Samuel, "The Tree of
Life", Filing Cabinet of the Western Mystery Tradition and Methods to Recall
the Information, Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition No. 3, Vol 1. Autumnal
Equinox 2002 ^ Angelic Lore at biblefacts.org
^ Davidson, Gustav, A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels,
Entry: Galizur, Free Press, p. 120, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number:
66-19757, ISBN 9780029070505 ^ Hebrew Visions of Hell and Paradise,
Journal of The Royal Asiatic Society, London, The Royal asiatic Society, at
sacred-texts.com ^ Peter Bertie, "The Transmutation of
Myth, Ch. 5, P. 172, 178. ^ Ginzberg, Louis, The Legends of the
Jews, Volume 1, Chapter IV, at sacred-texts.com
^ Raziel, Book of at jewishencyclopedia.com
^ "The World of the Shadow Hunters". Retrieved 13 May 2011.
External links The Full Hebrew only Sefer Raziel
Amsterdam Edition in pdf free download